Wind erosion at the dry-up bottom of Aiby Lake

Clay-rich deposits are usually considered as hard materials to be eroded by wind. Data from both surface monitoring and field survey at the dry-up bottom of Aiby Lake present that clay-rich lacustrine deposits are easily broken down and eroded away by wind in the seasonal alternation process under the natural arid environment, and are the significant source of air dust. The surface of the clay-rich deposits is broken and softened by the freezing-and-thawing action in winter season and/or by salt and alkali action with precipitation. Impact of wind-input particles and plow of plant branches with wind force drive the clay-rich sediments moving. Wind picks up the clay pebbles and repeats the impaction further-ward onto the dry-up surface. Tremendous fine materials, including soft salts, are contributed to air dust, and transported in long distance.

     

柴达木盆地苏干湖表层沉积与尘暴事件——元素示踪的初步结果

通过分析苏干湖地区10个地表表层沉积物、9个大气降尘(含2个尘暴降尘)、16个湖泊表层沉积物等样品的8种常量-微量元素和11种稀土元素的含量,以及同类沉积不同元素含量和不同沉积同一元素含量的相关性,结果表明,在湖泊沉积体系中Al、Fe、Sc含量的变化与强风-尘暴过程有关,指示了湖泊沉积碎屑颗粒风成输入的可能性．元素Fe、Sc含量在3种不同的沉积物中差异不大,与尘暴事件的强度和频次有关．稀土元素结果显示3类沉积具有同源性．苏干湖沉积可以用来重建研究区尘暴演化历史．     

Evidence for direct suspension of loessial soils on the Columbia Plateau

Wind erosion modelling efforts, both ?eld and wind tunnel studies, have traditionally focused on saltation‐based processes for estimating dust emissions from high wind events. This approach gives generally good results when saltation‐sized particles, 90 µm to 2 mm mean diameter, are prevalent on the exposed soil surface. The Columbia Plateau, located in north‐central Oregon and south‐central Washington, is a region with extensive loess deposits where up to 90 per cent of sieved particles (by mass) are less than 100 µm mean diameter. During high‐wind events, large amounts of soil and ?ne particulate matter are suspended. However, ?eld surfaces typically show little evidence of surface scouring or saltation, e.g. soil drifts or covered furrows. Velocity pro?le analysis of two high‐wind events and additional data from a third event show evidence of direct suspension process where saltation is not a major mechanism for eroding soil or generating dust emissions. Surface roughness heights are less than saltation roughness height estimates during peak wind speeds. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wind erosion of blanket peat during a short period of surface desiccation (North Pennines,Northern England)

Strong winds are a characteristic feature of UK upland areas. Despite this, understanding of aeolian processes in upland environments of the UK is limited. This paper presents direct measurements and observations of blanket peat erosion by wind action during a two week period of desiccation in the North Pennines, Northern England. A circular configuration of mass flux sediment samplers was used to collect peat eroded by wind action from 16 cardinal compass directions. Meteorological conditions (wind speed, wind direction, precipitation and temperature) were recorded by an automatic weather station set up adjacent to the site. Surface desiccation led to peat crust erosion and dust deflation. During short (≤1 hour) periods of precipitation, wind‐driven rainfall also caused erosion. Typically, dust flux rates were up to two orders of magnitude lower than recorded during periods of sustained wet weather. Measurements demonstrate the hitherto unreported rapid switch in process regime between wind‐driven rainfall and dry blow deflation in blanket peat environments. Dry blow processes of blanket peat erosion may become more important in UK upland areas if climate change promotes more frequent surface desiccation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Superposition of aeolian dust ripple patterns as a result of changing wind directions

The effect of a change of wind direction on the orientation (and some other morphometric characteristics) of aeolian dust ripples is investigated. Ripple formation is simulated in a wind tunnel on surfaces that are already characterized by a previously established rippling. The effect of a wind rotation of 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 180 degrees is examined. It is found that wind rotations of 45 and 180 degrees will lead towards a ripple alignment perpendicular to the last air flow. A wind rotation of 90 degrees, however, leads towards a ripple alignment perpendicular to the resultant wind direction. The faster the wind blows, the more this effect is expressed. No distinct relationship exists between the asymmetry of a dust ripple (and a dust ripple field) and the direction of the wind blowing as the ripples formed. As the orientation and asymmetry of aeolian dust ripples do not necessarily reflect the air flow direction during which the ripples formed, great care should be taken when reconstructing wind directions from such aeolian ripples.     

Aeolian deposition of dust over hills: the effect of dust grain size on the deposition pattern

Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of topography on the grain size characteristics of aeolian dust deposits. Experiments were performed on three isolated hills having various size and aspect ratios. The longitudinal profile of the median grain diameter was investigated for each hill. The longitudinal dust deposition profile was also studied for nine grain size classes of between 10 and 104 µm, as were wind and dust concentration profiles in the atmosphere upwind of, over and downwind of a hill. The wind tunnel experiments show that the grain size characteristics of aeolian dust deposits are affected by topography. Most apparent is the occurrence of a zone of reduced grain size on the leeside of hills, which extends from just upwind of the summit to a distance of several times the height of the hill. Slightly coarser than normal dust is deposited on the concave windward hill slope and in a zone downwind of the area of reduced grain size, but the increase in grain size in these zones remains very small. Although the normalized dust deposition profile for a hill does not vary substantially as a function of grain size, systematic trends are observed. The most important tendencies are: (1) a progressive extension, in the downwind direction, of a zone of decreased dust deposition on the leeside of a hill (the coarser the grains, the further downwind the zone of reduced deposition extends); (2) a progressive increase in dust deposition immediately upwind of a hill (the finer the grains, the higher the deposition value upwind of a hill becomes). Both tendencies are explained by the difference in inertia of the grains, which is controlled by grain size. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of rock fragment embedding on the aeolian deposition of dust on stone‐covered surfaces

Many stone‐covered surfaces on Earth are subject to aeolian deposition of atmospheric dust. This study investigates how the deposition of dust is affected when rock fragments become gradually more embedded in the ground or, inversely, become more concentrated on the surface. Experiments were executed in an aeolian dust wind tunnel with eight different types of pebbles. The following parameters were measured: dust deposition on the pebbles, dust deposition between and underneath pebbles, total dust deposition (pebbles + inter‐pebble space), and the fraction, of total deposition, of dust caught by the pebbles alone. The absolute amount of dust deposition and the dust deposition density (dust deposition per unit surface) were studied for each parameter. The effects exerted by pebble size, pebble flattening, pebble elongation and wind speed were also investigated. Dust patterns on and around pebbles were also studied via flow visualization. The absolute amount of dust settling on pebbles decreases the more that the pebbles become embedded. Dust deposition density on pebbles, on the other hand, increases with embedding. The more pebbles become embedded in the soil, the more efficient the process of dust deposition on pebbles becomes. Dust deposition between and underneath pebbles increases with pebble embedding. Dust deposition density between and underneath pebbles is maximum at 50 per cent embedding, showing that in this area dust deposition is most efficient when pebbles are halfway embedded. Total deposition slightly decreases the more pebbles become embedded, but total dust deposition density increases with embedding. Aerodynamic flow separation and diverging and converging airflow play an important role in the process of dust deposition on stone‐covered surfaces. The more pebbles protrude above the soil, the more they act as an obstacle and the more they disturb the air and dust flow creating scouring zones, flow separation bubbles and shelter areas for the dust. All these effects diminish as pebbles become more embedded in the soil. However, perturbations in dust patterns remain visible until pebbles have disappeared entirely. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Monte Carlo model for the exposure history of lunar dust grains in the ancient solar wind

The theoretical motion of individual dust grains in the lunar regolith is analyzed by using a Monte Carlo statistical code where the variables are the mass and speed distribution of meteorites at the lunar surface and the geometrical shape of impact craters. From these computations the detailed irradiation history of the grains in the ancient solar wind is traced back, over a period of 4 billion years, as a function of the grain size. Then by combining this irradiation scheme with the result of solar wind simulation experiments, the time and depth dependent accumulation of solar wind effects in the theoretical grains (solar wind maturation) is inferred. Finally, the validity of these predictions is tentatively checked by discussing a variety of physical and chemical solar wind effects which are registered in the surface layers of lunar dust grains. Therefore these studies give a tentative scenario for the “maturation” of the lunar regolith with respect to solar wind effects, but they also reveal useful guidelines to deduce meaningful information from such effects. In particular, they suggest a “lunar skin” sampling technique for extracting dust grains in lunar core tubes which could help in deciphering the past activity of the ancient solar wind over a time scale of several billion years.     

Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert,USA

The interactions between playa hydrology and playa‐surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near‐surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces of wet playas. Observations that characterize the texture, mineralogic composition and hardness of playa – surfaces at Franklin Lake, Soda Lake and West Cronese Lake playas in the Mojave Desert (California), along with imaging of dust emission using automated digital photography, indicate that these kinds of surface sediment are highly susceptible to dust emission. The surfaces of wet playas are dynamic surface texture and sediment availability to wind erosion change rapidly, primarily in response to fluctuations in water‐table depth, rainfall and rates of evaporation. In contrast, dry playas are characterized by ground water at depth. Consequently, dry playas commonly have hard surfaces that produce little or no dust if undisturbed except for transient silt and clay deposited on surfaces by wind and water. Although not the dominant type of global dust, salt‐rich dusts from wet playas may be important with respect to radiative properties of dust plumes, atmospheric chemistry, windborne nutrients and human health. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Statistics and spectra of turbulence under different roughness in the near-neutral atmospheric surface layer

Accurate knowledge of the contacts between surface roughness and the resultant wind speed are important for climatic models, wind power meteorology, agriculture and erosion hazards especially on sand saltation in arid and semi-arid environments, where vegetation cover is scarce. In this study, synchronous measurements of three-dimensional wind speed below 5 m are carried out in three different surface roughness conditions in Minqin, China, and the difference in the turbulence statistics and the structure of the very large-scale motions (VLSMs) were revealed. The results show that the slope of the mean wind profile (MVP), the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and Reynolds stress increase with the surface roughness. The roughness seems to suppress the ejection events and the surface roughness will not only weaken the energy of the VLSMs, but also reduce the scale values of VLSMs near the wall. These influences may cause some changes regarding the dust transportation in streamwise and vertical directions during the sand and dust storm (SDS). That is, the decrease of the mean velocity near the ground will reduce the dust transportation in the streamwise direction and influence of the roughness on the ejection and sweep events will change the dust transportation in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the increase of roughness will weaken the scale and energy of VLSMs, which will lead to the decrease of the capacity of dust transportation. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large‐scale erosion and overbank deposition caused by the July 2013 flood of the Abu River,Yamaguchi City,Japan

This paper reports on the erosion, transport, and deposition processes associated with an overbank deposit formed by the flooding of the Abu River on July 28, 2013, in Yamaguchi City, Japan. At the study site, river flows overtopped the levee revetment upstream of a meander bend cutting it off and flowing back into the main channel downstream. In this sequential process, it deposited large amounts of sediments, ranging from mud to cobbles, on the floodplain. The surface of paddy fields adjacent to a railway line, located at the center of the affected floodplain, was severely eroded by the flood flows. Overbank deposits composed of both upstream finer sediments and eroded coarser terrestrial sediments are laid down in the affected area. Large amounts of pebbles and cobbles originating from the eroded terrestrial area formed a gravelly pile on top of the sand and gravel sediments derived from the river. This finding indicates that sands and gravels were deposited prior to the formation of the gravelly pile, probably before and during peak flood flows. An inverse grading structure is evident in the lower to middle part of these comparatively thick deposits, most likely due to differences in transport pattern between entrained terrestrial gravels and upstream finer sediments.     

Characterization of pyroclastic fall and flow deposits from the 1815 eruption of Tambora volcano,Indonesia using ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is used to image and characterize fall and pyroclastic flow deposits from the 1815 eruption of Tambora volcano in Indonesia. Analysis of GPR common-mid-point (CMP) data indicate that the velocity of radar in the sub-surface is 0.1 m/ns, and this is used to establish a preliminary traveltime to-depth conversion for common-offset reflection profiles. Common-offset radar profiles were collected along the edge of an erosional gully that exposed approximately 1–2 m of volcanic stratigraphy. Additional trenching at select locations in the gully exposed the contact between the pre-1815 eruption surface and overlying pyroclastic deposit from the 1815 eruption. The deepest continuous, prominent reflection is shown to correspond to the interface between pre-eruption clay-rich soil and pyroclastics that reach a maximum thickness of 4 m along our profiles. This soil surface is distinctly terraced and is interpreted as the ground surface augmented for agriculture and buildings by people from the kingdom of Tambora. The correlation of volcanic stratigraphy and radar data at this location indicates that reflections are produced by the soil-pyroclastic deposit interface and the interface between pyroclastic flows (including pyroclastic surge) and the pumice-rich fall deposits. In the thickest deposits an additional reflection marks the interface between two pyroclastic flow units.     

Channel change and the significance of floodplain stratigraphy: 1990 flood event,lower river Tay,Scotland

During February 1990 a flood event on the River Tay with an estimated recurrence interval of 70 years in its lower reaches caused extensive flooding and geomorphological change. The most extensive area of flooding and dramatic geomorphological change, the erosion of two new channels across the floodplain, was in the vicinity of the village of Caputh, Perthshire. The location of the eroded channels relates to the position of former river courses, identifiable by depressions in the floodplain surface and floodplain stratigraphy. The lower floodplain surface elevation and occurrence of gravel and sand deposits along the line of the former river courses caused the area to be more vulnerable to erosion and controlled the morphology of the eroded channels.     

The dynamic effects of sediment availability on the relationship between wind speed and dust concentration

Where sediment supply is unlimited, previous research suggests that a strong, positive relationship between wind speed and dust concentration exists at the event scale. This relationship can break down if sediment availability is limited or changes during an event. This paper explores the dynamic effects of sediment availability on the relationship between wind speed and dust concentration using data from nine high‐latitude dust events recorded in Iceland. Of these events, six showed a strong positive relationship between wind speed and dust concentration. For the remainder, the relationship breaks down periodically during the event due to changing surface moisture conditions and atmospheric humidity. Results suggest a need to understand how spatial and temporal changes in humidity, surface soil moisture, soil texture and threshold velocity interact and control sediment availability for dust emissions in all environments, including at high latitudes. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

鄱阳湖典型湿地沉积物粒度分布及其动力解释

通过对沉积物粒度分析,揭示出翻阳湖典型湿地现代沉积物主要由含泥细粉砂至泥质极细粉砂组成,反映出三角洲前缘低能沉积环境,控制湿地粒度分布的动力,主要为重力型湖流,但波浪和风的作用也参与了沉积物的搬运与沉积,汛期,重力型湖流不仅控制了粒度分布的区域特征,而且决定了由草滩顶部－草滩下部－过滤带－泥滩沉积断面上粒度特征递变规律,枯水期,波浪作用的改造,使得沉积断面上的过滤带沉积物粗化,并使各粒度参数相应变化,特别是面积较大洼地的迎风岸,在过滤带地面坡度转折处,出现了粒度突变或跃变,风蚀“沙山”物质的搬运,使得“沙山”附近的湿地含砂量猛增,粒径变粗,这些动力作用,还控制着湿地的演化,即湿地范围增大,草滩扩张,过滤带以及泥滩下移,枯水期洼地水面缩小趋于消亡,严重影响湿地的生态环境,但可通过造造人工坝加以控制。     

Dynamic controls on wind erosion and dust generation on west‐central Free State agricultural land,South Africa

The west‐central part of South Africa's Free State Province falls within the transition zone between South Africa's sub‐humid, temperate grasslands to the east, and the semi‐arid Karoo and arid Kalahari to the south and west, respectively. The area is characterized by low rainfall (typically 500 mm or less) with high variability, but environmental conditions allow widespread dryland commercial agriculture (maize, sunflowers and stock farming). However, human activity promotes wind erosion and the area is susceptible to dust emissions. This study is the first to quantify the degree of wind erosion on the agricultural soils in the region under prevailing winter to spring climatic conditions and land management practices. Using arrays of cup anemometers, dust deposition traps and saltation impact sensors (Safires), measurements were made of the key erosivity and erodibility drivers that control the degree of wind erosion. Results demonstrate that significant quantities of dust are mobilized, particularly during the months of September and October. Thresholds of wind erosion are shown to respond particularly closely to changes in surface and aerodynamic roughness (z₀) with the amount of collected dust correlating well with measures of wind erosivity that weight the impact of higher wind speeds. Given the importance of surface roughness in controlling erosion thresholds, results show that the opportunity exists for well designed farming practices to control wind erosion. However, it is likely that climatically driven environmental change will impact on some of the identified controls on erosion (wind power, moisture availability) with the result that the wind erosion hazard is likely to increase within this marginal environment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of dust emissions,transport, and deposition between the Taklimakan Desert and Gobi Desert from 2007 to 2011

The Taklimakan Desert(TD) and Gobi Desert(GD) are two of the most important dust sources in East Asia, and have important impact on energy budgets, ecosystems and water cycles at regional and even global scales. To investigate the contribution of the TD and the GD to dust concentrations in East Asia as a whole, dust emissions, transport, and deposition over the TD and the GD in different seasons from 2007 to 2011 were systematically compared, based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry(WRF-Chem). Dust emissions, uplift, and long-range transport related to these two dust source regions were markedly different due to differences in topography, elevation, thermal conditions, and atmospheric circulation. Specifically,the topography of the GD is relatively flat, and at a high elevation, and the area is under the influence of two jet streams at high altitudes, resulting in high wind speeds in the upper atmosphere. Deep convective mixing enables the descending branch of jet streams to continuously transport momentum downward to the mid-troposphere, leading to enhanced wind speeds in the lower troposphere over the GD which favors the vertical uplift of the GD dust particles. Therefore, the GD dust was very likely to be transported under the effect of strong westerly jets, and thus played the most important role in contributing to dust concentrations in East Asia. Approximately 35% and 31% of dust emitted from the GD transported to remote areas in East Asia in spring and summer, respectively. The TD has the highest dust emission capabilities in East Asia, with emissions of about 70.54 Tg yr.1 in spring, accounting for 42% of the total dust emissions in East Asia. However, the TD is located in the Tarim Basin and surrounded by mountains on three sides. Furthermore, the dominant surface wind direction is eastward and the average wind speed at high altitudes is relatively small over the TD. As a result, the TD dust particles are not easily transported outside the Tarim Basin, such that most of the dust particles are re-deposited after uplift, at a total deposition rate of about 40 g m.2. It is only when the TD dust particles are uplifted above 4 km, and entrained in westerlies that they begin to undergo a long-range transport. Therefore,the contribution of the TD dust to East Asian dust concentrations was relatively small. Only 25% and 23% of the TD dust was transported to remote areas over East Asia in spring and summer, respectively.     

Loss of soil and PM10 from agricultural fields associated with high winds on the Columbia Plateau

Winter wheat–summer fallow is the conventional cropping system employed on >1·5 million ha within the Columbia Plateau of eastern Washington and northern Oregon. Wind erosion contributes to poor air quality in the region, yet little is known concerning the magnitude of soil and PM10 (particulate matter of ≤10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) loss from agricultural lands. Therefore, loss of soil and PM10 was assessed from a silt loam in eastern Washington during 2003 and 2004. Field sites were maintained in fallow using conventional tillage practices in 2003 (9 ha field) and 2004 (16 ha field) and instrumented to assess horizontal soil flux and PM10 concentrations at the windward and leeward positions in the field during high‐wind events. Soil flux was measured using creep and airborne sediment collectors while PM10 concentrations were measured using high‐volume PM10 samplers. Aggregate size distribution of parent soil and eroded sediment was characterized by rotary and sonic sieving. Six high‐wind events occurred over the two year period, with soil loss ranging from 43 kg ha^?1 for the 12–22 September 2003 event to 2320 kg ha^?1 for the 27–29 October 2003 event. Suspension‐sized particulates (<100 µm in diameter) comprised ≥90 per cent of the eroded sediment, indicating that direct suspension may be an important process by which the silt loam eroded. The corresponding loss of PM10 for these two events ranged from 5 to 210 kg ha^?1. Loss of PM10 comprised 9–12 per cent of the total soil loss for the six events. This study suggests that the relatively small loss of PM10 from eroding agricultural fields maintained in summer fallow can affect air quality in the Columbia Plateau. Therefore, alternative tillage practices or cropping systems are needed for minimizing PM10 emissions and improving air quality in the region. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using on‐nadir spectral reflectance to detect soil surface changes induced by simulated rainfall and wind tunnel abrasion

The surface susceptibility to erosion (erodibility) is an important component of soil erosion models. Many studies of wind erosion have shown that even relatively small changes in surface conditions can have a considerable effect on the temporal and spatial variability of dust emissions. One of the main difficulties in measuring erodibility is that it is controlled by a number of highly variable soil factors. Collection of these data is often limited in scale because in situ measurements are labour‐intensive and very time‐consuming. To improve wind erosion model predictions over several spatial and temporal scales simultaneously, there is a requirement for a non‐invasive approach that can be used to rapidly assess changes in the compositional and structural nature of a soil surface in time and space. Spectral reflectance of the soil surface appears to meet these desirable requirements and it is controlled by properties that affect the soil erodibility. Three soil surfaces were modified using rainfall simulation and wind tunnel abrasion experiments. Observations of those changes were made and recorded using digital images and on‐nadir spectral reflectance. The results showed clear evidence of the information content in the spectral domain that was otherwise difficult to interpret given the complicated interrelationships between soil composition and structure. Changes detected at the soil surface included the presence of a crust produced by rainsplash, the production of loose erodible material covering a rain crust and the selective erosion of the soil surface. The effect of rainsplash and aeolian abrasion was different for each soil tested and crust abrasion was shown to decrease as rainfall intensity increased. The relative contributions of the eroded material from each soil surface to trapped mixtures of material assisted the erodibility assessment. Ordination analyses within each of two important soil types explained significant amounts of the variation in the reflectance of all wavebands by treatments of the soil and hence changes in the soil surface. The results show that soil surface conditions within a soil type are an underestimated source of variation in the characterization of soil surface erodibility and in the remote sensing of soil. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Airborne dust deposition in the Okavango Delta,Botswana, and its impact on landforms

This study investigated the local‐scale generation and movement of dust in the seasonal swamps of the Okavango Delta, Botswana, with a view to examining possible transfer of material between ?ood plains and islands. It was found that most of the dust load was carried in the lowest 3 m of the air column, and consisted mainly of amorphous silica, indicating that dust was generated largely on the ?ood plains. Dust loads were found to be highest above the ?ood plains and lowest over the interiors of islands, probably due to the baf?ing effect of the island trees on wind velocity. The contrast in dust loads between islands and ?ood plains suggests that there is a net transfer of dust from ?ood plains to islands, but it was not possible to quantify this transfer. It is evident, however, that ?ood plains experience net erosion and islands net aggradation. A strong seasonality in dust loads was observed, with the maximum dust loads coinciding with maximum wind velocity in October. This also coincides with peak seasonal ?ooding in the delta, and only non‐inundated ?ood plains are capable of generating dust. Years of low ?ood therefore appear to be more dusty. There may also be transfer of material from higher‐lying to lower‐lying ?ood plains, which may reduce the topographic contrast on the ?ood plains. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.