Measuring Aeolian Saltation Flux Profiles: Comparison of Methods

Overview: The file (“DataFluxProfile.csv”) includes vertical flux profiles of sand mass captured by arrays of 9-mesh sand traps, following the method of Sherman et al. (2014). These data were collected from three field sites in Jericoacoara, Ceará, Brazil, during October 2022. The continuous profiles, obtained from vertically stacked arrays of nine sand traps, are used to test potential errors that arise when using discontinuous arrays of devices such as BSNE and MWAC traps or alternative devices like the Wenglor fork laser particle counter. The evaluation is based on the nine index heights of our continuous profile (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15700463). For more information about the experimental setup and data analysis, please refer to the accompanying paper: “Measuring Aeolian Saltation Flux Profiles: Comparison of Methods.” Key to variables: Site: Specific field site in Jericoacoara, Ceará, Brazil (refer to Figures 1 and 2 in the paper). Date Collection (mm/dd/yyyy): Date of data collection. Time Duration (second): Duration of each flux profile measurement run. Median Grain Size (micrometer): Median diameter of collected sand grains. Trap 1 (gram): Sand mass collected from the surface to 25 mm height. Trap 2 (gram): Sand mass collected from 25 to 50 mm height. Trap 3 (gram): Sand mass collected from 50 to 75 mm height. Trap 4 (gram): Sand mass collected from 75 to 100 mm height. Trap 5 (gram): Sand mass collected from 100 to 150 mm height. Trap 6 (gram): Sand mass collected from 150 to 200 mm height. Trap 7 (gram): Sand mass collected from 200 to 250 mm height. Trap 8 (gram): Sand mass collected from 250 to 350 mm height. Trap 9 (gram): Sand mass collected from 350 to 450 mm height. Total Mass (gram): Total sand mass collected from the surface to 450 mm height. The file “FluxProfileCombinationTest.m” (10.5281/zenodo.15700463) is a MATLAB script that allows users to test the potential error included by using different combinations of discontinuous sand traps or measurement devices. The analysis is based on our continuous vertical flux profiles from the dataset.