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We study fractional Laplace motion (FLM) obtained from subordination of fractional Brownian motion (FBM) to a gamma process in the presence of an external drift that acts on the composite process or of an internal drift acting solely on the parental process. We derive the statistical properties of this FLM process and find that the external drift does not influence the mean-squared displacement, whereas the internal drift leads to normal diffusion, dominating at long times in the subdiffusive Hurst exponent regime. We also investigate the intricate properties of the probability density function (PDF), demonstrating that it possesses a central Gaussian region whose expansion in time is influenced by FBM's Hurst exponent. Outside of this region, the PDF follows a non-Gaussian pattern. The kurtosis of this FLM process converges toward the Gaussian limit at long times insensitive to the extreme non-Gaussian tails. Additionally, in the presence of the external drift, the PDF remains symmetric and centered at . In contrast, for the internal drift this symmetry is broken. The results of our computer simulations are fully consistent with the theoretical predictions. The FLM model is suitable for describing stochastic processes with a non-Gaussian PDF and long-ranged correlations of the motion.
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Modeling Riverbed Elevation and Bedload Tracer Transport Resting Times Using Fractional Laplace Motion
Abstract Riverbed elevations play a crucial role in sediment transport and flow resistance, making it essential to understand and quantify their effects. This knowledge is vital for various fields, including river engineering and stream ecology. Previous observations have revealed that fluctuations in the bed surface can exhibit both multifractal and monofractal behaviors. Specifically, the probability distribution function (PDF) of elevation increments may transition from Laplace (two‐sided exponential) to Gaussian with increasing scales or consistently remain Gaussian, respectively. These differences at the finest timescale lead to distinct patterns of bedload particle exchange with the bed surface, thereby influencing particle resting times and streamwise transport. In this paper, we utilize the fractional Laplace motion (FLM) model to analyze riverbed elevation series, demonstrating its capability to capture both mono‐ and multi‐fractal behaviors. Our focus is on studying the resting time distribution of bedload particles during downstream transport, with the FLM model primarily parameterized based on the Laplace distribution of increments PDF at the finest timescale. Resting times are extracted from the bed elevation series by identifying pairs of adjacent deposition and entrainment events at the same elevation. We demonstrate that in cases of insufficient data series length, the FLM model robustly estimates the tail exponent of the resting time distribution. Notably, the tail of the exceedance probability distribution of resting times is much heavier for experimental measurements displaying Laplace increments PDF at the finest scale, compared to previous studies observing Gaussian PDF for bed elevation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1854452
- PAR ID:
- 10530950
- Publisher / Repository:
- AGU
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
- Volume:
- 129
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 2169-9003
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JF007771
