A process-based model for aeolian sediment transport and spatiotemporal varying sediment availability

Abstract

Aeolian sediment transport is influenced by a variety of bed surface properties, like moisture, shells, vegetation, and nonerodible elements. The bed surface properties influence aeolian sediment transport by changing the sediment transport capacity and/or the sediment availability. The effect of bed surface properties on the transport capacity and sediment availability is typically incorporated through the velocity threshold. This approach appears to be a critical limitation in existing aeolian sediment transport models for simulation of real-world cases with spatiotemporal variations in bed surface properties. This paper presents a new model approach for multifraction aeolian sediment transport in which sediment availability is simulated rather than parameterized through the velocity threshold. The model can cope with arbitrary spatiotemporal configurations of bed surface properties that either limit or enhance the sediment availability or sediment transport capacity. The performance of the model is illustrated using four prototype cases, the simulation of two wind tunnel experiments from literature and a sensitivity analysis of newly introduced parameters.