A comprehensive numerical model of steady state saltation (COMSALT)

Abstract

The blowing of sand by wind, known as saltation, ejects dust aerosols into the atmosphere, creates sand dunes, and erodes geological features. We present a comprehensive numerical model of steady state saltation (COMSALT) that, in contrast to most previous studies, can reproduce a wide range of measurements and can simulate saltation over mixed soils. COMSALT calculates the motion of saltating particles due to gravity, fluid drag, particle spin, fluid shear, and turbulence and explicitly accounts for the retardation of the wind due to drag from saltating particles. Furthermore, we included a novel physically based parameterization of the ejection of surface particles by impacting saltating particles which matches experimental results. COMSALT is the first numerical saltation model to reproduce measurements of the wind shear velocity at the impact threshold (i.e., the lowest shear velocity for which saltation is possible) and of the aerodynamic roughness length in saltation. It also reproduces a range of other saltation processes, including profiles of the wind speed and particle mass flux, and the size distribution of saltating particles. As such, COMSALT is the first physically based numerical model to reproduce such a wide range of experimental data. Since we use a minimum of empirical relations, COMSALT can be easily adapted to study saltation under a variety of physical conditions, such as saltation on other planets, saltation under water, and saltating snow.