Monitoring and Modelling of Aeolian Sand Transport at the Belgian Coast.

Aeolian sand transport is the movement of sand because of wind. Although much research has been done on the matter of aeolian sand transport, the results are mostly only applicable for desert-like environments. The processes governing aeolian sand transport in coastal areas (beaches) are far less understood. In this project, a model is developed that relates the amount of sand transported to physical variables, such as wind speed, moisture content and grain size of the sand and beach slope. The model development is based on field monitoring, physical model tests and numerical simulations. The final model will provide a tool to quantitatively model the stability of beach nourishments and the resilience of beaches and dunes to climate change.

Keywords:Monitoring, Modelling, Belgian Coast, Aeolian Sand Transport

Disciplines:Ecology, Environmental science and management, Other environmental sciences