Predicción del Transporte Eólico en las Playas del Este de Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba.

Abstract

The results of the application of the formula of Kawamura (1951) to in situ meteorological data in order to forecast the sand transport rate due to wind action are described in this paper. A new episode of dune formation started in the 1980's in these beaches, and more recently they have been affected by aeolian erosion since the beginning of the destruction of foredune vegetation due to the increase in tourist activities in the area. Shear velocity (U*t) values on the surface were determined starting from wind speed vertical profiles. Critical shear velocity values to start the sand movement were also determined, taking into account the grain size variations of the beach material along the coast. And finally, transport rates are calculated in each case. A comparison is carried out between the transport rates estimated starting from wind data and those resulting from meaurements of the sand volumes accumulated in the dunes during 12 years of monitoring. The main transport directions are shown, as well as the direction of the resultant and their relation to the morphological and dynamic pattern of the dunes. Besides, it is concluded that aeolian transport is limited to those sites where grain size is higher than 0.5 mm.