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Title: Barchan Slipface Grainflows: Characteristics and Kinematics
Abstract

Gravity‐driven grainflows on aeolian dunes are important agents of sand transport on Earth and Mars but have been the focus of few field studies. We present results from the first comprehensive field study to evaluate hypotheses posed by previous studies: (a) grainflow frequency depends on the sand transport rate; (b) grainflow magnitude is independent of sand transport rate; and (c) grainflow speed depends on its area. A barchan slipface was monitored with a terrestrial laser scanner and video camera, with measurements of wind speed and sand transport rate. More than 1,600 grainflows were detected and measured. Key findings support the first hypothesis, refute the second hypothesis, and support the third hypothesis. We also found that grainflow speeds measured in laboratory studies are substantially slower than comparable examples measured in this field study, and the grainflow speed and area relationships found for field and laboratory data are significantly different.

 
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NSF-PAR ID:
10372254
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume:
49
Issue:
15
ISSN:
0094-8276
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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Spreadsheet: annual precip_drainage Description: Precipitation measured from nearby Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Weather station, over 2009-2016 study period. Data shown in Figure 1; original data source for precipitation (https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/7). Drainage estimated from SALUS crop model. Note that drainage is percolation out of the root zone (0-125 cm). Annual precipitation and drainage values shown here are calculated for growing and non-growing crop periods. Variate    Description year    year of the observation crop    “corn” “switchgrass” “miscanthus” “nativegrass” “restored prairie” “poplar” precip_G    precipitation during growing period (milliMeter) precip_NG    precipitation during non-growing period (milliMeter) drainage_G    drainage during growing period (milliMeter) drainage_NG    drainage during non-growing period (milliMeter)      2. Spreadsheet: biomass_corn, perennial grasses Description: Maximum aboveground biomass measurements from corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, native grass and restored prairie plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2009-2015. Data shown in Figure 2.   Variate    Description year    year of the observation date    day of the observation (mm/dd/yyyy) crop    “corn” “switchgrass” “miscanthus” “nativegrass” “restored prairie” “poplar” replicate    each crop has four replicated plots, R1, R2, R3 and R4 station    stations (S1, S2 and S3) of samplings within the plot. For more details, refer to link (https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/protocols/156) species    plant species that are rooted within the quadrat during the time of maximum biomass harvest. See protocol for more information, refer to link (http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/36) For maize biomass, grain and whole biomass reported in the paper (weed biomass or surface litter are excluded). Surface litter biomass not included in any crops; weed biomass not included in switchgrass and miscanthus, but included in grass mixture and prairie. fraction    Fraction of biomass biomass_plot    biomass per plot on dry-weight basis (Grams_Per_SquareMeter) biomass_ha    biomass (megaGrams_Per_Hectare) by multiplying column biomass per plot with 0.01 3. Spreadsheet: biomass_poplar Description: Maximum aboveground biomass measurements from poplar plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2009-2015. Data shown in Figure 2. Note that poplar biomass was estimated from crop growth curves until the poplar was harvested in the winter of 2013-14. Variate    Description year    year of the observation method    methods of poplar biomass sampling date    day of the observation (mm/dd/yyyy) replicate    each crop has four replicated plots, R1, R2, R3 and R4 diameter_at_ground    poplar diameter (milliMeter) at the ground diameter_at_15cm    poplar diameter (milliMeter) at 15 cm height biomass_tree    biomass per plot (Grams_Per_Tree) biomass_ha    biomass (megaGrams_Per_Hectare) by multiplying biomass per tree with 0.01 4. Spreadsheet: annual N leaching_vol-wtd conc Description: Annual leaching rate (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) and volume-weighted mean N concentrations (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter) of nitrate (no3) and dissolved organic nitrogen (don) in the leachate samples collected from corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, native grass, restored prairie and poplar plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2009-2016. Data for nitrogen leached and volume-wtd mean N concentration shown in Figure 3a and Figure 3b, respectively. Note that ammonium (nh4) concentration were much lower and often undetectable (<0.07 milliGrams_N_Per_Liter). Also note that in 2009 and 2010 crop-years, data from some replicates are missing.    Variate    Description crop    “corn” “switchgrass” “miscanthus” “nativegrass” “restored prairie” “poplar” crop-year    year of the observation replicate    each crop has four replicated plots, R1, R2, R3 and R4 no3 leached    annual leaching rates of nitrate (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) don leached    annual leaching rates of don (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) vol-wtd no3 conc.    Volume-weighted mean no3 concentration (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter) vol-wtd don conc.    Volume-weighted mean don concentration (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter) 5. Spreadsheet: summary_N leached Description: Summary of total amount and forms of N leached (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) and the percent of applied N lost to leaching over the seven years for corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, native grass, restored prairie and poplar plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2009-2016. Data for nitrogen amount leached shown in Figure 4a and percent of applied N lost shown in Figure 4b. Note the fraction of unleached N includes in harvest, accumulation in root biomass, soil organic matter or gaseous N emissions were not measured in the study. Variate    Description crop    “corn” “switchgrass” “miscanthus” “nativegrass” “restored prairie” “poplar” no3 leached    annual leaching rates of nitrate (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) don leached    annual leaching rates of don (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) N unleached    N unleached (kiloGrams_N_Per_Hectare) in other sources are not studied % of N applied N lost to leaching    % of N applied N lost to leaching 6. Spreadsheet: annual DOC leachin_vol-wtd conc Description: Annual leaching rate (kiloGrams_Per_Hectare) and volume-weighted mean N concentrations (milliGrams_Per_Liter) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the leachate samples collected from corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, native grass, restored prairie and poplar plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2009-2016. Data for DOC leached and volume-wtd mean DOC concentration shown in Figure 5a and Figure 5b, respectively. 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Note that growing season is from the date of planting or emergence to the date of harvest (or leaf senescence in case of poplar).   Variate    Description crop    “corn” “switchgrass” “miscanthus” “nativegrass” “restored prairie” “poplar” year    year of the observation growing season length    growing season length (days) 8. Spreadsheet: correlation_nh4 VS no3 Description: Correlation of ammonium (nh4+) and nitrate (no3-) concentrations (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter) in the leachate samples from corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, native grass, restored prairie and poplar plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2013-2015. Data shown in Figure S3. Note that nh4+ concentration in the leachates was very low compared to no3- and don concentration and often undetectable in three crop-years (2013-2015) when measurements are available. Variate    Description crop    “corn” “switchgrass” “miscanthus” “nativegrass” “restored prairie” “poplar” date    date of the observation (mm/dd/yyyy) replicate    each crop has four replicated plots, R1, R2, R3 and R4 nh4 conc    nh4 concentration (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter) no3 conc    no3 concentration (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter)   9. Spreadsheet: correlations_don VS no3_doc VS don Description: Correlations of don and nitrate concentrations (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter); and doc (milliGrams_Per_Liter) and don concentrations (milliGrams_N_Per_Liter) in the leachate samples of corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, native grass, restored prairie and poplar plots in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) Biomass Cropping System Experiment (BCSE) during 2013-2015. Data of correlation of don and nitrate concentrations shown in Figure S4 a and doc and don concentrations shown in Figure S4 b. 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  4. Abstract

    Notwithstanding the large number of studies on bedforms such as dunes and antidunes, predicting equilibrium bedform type and geometry for a given flow regime, sediment supply and caliber remains an open problem. Here, we present results from laboratory experiments specifically designed to study how upper regime bedform type and geometry vary with sediment supply and caliber. Experiments were performed in a sediment feed flume with flow rates varying between 5 and 30 l/s and sand supply rates varying between 0.6 and 20 kg/min. We used both uniform and non‐uniform sands with geometric mean diameters varying between 0.22 and 0.87 mm. Analysis of our data and data available in the literature reveals that the ratio of total (bedload plus suspension) volume transport rate of sediment to water dischargeQs/Qwplays a prime control on upper regime equilibrium beds. Equilibrium bedforms transition from washed out dunes (lower regime) to downstream migrating antidunes (upper regime) forQs/Qwbetween 0.0003 and 0.0007. For values ofQs/Qwgreater than 0.0015, the bedform length increases withQs/Qw. At these high values ofQs/Qw, equilibrium in fine sand is characterized by upstream migrating antidunes, cyclic steps, and significant suspended load. In experiments with coarse sand, equilibrium is characterized by plane bed with bedload transport in sheet flow mode. Standing waves form at the transition between downstream migrating antidunes and upstream migrating bedforms.

     
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  5. Premise

    Belowground functional traits play a significant role in determining plant water‐use strategies and plant performance, but we lack data on root traits across communities, particularly in the tropical savanna biome, where vegetation dynamics are hypothesized to be strongly driven by tree–grass functional differences in water use.

    Methods

    We grew seedlings of 21 tree and 18 grass species (N= 5 individuals per species) from the southern African savanna biome under greenhouse conditions and collected fine‐root segments from plants for histological analysis. We identified and measured xylem vessels in 539 individual root cross sections. We then quantified six root vascular anatomy traits and tested them for phylogenetic signals and tree–grass differences in trait values associated with vessel size, number, and hydraulic conductivity.

    Results

    Grass roots had larger root xylem vessels than trees, a higher proportion of their root cross‐sectional area comprised vessels, and they had higher estimated axial conductivities than trees, while trees had a higher number of vessels per root cross‐sectional area than grasses did. We found evidence of associations between trait values and phylogenetic relatedness in most of these traits across tree species, but not grasses.

    Conclusions

    Our findings support the hypothesis that grass roots have higher water transport capacity than tree roots in terms of maximum axial conductivity, consistent with the observation that grasses are more “aggressive” water users than trees under conditions of high soil moisture availability. Our study identifies root functional traits that may drive differential responses of trees and grasses to soil moisture availability.

     
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