Scaling laws for planetary sediment transport from DEM-RANS numerical simulations

TL;DR

This study uses advanced numerical simulations and experiments to derive simple scaling laws for sediment transport thresholds and rates across planetary conditions, revealing an unusual dependence on particle--fluid density ratio.

Contribution

It provides the first DEM-RANS-based analysis covering a wide range of density ratios and derives novel $s^{1/3}$ scaling laws for aeolian sediment transport.

Findings

Transport rate scales with $s^{1/3}$ across conditions.

Threshold physics controlled by a single dimensionless parameter.

Existing models partially capture the scaling but miss grain size effects.

Abstract

We use an established discrete element method (DEM) Reynolds-averaged Navier--Stokes (RANS)-based numerical model to simulate non-suspended sediment transport across conditions encompassing almost seven orders of magnitude in the particle--fluid density ratio $s$, ranging from subaqueous transport ($s=2.65$) to aeolian transport in the highly rarefied atmosphere of Pluto ($s=10^7$), whereas previous DEM-based sediment transport studies did not exceed terrestrial aeolian conditions ($s\approx2000$). Guided by these simulations and by experiments, we semi-empirically derive simple scaling laws for the cessation threshold and rate of equilibrium aeolian transport, both exhibiting a rather unusual $s^{1/3}$-dependence. They constitute a simple means to make predictions of aeolian processes across a large range of planetary conditions. The derivation consists of a first-principle-based proof of the statement that, under relatively mild assumptions, the cessation threshold physics is controlled by only one dimensionless control parameter, rather than two expected from dimensional analysis. Crucially, unlike existing models, this proof does not resort to coarse-graining the particle phase of the aeolian transport layer above the bed surface. From the pool of existing models, only that by P\"ahtz et al. (\textit{J. Geophys. Res. Earth. Surf.}~126, e2020JF005859, 2021) is somewhat consistent with the combined numerical and experimental data. It captures the scaling of the cessation threshold and the $s^{1/3}$-dependence of the transport rate, but fails to capture the latter's superimposed grain size dependence. This hints at a lack of understanding of the transport rate physics and calls for future studies on this issue.