CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Barchyn, T.; and Hugenholtz, C.
Date : 2010.
Title : Seasonal vegetation growth as a control of aeolian sediment transport threshold in mid to high latitudes.
Publication : Prairie Summit - Le sommet des Prairies. Joint Conference of Canadian Association of Geographers, Canadian Cartographic Association, Canadian Geomorphology Research Group, Canadian Remote Sensing Society / Conférence conjointe de l’Association canadienne des géographes, l’Association canadienne de cartographie, le Groupe canadien de recherche en géomorphologie, la Société canadienne de télédétection. June 1 to 5, 2010. Regina, Saskatchewan.
Issue : Program and Abstract Volume.
Page(s) : 77.
Abstract
Aeolian sediment transport threshold defines the minimum wind speed required to entrain particles. Threshold is an essential parameter in models predicting the flux of aeolian sediment and the dynamics of aeolian landforms. Commonly, models incorporate a fixed threshold value; however, in mid to high latitude settings threshold fluctuates at a variety of scales due to varying surface conditions. In this investigation we examine the effects of seasonal vegetation growth on threshold. Whereas numerous studies have examined how different vegetation types and structures influence threshold, temporal effects associated with seasonal vegetation growth have largely been overlooked. At the outset of this investigation we hypothesized that threshold increases during the summer growth period due to greater surface sheltering by vegetation. To test this hypothesis we measured threshold from May 2009 to Nov 2009 on a partially vegetated sand dune where a marked seasonal pattern of vegetation growth is known to occur. We demonstrate how the wind profile is modified during summer months; however, a corresponding increase in threshold is not conclusively shown. We discuss the implications of these results by considering how temporal changes of threshold in partially vegetated areas might affect dune morphodynamics and dune activity modeling.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology