Contact morphology of sand particles in dunes

Contact morphology of sand particles in dunes | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Contact morphology of sand particles in dunes Fernando Alonso Marroquin, Sarmad Zafar Khan, Abdullah Alqubalee, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6244542/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 19 Aug, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study presents an analysis of the morphology of sand particles and their contacts using high-resolution microcomputer tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raw 3D images are filtered, binarized, and smoothed to distinguish the granular space from the void space. The 3D granular space is segmented via an advanced adaptive watershed algorithm. The grain segmentation is used for contact detection and contact network extraction. The topography of each grain is diverse, fascinating, and shaped by a landscape of ridges and basins. This topography is reflected in the way the grains come into contact. Unlike the common conception of point contacts, we observe contacts over large surface areas, concave-like contacts due to ridge-basin interactions, and doughnut-like contacts due to incomplete contact between high ridges and deep basins. Although most of the interactions are due to a single contact, a significant number of multiple contact interactions are observed. SEM images show two key features: First, the sand surfaces are not quartz-clean but are coated with clay particles. Second, the basins are not empty but are partially filled with silt particles that are cemented with clay. This is a comprehensive experimental investigation to determine the basis for advanced contact models of the micromechanical investigation of the strength of sand aggregates and wave propagation herein. The proposed micro- and nanocharacterization of contact morphologies paves the way for future investigations of contact interaction in granular materials on Earth and beyond. Earth and environmental sciences/Planetary science/Geomorphology Physical sciences/Engineering/Civil engineering Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 19 Aug, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 12 Jun, 2025 Reviews received at journal 11 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 30 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 29 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 29 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 29 Mar, 2025 Editor invited by journal 28 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 27 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 17 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6244542","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":436167541,"identity":"1800c09d-b44b-4cbe-b97d-f16104df82fb","order_by":0,"name":"Fernando Alonso Marroquin","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABNElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gYwxYwQYWNgPsxQAWEbYNPCcwBTC1sywxmStADFjPFrYe999uDnDms5BrHDzz5XVFgn9kn3fDY42HYnmoG9eZsEwx87DC08x80Ne8+kGzNIpxnPPHMmPbFN5uzmhINtz3IbeI6VSTC2JaNrsZdIY5PgbTuc2CCdYMzYCGS0SeRuPvyx7XBug0SOmQRjAzOGLfLP2CT/grWkf4ZqyXl84CBIi/wbM6DD6jG0SLCxSUNsyYHZksOcANYiwQPUwnYY0y9pbNKybenGbNI5xYwNQE+1SaQZGxw49yy3jSet2CKx7ThmiB1jk3zbZi3HL52+mbGhwlp2/ozkxxIHyu7k9rMf3njjw59qbAENBmwQCu7ZAxCRBJwa4ABJyygYBaNgFIwCKAAA5QRri+GghisAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fernando","middleName":"Alonso","lastName":"Marroquin","suffix":""},{"id":436167542,"identity":"954b8000-4bf0-4402-a566-bd91c5efe7d4","order_by":1,"name":"Sarmad Zafar Khan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sarmad","middleName":"Zafar","lastName":"Khan","suffix":""},{"id":436167543,"identity":"e2ccbc26-e8bc-462c-b2fa-b2bd72749171","order_by":2,"name":"Abdullah Alqubalee","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullah","middleName":"","lastName":"Alqubalee","suffix":""},{"id":436167544,"identity":"c39f852c-c3af-4026-bbc1-f5d70bc2a711","order_by":3,"name":"Peter Mora","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Peter","middleName":"","lastName":"Mora","suffix":""},{"id":436167545,"identity":"54de4d13-9bd1-4fa8-9058-e288a6ca7b41","order_by":4,"name":"Abdullatif Al-Shuhail","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullatif","middleName":"","lastName":"Al-Shuhail","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-17 12:23:30","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6244542/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6244542/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","type":"published","date":"2025-08-19T16:12:59+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":89847124,"identity":"b65ff871-08dd-48b7-b11e-8e33b5b1ca95","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-25 16:40:47","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2615823,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ContactMorphologySRV2.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6244542/v1_covered_014807e7-1006-4afd-b325-cde8dd1ce5c4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Contact morphology of sand particles in dunes","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6244542/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6244542/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This study presents an analysis of the morphology of sand particles and their contacts using high-resolution microcomputer tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raw 3D images are filtered, binarized, and smoothed to distinguish the granular space from the void space. The 3D granular space is segmented via an advanced adaptive watershed algorithm. The grain segmentation is used for contact detection and contact network extraction. The topography of each grain is diverse, fascinating, and shaped by a landscape of ridges and basins. This topography is reflected in the way the grains come into contact. Unlike the common conception of point contacts, we observe contacts over large surface areas, concave-like contacts due to ridge-basin interactions, and doughnut-like contacts due to incomplete contact between high ridges and deep basins. Although most of the interactions are due to a single contact, a significant number of multiple contact interactions are observed. SEM images show two key features: First, the sand surfaces are not quartz-clean but are coated with clay particles. Second, the basins are not empty but are partially filled with silt particles that are cemented with clay. This is a comprehensive experimental investigation to determine the basis for advanced contact models of the micromechanical investigation of the strength of sand aggregates and wave propagation herein. The proposed micro- and nanocharacterization of contact morphologies paves the way for future investigations of contact interaction in granular materials on Earth and beyond.","manuscriptTitle":"Contact morphology of sand particles in dunes","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-17 17:56:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6244542/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-06-12T10:00:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-11T09:25:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"14873664983470180946850129071830099674","date":"2025-05-27T09:06:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"193058255212256123377143766101649690600","date":"2025-04-23T03:17:58+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-03-31T02:31:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"126450174233277164794708955691021457738","date":"2025-03-31T01:34:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"175427780476816796347687991102705945318","date":"2025-03-29T13:32:32+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-03-29T06:03:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-03-29T05:51:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-03-28T19:32:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-03-27T10:43:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-03-17T12:16:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a4b988b8-ff7f-4238-844f-dc161c76164f","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":46435814,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Planetary science/Geomorphology"},{"id":46435815,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering/Civil engineering"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-08-25T16:31:12+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6244542","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2025-08-19 16:12:59","publishedOnDateReadable":"August 19th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-17 17:56:36","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6244542","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6244542","identity":"rs-6244542","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}