Profile measurement and simulation of a transverse dune field in the
Lencois Maranhenses
GEOMORPHOLOGY, 81 (1-2):
29-42 (2006)DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.02.015
Abstract
In this work, we report measurements of the height profile of transverse
dunes in the coastal dune field known as ``Lengcois Maranhenses'', northeastern Brazil. Our measurements show that transverse dunes with
approximately the same height present a variable brink position relative
to the crest, in contrast to the case of barchan dunes. Based on our
field data, we present a relation for the dune spacing as a function of
the crest-brink distances of transverse dunes. Furthermore, we compare
the measurements with simulations of transverse dunes obtained from a
two-dimensional dune model, where a phenomenological definition is
introduced for the length of the separation streamlines on the lee side
of closely spaced transverse dunes. We find that our model reproduces
transverse dune fields with similar interdune distances and dune aspect
ratios as measured in the field. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights
reserved.