Threshold wind velocity in the lee of two-dimensional transverse dunes

Secondary flow plays an important role in the development of dunes. To investigate this phenomenon, we simulated models of transverse dunes with different stoss slopes in a wind tunnel. We measured the threshold wind velocity at different locations in the lee of the dunes, and observed the corresponding particle movement characteristics under threshold conditions to assess the sedi-mentological significance of secondary airflow. Threshold wind velocity changed with both horizontal distance and stoss slope. Its variation with horizontal distance is characterized by a region in which a rapid reduction occurs, a region with a minimum value, and a region with high value. We confirmed the presence of reversal cells, irrespective of the stoss slope. Neither the variation in threshold wind velocity nor the variation in reattachment distance as a function of stoss slope followed a monotonic function. The 15° stoss slope had the greatest threshold wind velocity and reattachment distance.