Dune Morphology and Sand Transport

Y. Hatano¹ and N. Hatano²

¹Advanced Computing Center, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
²Department of Physics, Aoyama Gakuin University, Chitosedai, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8572, Japan

(Received November 26, 1999; Accepted January 23, 2001)

Keywords: Pattern Formation, Geomorphology, Monte Carlo Simulation

Abstract. We performed a computer simulation on patterns and dynamics of desert dunes. Dune patterns observed in deserts were reproduced. From the initial random state, barchans and linear dunes are produced, depending on the variability of the wind direction. The efficiency in sand transport is calculated through the course of development. We found that the sand transport is the most efficient in the linear transverse dune, barchans next, and the least when no pattern is formed. The efficiency in sand transport always increased through the evolution, and the way it increase was stepwise. We also found that the shadow zone, the region where the sand wastes the chance to move, shrinks through the course of evolution.