Air density effects on aeolian sand movement: Implications for sediment transport and sand control in regions with extreme altitudes or temperatures

Aeolian sand transport results from interactions between the ground surface and airflow. Previous research has focused on the effects on sand entrainment and mass transport of surface features and wind velocity, but the influence of air density, which strongly constrains airflow characteristics and the resulting sand flow, has not been widely considered. In the present study, entrainment, saltation characteristics and transport rates were examined at nine experimental sites ranging in elevation from ?154 m below sea‐level (Aiding Lake) to 5076 m above sea‐level (Tanggula Mountain pass on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau). At each site, a portable wind tunnel and high‐speed camera system were set up, and the friction wind velocity, threshold friction velocity and sand flow structure were observed systematically. For a given volumetric airflow, lower air density increases the wind velocity. Low air density also creates a high threshold friction velocity. The Bagnold wind erosion threshold model remains valid, but the value of empirical parameter A decreased with decreasing air density and ranged from 0·10 to 0·07, the smallest values reported in the literature. For a given wind velocity, increased altitude reduced total sand transport and creeping, but the saltation rate and saltation height increased. The present results provide insights into the fundamental mechanisms of the initiation and transport of sand by wind in regions with an extreme temperature or altitude (for example, alpine deserts and low‐lying lake basins) or on other planets, including Mars. These results also provide theoretical support for improved sand‐control engineering measures. The data and empirical equations provided in this paper improve the ability to estimate threshold and transport conditions for wind‐blown sand.     

Characterizing the height profile of the flux of wind-eroded sediment

Wind erosion causes severe environmental problems, such as aeolian desertification and dust storms, in arid and semiarid regions. Reliable prediction of the height profile of the wind-eroded sediment flux is crucial for estimation of transport rates, verification of computer models, understanding of particle-modified wind flows, and control of drifting sand. This study defined the basic height profile for the flux of wind-eroded sediment and the coefficients that characterize its equation. Nine grain-size populations of natural sand at different wind velocities were tested in a wind tunnel to measure the flux of sediment at different heights. The resulting flux profiles resemble a golf club with a small back-turn where the flux increases with increasing height within 20 mm above the surface. If the small back-turns are neglected, the flux profiles can be expressed by an exponential-decay function where q _r(z) is the dimensionless relative flux of sediment at height z, which follows the exponential-decay law proposed by previous researchers for aeolian saltation. Three coefficients (a creep proportion, a relative decay rate, and an average saltation height) are proposed to characterize the height profile. Coefficients a and b in the above equation represent the creep proportion and relative decay rate as a function of height, respectively. Coefficient a varies widely, depending on grain size and wind velocity, but averages 0.09. It is suggested that the grain size and wind velocity must be specified when discussing creep proportion. Coefficients a and b are nearly linearly correlated and decrease as grain size and wind velocity increase. The average saltation height (the average height sediment particles can reach) was a function of grain size and wind velocity, and was well correlated with coefficients a and b.     

Aerodynamic grain‐size distribution of blown sand

Aeolian sand entrainment, saltation and deposition are important and closely related near surface processes. Determining how grains are sorted by wind requires a detailed understanding of how aerodynamic sand transport processes vary within the saltating layer with height above the bed. Grain‐size distribution of sand throughout the saltation layer and, in particular, how the associated flux of different grain size changes with variation in wind velocity, remain unclear. In the present study, a blowdown wind tunnel with a 50 cm thick boundary layer was used to investigate saltating sand grains by analyzing the weight percentage and transport flux of different grain‐size fractions and the mean grain size at different wind velocities. It was found that mean grain size decreases with height above the sand bed before undergoing a reversal. The height of the reversal point ranges from 4 to 40 cm, and increases with wind velocity following a non‐linear relationship. The content of the finer fractions (very fine and fine sand) initially increases above the sand bed and then decreases slightly with height, whereas that of the coarser fractions (medium and coarse sand) exhibits the opposite trend. The content of coarser grains and the mean grain size of sand in the saltation layer increase with wind velocity, indicating erosional selectivity with respect to grains in multi‐sized sand beds; but this size selectivity decreases with increasing wind velocity. The vertical mass flux structure of fine sand and very fine sand does not obey a general exponential decay pattern under strong wind conditions; and the coarser the sand grain, the greater the decrease rate of their transport mass with height. The results of these experiments suggest that the grain‐size distribution of a saltating sand cloud is governed by both wind velocity and height within the near‐surface boundary layer.     

A wind tunnel study of the parameters for aeolian sand transport above a wetted sand surface using sands from a tropical humid coastal region of southern China

In this study, wind tunnel tests were performed to determine the relationships between sediment transport, the surface moisture content, and wind velocity using beach sands from a tropical humid coastal area of China. The variation in the properties of the creep proportion, relative decay rate as a function of height, and average saltation height in the flux profile were determined. Sand transport was measured using a standard vertical sand trap. The creep proportion (i.e., the proportion of the particles that move along the surface rather than undergoing saltation) and relative decay rate decreased and more particles were ejected to higher positions as moisture content and wind velocity increased. The creep proportion ranged between 0.12 and 0.33, and averaged 0.22. The creep proportion and relative decay rate decreased abruptly at moisture contents between 0.587 and 1.448%; the latter value was close to 1.591%, the moisture content at a matric potential of ?1.5 MPa. This moisture content limit may indicate a change in the form of soil water from adsorbed films on particle surfaces to capillary forces created by inter-particle water bridges. The surface moisture content therefore appears to decisively determine the degree of the restraint on particle entrainment by the wind. The average heights, below which 25, 50, 75, and 90% of sand transport occurred, increased with increasing moisture content (except at 0.231% moisture content) and wind velocity. The mean saltation height at various wind velocities increased linearly with increasing moisture content.     

A wind tunnel study of aeolian sand transport on a wetted sand surface using sands from tropical humid coastal southern China

This article reported a wind tunnel test of sediment transport related to surface moisture content and wind velocity using sands from tropical humid coastal area. A 1 mm-thick portion of surface sand was scraped using a self-made sediment sampler, and the gravimetric moisture content was determined. Sand transport was measured via a standard vertical sand trap with a 60 cm height. The result shows that the sand transport profile above the wet surface can be expressed with an exponential equation. In general, the influence of moisture content on sand transport profile mainly focuses on the bottom of the blowing sand cloud. Meanwhile, with moisture content increased, total sand transport dropped, and a relatively larger proportion is transported at greater heights. The vertical movement of particles on higher moisture surface (0.587% < M < 1.448%) is more sensitive to moisture content variation as compared to those on low wet surface (M < 0.587%), total sand transport rate tends to be rather low (0.99 g cm⁻¹ s⁻¹) when M > 1.448%. The total sand transport rate varying with moisture content is divided into three regions of differing gradient at the moisture contents of 0.587 and 1.448%. The gradient of the curve reflected the different influences of the various water forms in surface sediments. The higher moisture surface (M > 1.448%) merely functions as a transport plain for the saltation material. Surface moisture content was the dominant control factor for saltation activity between the moisture contents of 0.587 and 1.448%, wind velocity could resume control saltation after the surface dried to the extent (M < 0.587%).     

Wind tunnel experiments on vertical distribution of wind-blown sand flux and change of the quantity of sand erosion and deposition above gravel beds under different sand supplies

Wind tunnel experiments were carried out with respect to the vertical distributions of wind-blown sand flux and the processes of aeolian erosion and deposition under different wind velocities and sand supplies above beds with different gravel coverage. Preliminary results revealed that the vertical distribution of wind-blown sand flux was a way to determine whether the gobi sand stream was the saturated one or not. It had different significances to indicate characteristics of transport and deposition above gobi beds. Whether bed processes are of aeolian erosion or deposition was determined by the sand stream near the surface, especially within 0–6 cm height, while the sand transport was mainly influenced by the sand stream in the saltating layer above the height of 6 cm. The degree of the abundance of sand supply was one of the important factors to determine the saturation level of sand stream, which influenced the characteristic of aeolian erosion and deposition on gravel beds. Given the similar wind condition, the sand transport rates controlled by the saturated flow were between 2 and 8 times of the unsaturated one. Those bed processes controlled by the saturated flow were mainly of deposition, and the amount of sand accumulation increased largely as the wind speed increased. In contrast, the bed processes controlled by the unsaturated flow were mainly of aeolian erosion. Meanwhile, there was an obvious blocking sand ability within the height of 0–2 cm, and the maximal value of sand transport occurred within the surface of 2–5 cm height.     

Inter‐annual variability of southerly winds in a coastal area of the Atacama Desert: implications for the export of aeolian sediments to the adjacent marine environment

The analysis of the aeolian content of marine cores collected off the coast of the Atacama Desert (Mejillones Bay, Chile) suggests that marine sediments can record inter‐annual to inter‐decadal variations in the regional southerly winds responsible for particle entrainment at the surface of the nearby desert. However, the establishment of a simple and direct correlation between the sediment and wind records is complicated by the difference of time scales between the erosion and accumulation processes. The aim of this work is to: (i) assess the inter‐annual variability of the surface winds responsible for the sand movements; and (ii) determine whether the integration over periods of several months completely smoothes the rapid changes in characteristics of the transported and deposited aeolian material. To accomplish this aim, 14 years of 10 m hourly wind speed, measured at the Cerro Moreno (Antofagasta) Airport between 1991 and 2003 and at the Orica Station between 2000 and 2004, were analyzed. For each year, the wind speed statistical distribution can be represented by a combination of two to three Weibull functions. Winds of the lowest Weibull mode are too weak to move the sand grains at the surface of the pampa; this is not the case for the intermediate mode and especially for the highest speed mode which are able to erode the arid surface and transport particles to the bay. In each individual year of the period of study, the highest speed mode only accounted for a limited number of strong erosion events. Quantitative analysis of the distribution of the friction velocities and of their impact on erosion using a saltation model suggests that, although all wind speeds above threshold produce erosion events, values around 0·45 m sec^?1 contribute less to the erosion flux. This gap allows separation of the erosion events into low and high saltation modes. The correlation (r = 0·997) between the importance of the third Weibull mode and the extent of higher rate saltation indicates that the inter‐annual variability of the erosion at the surface of the pampa, as well as the transport of coarse particles (>100 μm), are directly related to inter‐annual variations in the prevalence of the strongest winds. Finally, a transport and deposition model is used to assess the possible impact of the wind inter‐annual variability on the deposition flux of mineral particles in the bay. The results suggest that inter‐annual differences in the wind speed distributions have a quantifiable effect on the intensity and size‐distribution of this deposition flux. This observation suggests that a detailed analysis of the sediment cores collected from the bay could be used for reconstructing the inter‐annual variability of past winds.     

The initiation of particle movement by wind

When air blows across the surface of dry, loose sand, a critical shear velocity (fluid threshold, ut), must be achieved to initiate motion. However, since most natural sediments consist of a range of grain sizes, fluid threshold for any sediment cannot be defined by a finite value but should be viewed as a threshold range which is a function of the size, shape, sorting and packing of the surface sediment. In order to investigate the initiation of particle movement by wind a series of wind-tunnel tests was carried out on a range of pre-screened fluvial sands and commercially available glass beads with differing mean sizes and sorting characteristics. A sensitive laser-monitoring system was used in conjunction with a high speed counter to detect initial grain motion and to count individual grain movements. Test results indicate that when velocity is slowly increased over the sediment surface the smaller or more exposed grains are first entrained by the fluid drag and lift forces either in surface creep (rolling) or in saltation (bouncing or hopping downwind). As velocity continues to rise, larger or less exposed grains may also be moved by fluid drag. On striking the surface saltating grains impart momentum to stationary grains. This impact may result in the rebound of the original grain as well as the ejection of one or more stationary grains into the air stream at shear velocities lower than that required to entrain a stationary particle by direct fluid pressure. As a result, there is a cascade effect with a few grains of varying size initially moving over a range of shear velocities (the fluid threshold range) and setting in motion a rapidly increasing number of grains. Results of the tests showed that the progression from fluid to dynamic threshold, based on grain movement, can be characterized by a power function, the coefficients of which are directly related to the mean size and sorting characteristics of the sediment.     

Evaluation of aeolian sand transport equations using intertidal zone measurements, Saunton Sands, England

Sand transport rates were measured using a vertical sand trap along the intertidal zone of a beach in North Devon, England, together with simultaneous monitoring of the wind speed on the beach and moisture levels in the surface layers of sand. The results of 88 sand trap samples in a wide range of wind speeds showed that moisture levels up to 14%, in the top 1–2 mm of the beach sand, have no discernible effect on the transport rates. Transport rates measured from areas of the beach where the moisture was below this level are compared with the rates predicted by seven expressions based on theoretical and wind tunnel research together with the empirical results of other published research. Measured transport rates range from 0.0001 to 0.22 kg m^-1 s^-1. The results indicate that expressions based on a power relation between the wind speed and the transport rate, and which include a threshold velocity term, provide the best estimates of the observed transport rates.     

The effect of unsteady winds on sediment transport on the stoss slope of a transverse dune, Silver Peak, NV, USA

Rapid (10 s) measurements of sediment transport and wind speed on the stoss slope of a transverse dune indicate that the majority of sand transported is associated with fluctuations in wind speed with a periodicity of 5–20 min duration. Increases in the sediment transport rate towards the dune crest are associated with a small degree of flow acceleration. The increase in wind speed is sufficient, however, to greatly increase values of the intermittency index ( γ ), so that the duration of saltation is extended in crestal regions of the dune. The pattern of sediment transport on the stoss slope and, therefore, the locus of areas of erosion and deposition change with the regional wind speed. Erosion of the crest occurs during wind speed events just above transport threshold, whereas periods of higher magnitude winds result in deposition of sand upwind of the crest, thereby increasing dune height. Although short-term temporal and spatial relations between sand transport and wind speed on the stoss slope are well understood, it is not clear how these relations affect dune morphology over longer periods of time.     

Characteristics of particle size for creeping and saltating sand grains in aeolian transport

Creep and saltation are the primary modes of surface transport involved in the fluid‐like movement of aeolian sands. Although numerous studies have focused on saltation, few studies have focused on creep, primarily because of the experimental difficulty and the limited amount of theoretical information available on this process. Grain size and its distribution characteristics are key controls on the modes of sand movement and their transport masses. Based on a series of wind tunnel experiments, this paper presents new data regarding the saltation flux, obtained using a flat sampler, and on the creeping mass, obtained using a specifically designed bed trap, associated with four friction velocities (0·41, 0·47, 0·55 and 0·61 m sec^?1). These data yielded information regarding creeping and saltating sand grains and their particle size characteristics at various heights, which led to the following conclusions: (i) the creeping masses increased as a power function (q = ?1·02 + 14·19u_*³) of friction wind velocities, with a correlation (R²) of 0·95; (ii) the flux of aeolian sand flow decreases exponentially with increasing height (q = a exp(–z/b)) and increases as a power function (q = ?26·30 + 428·40 u_*³) of the friction wind velocity; (iii) the particle size of creeping sand grains is ca 1·15 times of the mean diameter of salting sand grains at a height of 0 to 2 cm, which is 1·14 times of the mean diameter of sand grains in a bed; and (iv) the mean diameter of saltating sand grains decreases rapidly with increasing height whereas, while at a given height, the mean diameter of saltating sand grains is positively correlated with the friction wind velocity. Although these results require additional experimental validation, they provide new information for modelling of aeolian sand transport processes.     

Saltation threshold on Earth, Mars and Venus

New formulations valid for wide ranges of particle diameter and density and gas density are presented for prediction of saltation threshold speed for small particles. A low-air-density wind tunnel was used to extend the range of previous investigations and to separate the effects of Reynolds number and interparticle forces of cohesion. The new formulations are used to predict saltation threshold for atmospheric conditions on the surface of the Earth, Mars, and Venus.     

Influence of the saffman force,lift force,and electric force on sand grain transport in a wind–sand flow

Quasi-horizontal trajectories of salting sand grains were found using high-speed video-recording in the desertified territory of the Astrakhan region. The sizes and displacement velocities of the saltating sand grains were determined. A piecewise logarithmic approximation of the wind profile in a quasi-stationary wind–sand flow is suggested, which is consistent with the data of observations and modeling. It was established that, in the regime of stationary saltation, the wind profile in the lower saltation layer of the wind–sand flow depends only slightly on the wind profile variations in the upper saltation layer. The vertical profiles of the horizontal wind component gradient in a quasi-stationary wind–sand flow were calculated and plotted. It was shown using high-speed video recording of the trajectory of a sand grain with an approximate diameter of 95 μm that the weightlessness condition in the desertified territory of the Astrakhan region in a stationary wind–sand flow is satisfied at a height of approximately 0.15 mm. The electric parameters of a wind–sand flow, which can provide for compensation of the force of gravity by the electric force, were estimated. In particular, if the specific charge of a sand grain is 100 μC/kg, the force of gravity applied to the sand grain can be compensated by the electric force if the vertical component of the electric field in a wind–sand flow reaches approximately 100 kV/m. It was shown that the quasi-horizontal transport of sand grains in the lower millimeter saltation layer observed in the desertified territory can be explained by the joint action of the aerodynamic drag, the force of gravity, the Saffman force, the lift force, and the electric force.     

Sand transport model of barchan dune equilibrium

Erosion and deposition over a barchan dune near the Salton Sea, California, is modelled by book-keeping the quantity of sand in saltation following streamlines of transport. Field observations of near-surface wind velocity and direction plus supplemental measurements of the velocity distribution over a scale model of the dune are combined as input to Bagnold-type sand-transport formulae corrected for slope effects. A unidirectional wind is assumed. The resulting patterns of erosion and deposition compare closely with those observed in the field and those predicted by the assumption of equilibrium (downwind translation of the dune without change in size or geometry). Discrepancies between the simulated results and the observed or predicted erosional patterns appear to be largely due to natural fluctuation in the wind direction. Although the model includes a provision for a lag in response of the transport rate to downwind changes in applied shear stress, the best results are obtained when no delay is assumed. The shape of barchan dunes is a function of grain size, velocity, degree of saturation of the oncoming flow, and the variability in the direction of the oncoming wind. Smaller grain size or higher wind speed produce a steeper and more blunt stoss-side. Low saturation of the inter-dune sandflow produces open crescent-moon-shaped dunes, whereas high saturation produces a whaleback form with a small slip face. Dunes subject to winds of variable direction are blunter than those under unidirectional winds. The size of barchans could be proportional to natural atmospheric scales, to the age of the dune, or to the upwind roughness. The upwind roughness can be controlled by fixed elements or by the sand is saltation. In the latter case, dune scale may be proportional to wind velocity and inversely proportional to grain size. However, because the effective velocity for transport increases with grain size, dune scale may increase with grain size as observed by Wilson (1972).     

The effect of surface moisture on the entrainment of dune sand by wind: an evaluation of selected models

Abstract Reliable predictions of wind erosion depend on the accuracy of determining whether erosion occurs or not. Among the several factors that govern the initiation of soil movement by wind, surface moisture is one of the most significant. Some widely used models that predict the threshold shear velocity for particle detachment of wet soils by wind were critically reviewed and evaluated. Wind‐tunnel experiments were conducted on pre‐wetted dune sand with moisture contents ranging from 0·00 to 0·04 kg kg^?1. Sand samples were exposed to different wind speeds for 2 min. Moisture content was determined gravimetrically before and after each experiment, and the saltation of sand particles was recorded electronically with a saltiphone. Shear velocities were deduced from the wind speed profiles. For each moisture content, the experiments were repeated at different shear velocities, with the threshold shear velocity being determined by least‐squares analysis of the relationships between particle number rates and shear velocity. Within the 2‐min test runs, temporal changes in particle number rates and moisture contents were detected. A steep increase in the threshold shear velocity with moisture content was observed. When comparing the models, large differences between the predicted results became apparent. At a moisture content of 0·007 kg kg^?1, which is half the moisture content retained to the soil matrix at a water tension (or matric potential) of ?1·5 MPa, the increase in ‘wet’ threshold shear velocity predicted with the different models relative to the dry threshold shear velocity ranged from 117% to 171%. The highest care should therefore be taken when using current models to predict the threshold shear velocity of wet sediment. Nevertheless, the models of Chepil (1956; Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Am., 20, 288–292) and Saleh & Fryrear (1995; Soil Sci., 160, 304–309) are the best alternatives available.     

On the effect of moisture bonding forces in air-dry soils on threshold friction velocity of wind erosion

Wind erosion is a dominant geomorphological process in arid and semi-arid regions with major impacts on regional climate and desertification. The erosion process occurs when the wind speed exceeds a certain threshold value, which depends on a number of factors including surface soil moisture. The understanding and modelling of aeolian erosion requires a better understanding of the soil erodibility associated with different moisture conditions. In arid regions during the dry season, the atmospheric humidity plays an important role in determining the surface moisture content and the threshold shear velocity. By a series of wind tunnel tests and theoretical analyses, this dependence of threshold velocity on near surface air humidity is shown for three soils of different textures: sand, sandy loam, and clay loam. The results show that the threshold shear velocity decreases with increasing values of relative humidity for values of relative humidity between about 40% and 65%, while above and below this range the threshold shear velocity increases with air humidity. A theoretical framework is developed to explain these dependencies assuming an equilibrium between the surface soil moisture and the humidity of the overlying atmosphere. The conditions under which soil-atmosphere equilibrium occurs were tested experimentally in the laboratory for different soils in order to determine the effect of grain surface area and texture on the time required to reach equilibrium starting from different initial conditions.     

A new, instantaneous aeolian sand trap design for field use

A new aeolian sediment trap is described which can give up to 1 Hz measurement frequency in field conditions. The trap adopts a circular, horizontal trap design with a load cell connection to give continuous, unobtrusive trap measurement of sediment flux. Simultaneous velocity recording is carried out using an anemometer. Trap construction costs are approximately £200. Initial results in field conditions using a direct comparison of wind velocity data, sampled at an equivalent frequency, have given a first-order relationship between sediment flux and velocity. The trap enables simultaneous sampling of wind velocity and sediment flux at a sufficiently short interval to enable investigation of sediment transport dynamics under a variety of field conditions.     

Wind tunnel experiments of air flow patterns over nabkhas modeled after those from the Hotan River basin, Xinjiang, China (I): non-vegetated

A nabkha is a vegetated sand mound, which is typical of the aeolian landforms found in the Hotan River basin in Xinjiang, China. This paper compares the results of a series of wind tunnel experiments with an on-site field survey of nabkhas in the Hotan River basin of Xinjiang. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted on semi-spherical and conical sand mounds without vegetation or shadow dunes. Field mounds were 40 times as large as the size of the wind tunnel models. In the wind tunnel experiments, five different velocities from 6 to 14 m/s were selected and used to model the wind flow pattern over individual sand mound using clean air without additional sand. Changes in the flow pattern at different wind speeds resulted in changes to the characteristic structure of the nabkha surface. The results of the experiments for the semi-spherical sand mound at all wind velocities show the formation of a vortex at the bottom of the upwind side of the mound that resulted in scouring and deposition of a crescentic dune upwind of the main mound. The top part of the sand mound is strongly eroded. In the field, these dunes exhibited the same scouring and crescentic dune formation and the eroded upper surface was often topped by a layer of peat within the mound suggesting destroyed vegetation due to river channel migration or by possible anthropogenic forces such as fuel gathering, etc. Experiments for the conical mounds exhibit only a small increase in velocity on the upwind side of the mound and no formation of a vortex at the bottom of the upwind side. Instead, a vortex formed on the leeward side of the mound and overall, no change occurred in the shape of the conical mound. In the field, conical mounds have no crescentic dunes on the upwind side and no erosion at the top exposed below peat beds. Therefore, the field and laboratory experiments show that semi-spherical and conical sand mounds respond differently to similar wind conditions with different surface configuration and development of crescent-shaped upwind deposits when using air devoid of additional sediment. __________ Translated from Journal of Desert Research, 2007, 27(1): 9–14 [译自:中国沙漠]     

Development of Unsteady Windblown Sand Transport

The threshold condition and mass flux of aeolian sediment transport are the essential quantities for wind erosion prediction, dust storm modeling and geomorphological evolution, as well as the sand control engineering design. As a consequence, they have long been the key issues of windblown sand physics. Early researches on aeolian sediment transport focus mainly on steady transport process. While recently, synchronous, high frequency measurements show that wind field in atmospheric boundary layer is always unsteady, showing up as intense fluctuation of wind speed, which thus results in the intense spatial-temporal variability of aeolian sand transport. It has been proven that unsteady sand/dust transport is closely related with boundary layer turbulence and affects significantly the determination of threshold condition and the prediction of aeolian transport rate. The researches of experiment, theory analysis and numerical simulation on unsteady sand/dust transport in recent two decades are reviewed. Finally, open questions and future developments are suggested.     

Wind tunnel experiments of air flow patterns over nabkhas modeled after those from the Hotan River basin,Xinjiang,China(Ⅱ):vegetated

This paper examines the results of wind tunnel experiments on models of nabkha, based on those studied in the Hotan River basin. Semi-spherical and conical models of nabkhas were constructed at a ratio of 40:1 in light of the on-site observation. Artificial vegetation of simulated Tamarix spp. was put on top of each model. Parameters of the shape, including height, width, and diameter of vegetated semi-spherical and conical nabkha, were measured in the Hotan River basin. Wind tunnel experiments on the semi-spherical and conical nabkha used clean air devoid of additional sediments at five different wind speeds (6–14 m/s) to study the influence of vegetation on airflow patterns. Results of the experiments indicate that vegetation at the top of the nabkhas enhances the surface roughness of the sand mounds, retards airflow over the sand mounds, reduces airflow energy, eliminates erosional pits occurring on the top surface of non-vegetated sand mounds and enhances the range of influence of the vortex that forms on the leeward slope. Vegetation changes the airflow pattern upwind and downwind of the sand mound and reduces the transport of sand away from the nabkha. This entrapment of sediment by the vegetation plays an important role in sustaining the nabkha landscape of the study area. The existence of vegetation makes fine materials in wind-sand flow to possibly deposit, and promotes nabkha formation. The imitative flow patterns of different morphological nabkhas have also been verified by on-site observation in the river basin. __________ Translated from Journal of Desert Research, 2007, 27(1): 15–19 [译自: 中国沙漠]