Real barchan dune collisions and ejections

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

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Global Change: Geomorphology And Weathering (0790, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1886), Global Change: Remote Sensing (1855, 4337), Hydrology: Geomorphology: General (1625)

Scientific paper

From high-resolution satellite imagery of barchan sand dunes, we provide geomorphological evidence of collisions that result in the ejection of a barchan from the wake of another barchan dune. Previous interpretations suggest this outcome is evidence of soliton or solitary wave behaviour; however, the physical mechanisms for mass exchange are not fully understood, resulting in debate. Our evidence and interpretation indicates that mass is transferred to the upwind barchan by shadowing a portion of downwind barchan's stoss slope. Turbulent, unsaturated airflow erodes the surface between the dunes, creating a smaller dune that ejects from the wake region. Previous observations lacked the spatial resolution required to document this process; therefore, our observations clarify the collision dynamics of barchans. A broader implication of our observations is the role of collisions in maintaining an “equilibrium” size distribution in barchan swarms.

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