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Estimation of the mean velocity of particulate flows by counting
Author(s) -
Culling W. E. H.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290100605
Subject(s) - rothschild , particulates , mathematics , sequence (biology) , statistics , flow (mathematics) , geology , geometry , geography , ecology , genetics , archaeology , biology
Using Smoluchowski's theory of the probability after‐effect it is possible to estimate the mean speed or velocity of a particulate flow by counting the number of particles present in a selected region at a sequence of equal time intervals. Apart from a knowledge of the dimensions of the region the only conditions are that the process is, in a wide sense, stationary and that the speeds of individual particles are independent. Subsequent refinements and extensions to the theory by Furth, Ruben, Rothschild and Lindley are incorporated to provide a method of velocity estimation of wide application in geomorphology. Finally, a numerical example on pedestrian speeds is assessed against an independent estimate.