Articles | Volume 4, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-391-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-391-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Predicting the roughness length of turbulent flows over landscapes with multi-scale microtopography
Jon D. Pelletier
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Gould-Simpson Building, 1040 East Fourth Street, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0077, USA
Jason P. Field
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Gould-Simpson Building, 1040 East Fourth Street, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0077, USA
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Cited
14 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A model of the sand transport rate that accounts for temporal evolution of the bed X. Wang et al.
- Local Wind Regime Induced by Giant Linear Dunes: Comparison of ERA5-Land Reanalysis with Surface Measurements C. Gadal et al.
- The Impacts of Black Sand Mining on the Sustainability of Coastal Dunes Along the Nile Delta Coast, Egypt H. El-Asmar & G. Moursi
- Hilltop curvature as a proxy for erosion rate: wavelets enable rapid computation and reveal systematic underestimation W. Struble & J. Roering
- On the Application of Linear Regression to Surface-Layer Wind Profiles for Deducing Roughness Length and Friction Velocity P. Barnéoud & N. Ek
- Surface roughness parameters at a tropical semi-arid site: 4 years of atmosphere boundary layer observations in the deccan plateau region at Shadnagar, India S. Sakuru et al.
- Understanding wind-blown sand: Six vexations D. Sherman
- Characterization and Comparison of Aerodynamic Roughness Lengths Using Ground-Based Photography and Sonic Anemometry F. Lombardo & R. Krupar
- A fully predictive model for aeolian sand transport L. van Rijn & G. Strypsteen
- Short communication: Multiscalar roughness length decomposition in fluvial systems using a transform-roughness correlation (TRC) approach D. Adams & A. Zampiron
- Reducing aeolian sand transport and beach erosion by using armour layer of coarse materials G. Strypsteen et al.
- The importance of grain‐related shear velocity in predicting multi‐monthly dune growth G. Strypsteen
- Controls on the aerodynamic roughness length and the grain‐size dependence of aeolian sediment transport J. Field & J. Pelletier
- Roughness Spectra Derived from Multi-Scale LiDAR Point Clouds of a Gravel Surface: A Comparison and Sensitivity Analysis M. Milenković et al.
14 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A model of the sand transport rate that accounts for temporal evolution of the bed X. Wang et al.
- Local Wind Regime Induced by Giant Linear Dunes: Comparison of ERA5-Land Reanalysis with Surface Measurements C. Gadal et al.
- The Impacts of Black Sand Mining on the Sustainability of Coastal Dunes Along the Nile Delta Coast, Egypt H. El-Asmar & G. Moursi
- Hilltop curvature as a proxy for erosion rate: wavelets enable rapid computation and reveal systematic underestimation W. Struble & J. Roering
- On the Application of Linear Regression to Surface-Layer Wind Profiles for Deducing Roughness Length and Friction Velocity P. Barnéoud & N. Ek
- Surface roughness parameters at a tropical semi-arid site: 4 years of atmosphere boundary layer observations in the deccan plateau region at Shadnagar, India S. Sakuru et al.
- Understanding wind-blown sand: Six vexations D. Sherman
- Characterization and Comparison of Aerodynamic Roughness Lengths Using Ground-Based Photography and Sonic Anemometry F. Lombardo & R. Krupar
- A fully predictive model for aeolian sand transport L. van Rijn & G. Strypsteen
- Short communication: Multiscalar roughness length decomposition in fluvial systems using a transform-roughness correlation (TRC) approach D. Adams & A. Zampiron
- Reducing aeolian sand transport and beach erosion by using armour layer of coarse materials G. Strypsteen et al.
- The importance of grain‐related shear velocity in predicting multi‐monthly dune growth G. Strypsteen
- Controls on the aerodynamic roughness length and the grain‐size dependence of aeolian sediment transport J. Field & J. Pelletier
- Roughness Spectra Derived from Multi-Scale LiDAR Point Clouds of a Gravel Surface: A Comparison and Sensitivity Analysis M. Milenković et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 26 Apr 2026
Short summary
The law of the wall is one of the fundamental equations at the boundary of atmospheric sciences and aeolian geomorphology. In this paper, we quantify the relationship between the key parameter of the law of the wall, i.e., the roughness length, and measures of microtopography. We propose a method for predicting the roughness length that works for landscapes with microtopography over a wide range of spatial scales. The method is tested against approximately 60 000 measurements of roughness length.
The law of the wall is one of the fundamental equations at the boundary of atmospheric sciences...