Application of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) method to detect the spatial grain-size fractionation of aeolian sediment and comparison with other methods in case studies from northwestern China |
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Authors: | Yanzai Wang Yongqiu Wu Ruijie Lu Meihui Pan |
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Affiliation: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Process and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China;2. College of Geography and Tourism, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China;3. Engineering Center of Desertification and Blown-sand Control, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China;4. College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China |
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Abstract: | A grain-size fraction/population of sediment can reflect a specific transport process. Use of this potential grain-size fraction is more meaningful than that of a single grain-size value for analysis of grain-size fractionation over space, so identifying the potential grain-size fraction is key in analyzes of grain-size fractionation. Our aim was to test the applicability of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis for sediment grain-size fractionation. We performed EOF analysis on grain-size data of aeolian sediment to identify the potential grain-size fraction and detect its grain-size fractionation over space. Two other methods, the grain-size-class standard deviation (GSC-std) method and end-member analysis (EMA) were conducted for comparison. The results show that the EOF method is not only able to identify the potential grain-size fraction, but also to simultaneously determine the spatial change of the potential grain-size fraction. The GSC-std method provides the potential grain-size fraction, but fails to exhibit its spatial change at the same time. EMA end members resemble a grain-size distribution that differs from the potential grain-size fraction; thus, the EMA method fails to identify the potential grain-size fraction directly. Our results suggest that EOF analysis is suitable for detecting grain-size fractionation over space. |
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Keywords: | Grain-size fractionation aeolian sediment EOF analysis |
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