Model:DECAL
From CSDMS
DECAL
Introduction
History
Papers
DECAL Questionnaire
Contact Information
| Model: | DECAL |
| Contact person: | Andreas Baas |
| Institute: | King's College London |
| City: | London |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Email: | andreas.baas@kcl.ac.uk |
| 2nd person involved: | -- |
| 3rd person involved: | -- |
Model description
| Model type: | Single model for the terrestrial and coastal domain. |
| Description: | A cellular automaton model for simulating the development of aeolian dune landscapes under the influence of vegetation and biota (parabolic dunes, blowouts, foredunes, nebkha dunes). |
Technical information
| Supported platforms: | Windows |
| Programming language: | C++, Matlab |
| Model was developed started from: | 2005 |
| To what degree will the model become available: | As teaching tool and as an executable. Basic algorithm is very simple and transferrable |
| Current license type: | -- |
| Memory requirements: | Variable |
| Typical run time: | Variable |
Input / Output description
| Input parameters: | Staring grid topography and vegetation maps, control parameters such as potential transport rates, vegetation response functions |
| Input format: | ASCII |
| Output parameters: | resultant landscape topography and vegetation distributions; annual avalanching statistics |
| Output format: | ASCII |
| Post-processing software (if needed): | yes, Any package for imaging DEMs and vegetation maps |
| Visualization software (if needed): | yes: ESRI, IDL, Matlab |
Process description
| Processes represented by model: | development of dune landscapes under the interaction between aeolian sand transport and vegetation growth and response |
| Key physical parameters & equations: | potential sand transport rate, sediment avaliability, vegetation response characteristics |
| Length scale & resolution constraints: | smallest cell should be equivalent to basic plant element (bush, grass clump) |
| Time scale & resolution constraints: | lower limit akin to days, no upper limit |
| Numerical limitations and issues : | heavy sequential number crunching (not written for parellel processing) |
Testing
| Available calibration data sets: | none yet; in development |
| Available test data sets: | none yet; in development |
| Ideal data for testing: | field monitoring of geomorphic development and vegetation mapping, long-term required |
User groups
| Currently or plans for collaborating with: | yes, future plans for collaborating on applying and comparing the model with real-world landscapes |
Documentation
| Key papers of the model: | Baas (2002) Geomorphology,48. Nield & Baas (2008) Earth Surface Processes and Landforms,33. |
| Is there a manual available: | -- |
| Model website if any: | http://www.aeoliangeomorphology.org |
Additional comments
| Comments: | -- |
