A bedload trap for aeolian sand transport

This paper describes a bedload trap designed to separate bedload from saltation load in aeolian environments. The trap is installed below the sand surface and features a chimney that can be adjusted to the height of the surface. The chimney houses an internal wall to separate saltation load from bedload. Bedload particles are funneled to a piezo-electric sensor that converts grain impacts to voltages that can be sampled at very high frequencies (44,000 Hz in this example). Grains are then collected in a container that is easily retrieved so that sand samples can be obtained for weighing and subsequent grain size analysis. An algorithm to isolate single grain impacts is described. The version of the trap presented here is intended for the study of the initiation of grain motion.