Where to dig for gold?-Density segregation inside migrating dunes

Abstract

If a fluid streams over an extended area of sand, the grains will self-organize by forming complex structures like ripples or dunes. Below the surface, the inner structure of a dune is determined by the individual fate of the particles. In general, agitated granular matter is known to show de-mixing whenever particles differ in size or density, and indeed size segregation is a well-known feature for dunes, called reverse grading. Here we report results of a recent experimental investigation with two particle species differing not in size but in density. Our experimental setup consists of a stadium-shaped flow channel which is filled with water. Measurements are made with a CCD-camera, placed in front of the straight part, recording side views of the dunes migrating downstream. From an initially prepared triangular heap a rapid relaxation to a steady-state solution is observed with constant mass, shape, and velocity. This attractor exhibits all characteristic features of barchan dunes found in nature, namely a gently inclined windward side, crest, brink, and steep lee face. In addition, if the dune consists of a bi-dense mixture of particles, the heavier particles accumulate at the top of migrating dunes whereas light particles are buried at its bottom. This insight into the sedimentology of dunes composed of different types of sand has, loosely speaking, the implication, that in a dune mixed of gold and sand, gold nuggets are likely to be found at the top of the dune, close to the surface at its crest. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.