Parabolic dunes in north-eastern Brazil

TL;DR

This study measures vegetation cover on parabolic dunes in northeastern Brazil, uses satellite imagery to extend local data across dunes, and validates a dune motion model coupling erosion and vegetation growth.

Contribution

It introduces a method to estimate vegetation cover over entire dunes using satellite data and validates a dune evolution model with empirical vegetation distribution.

Findings

Vegetation cover correlates with satellite gray-scale levels.

The model accurately predicts dune movement considering erosion and vegetation.

Satellite-based estimates extend local measurements across large dune areas.

Abstract

In this work we present measurements of vegetation cover over parabolic dunes with different degree of activation along the north-eastern Brazilian coast. We are able to extend the local values of the vegetation cover density to the whole dune by correlating measurements with the gray-scale levels of a high resolution satellite image of the dune field. The empirical vegetation distribution is finally used to validate the results of a recent continuous model of dune motion coupling sand erosion and vegetation growth.