• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Unification of Aeolian and Fluvial Sediment Transport Rate from Granular Physics

Thomas Pähtz and Orencio Durán
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 168001 – Published 20 April 2020
Physics logo See Viewpoint: Blowin’ in the Wind Same as Flowing in H2O
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

One of the physically least understood characteristics of geophysical transport of sediments along sediment surfaces is the well-known experimental observation that the sediment transport rate Q is linearly dependent on the fluid shear stress τ applied onto the surface in air, but is nonlinearly dependent on τ in water. Using transport simulations for a wide range of driving conditions, we show that the scaling depends on the manner in which the kinetic fluctuation energy of transported particles is dissipated: via predominantly fluid drag and quasistatic contacts (linear) versus fluid drag and quasistatic and collisional contacts (nonlinear). We use this finding to derive a scaling law (asymptotically Qτ2) in simultaneous agreement with measurements in water and air streams.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 25 November 2019
  • Revised 29 January 2020
  • Accepted 25 February 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.168001

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Polymers & Soft MatterFluid DynamicsInterdisciplinary Physics

Viewpoint

Key Image

Blowin’ in the Wind Same as Flowing in H2O

Published 20 April 2020

A new model unifies the descriptions of sand transport by wind and water, a result that could lead to a better understanding of the movements of sediments on the surfaces of planets.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Thomas Pähtz1,2,* and Orencio Durán3

  • 1Institute of Port, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, 310058 Hangzhou, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, 310012 Hangzhou, China
  • 3Department of Ocean Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3136, USA

  • *0012136@zju.edu.cn

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 124, Iss. 16 — 24 April 2020

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×