A framework for predicting abrasion rupture of crusts in wind erosion

Crusts play a crucial role in the reduction or control of wind erosion. In this regard, the resilience and durability of crusts are of prime importance. Crusts have high resilience and durability against wind flow shear stresses; however, they are prone to abrasion induced by saltating particles. Therefore, estimating crust durability in abrasion rupture has practical importance. In this study, a cyanocrust and a biocemented sand crust were subjected to a controlled flux of saltating particles for different sandblasting periods to provide a framework for predicting crust rupture. The velocity and pre- and post-collision energy of the saltating particles were measured using high-speed photography. The changes in the strength of the crusts after different periods of sandblasting were determined using a scratch test. The results suggested that the average strength of the cyanocrust and biocemented sand crust became 0.25 and 0.7 of their corresponding initial values after 30 min of sandblasting. Also, the average stiffness of the cyanocrust and biocemented sand crust decreased to 0.5 and 0.9 of their initial values, respectively. Furthermore, the amount of impact energy absorbed by the crusts increased by the deterioration of the crusts. Compiling the results of the wind tunnel experiment and scratch tests yielded an exponential equation which can be used to estimate crust durability in a given condition of saltation. Based on this equation, the cyanocrust and biocemented sand crust will break down entirely after 23 and 449 min, respectively, at a wind velocity of 6.8 m/s and a saltation flux of 1 g/s/m.     

Using quartz grain size and shape analysis to distinguish between aeolian and fluvial deposits in the Dallol Bosso of Niger (West Africa)

Size and Fourier-shape characteristics of quartz sand grains were determined by computerized image analysis in order to distinguish between aeolian and fluvial soil parent materials in the Dallol Bosso in Niger. Factor analysis of grain-size distributions gave four sand end-members that can be related to fluvial transport dynamics operating when the sediments were initially deposited. The medium to fine (and more angular shaped) sand fractions are being reworked by wind. Aeolian deposits were well sorted whereas fluvial deposits were poorly sorted in both size and shape. Although gross-shape characteristics (lower harmonics of Fourier series expansion) indicated a common source rock for all sands, the aeolian sands were well rounded whereas the fluvial sands tended to be more angular (upper harmonics of Fourier series).     

Sedimentological,modal analysis and geochemical studies of desert and coastal dunes,Altar Desert,NW Mexico

Sedimentological, compositional and geochemical determinations were carried out on 54 desert and coastal dune sand samples to study the provenance of desert and coastal dunes of the Altar Desert, Sonora, Mexico. Grain size distributions of the desert dune sands are influenced by the Colorado River Delta sediment supply and wind selectiveness. The desert dune sands are derived mainly from the quartz‐rich Colorado River Delta sediments and sedimentary lithics. The dune height does not exert a control over the grain size distributions of the desert dune sands. The quartz enrichment of the desert dune sands may be due to wind sorting, which concentrates more quartz grains, and to the aeolian activity, which has depleted the feldspar grains through subaerial collisions. The desert dune sands suffer from little chemical weathering and they are chemically homogeneous, with chemical alteration indices similar to those found in other deserts of the world. The desert sands have been more influenced by sedimentary and granitic sources. This is supported by the fact that Ba and Sr concentration values of the desert sands are within the range of the Ba and Sr concentration values of the Colorado River quartz‐rich sediments. The Sr values are also linked to the presence of Ca‐bearing minerals. The Zr values are linked to the sedimentary sources and heavy mineral content in the desert dunes. The Golfo de Santa Clara and Puerto Peñasco coastal dune sands are influenced by long shore drift, tidal and aeolian processes. Coarse grains are found on the flanks whereas fine grains are on the crest of the dunes. High tidal regimens, long shore drift and supply from Colorado Delta River sediments produce quartz‐rich sands on the beach that are subsequently transported into the coastal dunes. Outcrops of Quaternary sedimentary rocks and granitic sources increase the sedimentary and plutonic lithic content of the coastal dune sands. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) values for the desert and coastal dune sands indicate that both dune types are chemically homogeneous. The trace element values for the coastal dune sands are similar to those found for the desert dune sands. However, an increase in Sr content in the coastal dune sands may be due to more CaCO₃ of biogenic origin as compared to the desert dune sands. Correlations between the studied parameters show that the dune sands are controlled by sedimentary sources (e.g. Colorado River Delta sediments), since heavy minerals are present in low percentages in the dune sands, probably due to little heavy mineral content from the source sediment; grain sizes in the dune sands are coarser than those in which heavy minerals are found and/or the wind speed might not exert a potential entrainment effect on the heavy mineral fractions to be transported into the dune. A cluster analysis shows that the El Pinacate group is significantly different from the rest of the dune sands in terms of the grain‐size parameters due to longer transport of the sands and the long distance from the source sediment, whereas the Puerto Peñasco coastal dune sands are different from the rest of the groups in terms of their geochemistry, probably caused by their high CaCO₃ content and slight decrease in the CIA value. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal aspects of the abrasion of microphytic crusts under grain impact

Wind‐tunnel simulations of the response of two moss crusts to grain impact indicate that, given sufficient time, these surfaces will deteriorate under very low wind velocities only slightly above u_*t for the loose, saltating grains. In parallel with these experiments, the frequency distributions of ultimate strength and penetration energy were determined for each of the two crust types via penetrometry. Pohlia was found to be stronger than Tortula; but, even so, both of these crusts had ultimate strengths 20–350 times higher than the force delivered by a single grain impacting each surface at a velocity of 1 ms^?1. In comparison, the modulus of deformation and penetration energy data were very similar for the two surface types, especially for the weakest areas of crust development. This observation is in accord with the wind‐tunnel simulations that also found no consistent difference in the response of these two crust types to impact. In comparison with crusts formed by clay and salt, fibrous microphytic crusts are morphologically complex and typically weak. The notable elasticity of these surfaces does reduce the force of grain impact, and thereby provides some protection against rupture. One of the central conclusions of this study suggests that not only is the particle kinetic energy at impact important in crust breakdown, but also tiny fractures at points of localized stress concentration contribute to a progressive reduction in the integrity of the filament net. In some of the experiments conducted as part of this study, up to 50 or more minutes of constant bombardment was required to produce small abrasion marks on selected areas of the microphytic crust. This study prepares a foundation for future experiments needed to examine the breakdown of complex crusts formed in nature. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the dynamics of extensional basin

Geological and geophysical data from the North China-Bohai Basin and “Basin and Range” Province were examined and compared. They are similar to each other in many respects. Surficial geological structures are characterized by a series of half-grabens with their one flank constituted by normal fault. Those extensional structures usually extend to a depth of 6–8 km. Therefore, the stress condition in the upper 8 km can be written as $$\sigma _2 > \sigma _x > \sigma _y$$ wherex, y denote the directions of maximum compression and maximum tension on the horizontal plane, whilez signifies the vertical direction. Some people think that this kind of stress condition exists through the entire crust in the extensional basin. However, the focal mechanisms of the earthquakes in the extensional basins with focal depths usually at 12–20 km are dominated by strike-slip faults. The stress condition in the focal regions can be expressed by $$\sigma _x > \sigma _z > \sigma _y .$$ Geodetic measurements conducted before and after the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 and the Xingtai earthquake in 1966 showed that both horizontal and vertical surficial deformations with magnitudes of a similar order occurred during the earthquakes. The surficial deformations during the earthquakes can be explained by a summation of the motions produced by both stress fields in the upper crust and the middle crust. Dynamical processes other than the homogeneous horizontal regional tectonic field are required to explain the vertical variation of the stress condition in the upper and middle crusts. Evidence from the seismic refractions, reflections and the three-dimensional seismic tomography from both local earthquakes and teleseismic events provide convincing evidence that magmatic intrusions from the uppermost mantle to the middle crust occur near the hypocenters of both the Tangshan and Xingtai earthquakes. The variation from the extensional stress regime at the upper crust to the compressional stress regime in the middle and lower crusts is considered to be the common feature in extensional basins. And the magmatic intrusions from the upper mantle to the middle crust observed in the extensional basin is suggested to be its genetic cause. Numerical simulations of magmatic intrusion from the uppermost mantle to the middle crust were studied. Both the intruded compression and the thermal stress due to magmatic intrusion were considered, also the viscoelasticity of the middle and lower crusts were assumed. The results successfully explain the vertical variation of the stress condition in the crust and the process producing an extensional basin.     

Evaporation and land surface energy budget at the Salar de Atacama, Northern Chile

Playa systems are driven by evaporation processes, yet the mechanisms by which evaporation occurs through playa salt crusts are still poorly understood. In this study we examine playa evaporation as it relates to land surface energy fluxes, salt crust characteristics, groundwater and climate at the Salar de Atacama, a 3000 km² playa in northern Chile containing a uniquely broad range of salt crust types. Land surface energy budget measurements were taken at eight representative sites on this playa during winter (August 2001) and summer (January 2002) seasons. Measured values of net all-wave radiation were highest at vegetated and rough halite crust sites and lowest over smooth, highly reflective salt crusts. Over most of the Salar de Atacama, net radiation was dissipated by means of soil and sensible heat fluxes. Dry salt crusts tended to heat and cool very quickly, whereas soil heating and cooling occurred more gradually at wetter vegetated sites. Sensible heating was strongly linked to wind patterns, with highest sensible heat fluxes occurring on summer days with strong afternoon winds. Very little energy available at the land surface was used to evaporate water. Eddy covariance measurements could only constrain evaporation rates to within 0.1 mm d⁻¹, and some measured evaporation rates were less than this margin of uncertainty. Evaporation rates ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 mm d⁻¹ in smooth salt crusts around the margin of the salar and from 0.4 to 2.8 mm d⁻¹ in vegetated areas. No evaporation was detected from the rugged halite salt crust that covers the interior of the salar, though the depth to groundwater is less than 1 m in this area. These crusts therefore represent a previously unrecorded end member condition in which the salt crusts form a practically impermeable barrier to evaporation.     

Erodibility of some crust forming soils/sediments from the Southern Aral Sea Basin as determined in a wind tunnel

Severe dust storms in the Southern Aral Sea Basin have become common with the desiccation of the sea. The high incidence of dust in the area has had severe ecological consequences. Within the framework of efforts to reduce this phenomenon, deflatability as well as deflatability‐related characteristics of some prominent soils/sediment surfaces in the Southern Aral Sea Basin were examined. The materials included a salt crust from a developed Solonchak, a Takyr crust and a Takyr‐like soil, and salt crusts from undeveloped Solonchaks formed on the exposed bottom of the Aral Sea. Characteristics determined were particle size distribution, dry aggregate size distribution and salt, carbonate and organic carbon contents. Deflatability was examined using a suction type wind tunnel with a SENSIT‐type sensor to detect airborne unconsolidated material, on materials treated to different moisture levels and with a chemical stabilizer, and on restored crusts created from the unconsolidated materials. Fine sand dominates in the materials, and in the Takyr crust and Takyr‐like soils is accompanied by significant amounts of silt and clay. All materials contain moderate amounts of carbonate and are low in organic matter. All soils/sediments contain salts, but in the salt crusts of the Solonchaks the salt fraction dominates. They all have more than 50 per cent PM₈₅₀ (particles with diameter <850 µm), indicating a relatively high deflatability potential. The materials from the Takyr crusts and Takyr‐like soil with a high proportion of fine aggregates had the lowest threshold friction velocities, while the salt crusts of the Solonchaks with a high proportion of coarse aggregates had the highest. This suggests that Takyrs and Takyr‐like soils are the most deflatable and Solonchak soils the least deflatable. These differences are attributed to the presence of salts that create stable, large aggregates in the Solonchak crusts. Wetting of the materials to three moisture levels considerably increased threshold friction velocity. The increase was most prominent in the salt‐rich materials, and was attributed to the rapid formation of surface films by drying in the course of the wind tunnel determinations. Applications of chemical stabilizers at two levels also considerably increased threshold friction velocity. On the restored crusts, threshold friction velocity dramatically increased, occasionally to non‐recordable values. This increase was monitored with both the salt crusts characteristic for the Solonchak soils and the fine‐grained crusts characteristic for the Takyr soils. The stability was attributed to the tightly packed salt particles in the salt crusts, and to the cohesive properties of the fine‐grained materials in the Takyr crusts. Once the crusts were ruptured, however, strong deflation commenced. These results suggest that by maintaining moisture in the soils/sediments (for example, by maintaining a high water table in the Amu‐Darya river flood plain) deflation can be reduced. By the same means, deflation can be reduced by creating new crusts or by preserving existing crusts. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microbiotic crusts as biomarkers for surface stability and wetness duration in the Negev Desert

Microbiotic crusts play an important role in arid and semi‐arid regions. Yet, very little information exists regarding the factors that impact their development. In an attempt to assess the main factors that may determine their growth, measurements of the amount of fines (silt and clay), rain, moisture content, wetness duration and wind erosion and deposition were carried out along a 12 station transect within a partially crusted dune field in the western Negev Desert and compared to the crust cover and chlorophyll content. Surface stability was the only variable that exhibited significant relationship with crust cover while daylight wetness duration exhibited strong positive relationship (r² = 0·92–0·99) with the crust's chlorophyll content. The data point out that microbiotic crusts may serve as a useful biomarker for surface stability. While wetness duration and wind will control crust cover and the crust chlorophyll content in semi‐stable habitats (with absolute annual change in sand level of 2–3 mm), stable habitats (absolute change <1 mm) will be controlled primarily by moisture, while habitats with low surface stability (absolute change of tens and hundreds of millimeters) will be primarily controlled by wind. Furthermore, owing to the strong positive relationship between daylight wetness duration and the crust's chlorophyll content, the crust may serve as a useful biomarker for the quantification of surface wetness duration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of microbiotic crusts under cropland in temperate environments on soil erodibility during concentrated flow

Several studies illustrate the wind and water erosion‐reducing potential of semi‐permanent microbiotic soil crusts in arid and semi‐arid desert environments. In contrast, little is hitherto known on these biological crusts on cropland soils in temperate environments where they are annually destroyed by tillage and quickly regenerate thereafter. This study attempts to fill the research gap through (a) a field survey assessing the occurrence of biological soil crusts on loess‐derived soils in central Belgium in space and time and (b) laboratory flume (2 m long) experiments simulating concentrated runoff on undisturbed topsoil samples (0.4 × 0.1 m²) quantifying the microbiotic crust effect on soil erosion rates. Three stages of microbiotic crust development on cropland soils are distinguished: (1) development of a non‐biological surface seal by raindrop impact, (2) colonization of the soil by algae and gradual development of a continuous algal mat and (3) establishment of a well‐developed microbiotic crust with moss plants as the dominant life‐form. As the silt loam soils in the study area seal quickly after tillage, microbiotic soil crusts are more or less present during a large part of the year under maize, sugar beet and wheat, representing the main cropland area. On average, the early‐successional algae‐dominated crusts of stage 2 reduce soil detachment rates by 37%, whereas the well‐developed moss mat of stage 3 causes an average reduction of 79%. Relative soil detachment rates of soil surfaces with microbiotic crusts compared with bare sealed soil surfaces are shown to decrease exponentially with increasing microbiotic cover (b = 0·024 for moss‐dominated and b = 0·006 for algae‐dominated crusts). In addition to ground surface cover by vegetation and crop residues, microbiotic crust occurrence can therefore not be neglected when modelling small‐scale spatial and temporal variations in soil loss by concentrated flow erosion on cropland soils in temperate environments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical Simulation of the Graben-Forming Process in Southern Xizang

I.INTRODUCTION It iS generally accepted that the stress state in the upper crust and upper mantle in the southernQinghai—Xiz~g Plateau is essentially extensional(Molnar and Tapponnier,1978;Chen and Molnar,1983:Armijo et a1.,1986).Data offocal.mechanism     

利用背景噪声成像技术反演陕西及邻区地壳剪切波速度结构

利用地震背景噪声层析成像技术处理陕西及邻区所布设的257个宽频带台站的连续背景噪声数据,采用基于射线追踪的面波频散直接反演方法获得陕西及邻区地壳(6～39 km)高分辨率剪切波速度结构。成像结果显示:(1)渭河盆地顶部形成于新生代,厚的沉积层造成其浅部显著的低速异常,盆地中、上地壳为低速结构。渭河盆地与南北两侧地质构造单元交界区域的下方存在高速与低速结合带,以及在块体间相互运动的作用下,在块体内部,特别是界带深部可能存在着物质与能量的强烈交换,为渭河盆地及邻区的地震孕育发生提供深部环境。(2)南鄂尔多斯块体并不是一个均匀的整体,块体地壳浅层东薄西厚的低速异常结构,可能与鄂尔多斯自显生宙以来的整体掀斜,以及晚白垩纪以来差异性整体抬升和受强烈而不均匀的剥蚀有关。块体中地壳速度比上地壳和下地壳较高。壳内不存在显著的低速体,说明壳内低速体并没有贯穿整个鄂尔多斯地块。我们推测南鄂尔多斯块体仍保留着稳定克拉通的属性,其地壳结构可能反映了克拉通早期形成时的结构特征,至今还未遭受明显改造。(3)秦岭造山带东,西深部结构存在显著差异,具有分段分区的特征。造山带中地壳速度较高,可能因在板块碰撞和造山过程中,下地壳物质被抬升进入中地壳,从而造成中地壳速度偏高。     

THE INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL ON TRANSPORT OF BEACH SAND BY WIND

This paper deals with the effect of rainfall on the process of wind erosion of beach sands and presents results from both field and wind tunnel experiments. Although sediment transport by splash is of secondary importance on coastal dunes, splash–saltation processes can move sediments in conditions where no motion is predicted by aeolian processes. The effect of raindrop impact on the movement of soil particles by wind was measured on a sand beach plain using an acoustic sediment sampler. In general, an increase of particle movement by wind at the sensor heights was observed during rainfall. Rainfall also affected the wind erosion process during and after rain by changing the cohesive conditions of the surface. The influence of the surface moisture content on the initiation of wind erosion and on the vertical distribution of transported sand particles was studied in a wind tunnel. Moisture significantly increased threshold wind velocities for the initiation of sediment transport and modified vertical sediment profiles.     

Aeolization on the Atlantic coast of Galicia (NW Spain) from the end of the last glacial period to the present day: Chronology,origin and evolution of coastal dunes linked to sea-level oscillations

The Atlantic coast of Galicia (NW Spain) is a high-energy environment where shingle beaches are currently developing. These coarser sediments alternate with sandy deposits which are also considered as beaches typical of a low-energy environment. The physical association of both types of sediment with contrasted sedimentary significance raises problems of interpretation. The study of four outcrops of fossil aeolianites on this coast has allowed us to reconstruct their evolution from the end of the Upper Pleistocene to the present day. Their chronology, estimated by optically stimulated luminescence between 35 and 14 ky at the end of the last glaciation (MIS2), coincides with a local sea level 120 m below the present one. This implies a coastline shifted several kilometres from its current location and the subaerial exposure of a wide strip of the continental shelf covered by sands. The wind blew sand to form dunes towards the continent, covering the coastal areas, which then emerged with no other limitation than the active river channels. Sea-level rise during the Holocene transgression has progressively swamped these aeolian deposits, leaving only flooded dunes, relict coastal dunes and climbing dunes on cliffs up to 180 m high. The aeolian process continued as long as there was a sandy source area to erode, although accretion finished when the sea reached its current level (Late Holocene). Since then, the wind turned from accretion to erosion of the dunes and sand beaches. This erosion exposes the older shingle beaches (probably of Eemian age) buried under the aeolian sands, as well as old, submerged forest remains and megalithic monuments. The destruction of sand beaches and dunes currently observed along the Galician coast is linked, according to most researchers, to anthropogenic global warming. However, their management should consider these evolutive issues.     

Influence of cryptogamic crust disturbance to wind erosion on sand and loam rangeland soils

A portable field wind tunnel was used to assess the sediment flux rates of loam and sand textured soils in the Mallee region of southeastern Australia. Three levels of crust disturbance (nil, moderate and severe) simulating stock trampling were investigated. The results demonstrated the importance of cryptogamic crusts in binding the soil surface and providing roughness after the soil was moderately disturbed. On the loamy soil, the crust helped maintain sediment flux rates below the erosion control target to 5 g m⁻¹ s⁻¹ for a 65 km h⁻¹ wind measured at 10 m height. Once the crust was severely disturbed, sediment fluxes increased to 1·6 times the erosion target. On the sandy soil, even with no crust disturbance the sediment flux was 1·6 times the erosion control target. Disturbing the crust increased sediment fluxes to a maximum of 6·7 times the erosion control target. Removal of the crust also decreased the threshold wind velocity that resulted in an increase to the risk of erosion from <5 per cent to 20 per cent. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bedrock versus superficial deposits in the Swiss Jura Mountains: what is the legitimate soil parent material?

Soils are generally considered to be the result of in situ weathered products of geological substrata. Nevertheless, the Earth's surface is mainly composed of superficial deposits made of sediments reworked during periods of climate instability (glaciation, aridification, flooding, etc.). But to what extent do these deposits influence present‐day soil development and/or lessen the contribution of the geological substratum? In the Swiss Jura Mountains, characterization and distribution of superficial deposits along a toposequence are used in order to decipher the polygenic sources of soil parent materials and question the importance of lithodependence in soil development. The in situ weathering material and the allochtonous deposits are discriminated through analysis of mineralogical composition, grain size distribution of the soil mineral fraction, and multivariate statistical treatment. As expected, calcite is dominant in the autochonous mineral phase, leading to high pH values in deep soil layers. However, the mineralogical composition of the surficial deposits is made of local mineral components mixed with allochtonous aeolian deposits. This exogenous material is dominated by quartz and phyllosilicates, and is reflected by low pH values in soil surficial horizons. The grain size distribution curves of the insoluble residue from bedrocks are unimodal and dominated by fine loam and clays. In contrast, surficial deposits display polymodal curves, demonstrating the contribution of various aeolian episodes and/or sources. Analysis of the surface texture of quartz sand grains shows glacial marks intersected by aeolian shock marks, indicating the posteriority of wind transportation. Loess material originates from Alpine moraines of the Swiss Plateau and is mixed with deposits originating from more proximal Jura moraines, diluting the Alpine signature. Consequently, the soil development does not follow the expected and conventional decalcification process, but is directly influenced by the origin of the primary sediments (even when present only in small amounts) and their evolution. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation of an aeolian sand sheet

In aeolian sand sheets the interaction between aeolian and subaqueous processes is considered one of the principal factors that controls this depositional environment. To examine the role played by the subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation of sand sheets, surface deposits and subsurface sedimentary sections of a currently active aeolian sand sheet, located in the Upper Tulum Valley (Argentina), have been examined. On the sand sheet surface, airflows enable the construction of nabkhas, wind‐rippled mantles (flattened accumulations of sand forming wind ripples), megaripples, and small transverse dunes. Subaqueous deposits consist of sandy current ripples covered by muddy laminae. The latter are generated by annual widespread but low‐energy floods that emanate from the nearby mountains in the aftermath of episodes of heavy precipitations. Deposits of subaqueous origin constitute 5% of the accumulated sand sheet thickness. The construction of the sand sheet is controlled by meteorological seasonal changes: the source area, the San Juan river alluvial fan, receives sediment by thaw‐waters in spring–summer; in fall–winter, when the water table lowers in the alluvial fan, the sediment is available for aeolian transport and construction of the sand sheet area. The flood events play an important role in enabling sand sheet accumulation: the muddy laminae serve to protect the underlying deposits from aeolian winnowing. Incipient cement of gypsum on the sand and vegetation cover acts as an additional stabilizing agent that promotes accumulation. Episodic and alternating events of erosion and sedimentation are considered the main reason for the absence of soils and palaeosols. Results from this study have enabled the development of a generic model with which to account for: (i) the influence of contemporaneous subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation in recent and ancient sand sheets; and (ii) the absence of developed soils in this unstable topographic surface. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New index of ferromanganese crusts reflecting oceanic environmental oxidation

Ferromanganese crusts (hereinafter crusts) form in aerobic environment and the environmental oxida-tion degree is recorded by the redox sensitive element Co in the crusts. The ages of the layers from the surface to bottom of the crusts are determined, and main element contents at high resolution along the depth sections of three crusts from the Pacific Ocean are analyzed by an electron microprobe. Thus the variations of Co/(Fe Mn) and Co/(Ni Cu) with age/depth of the crust layers are obtained. By comparing the ratios of Co/(Fe Mn) and Co/(Ni Cu) with the δ 18O curves of the Pacific benthic foraminifera, we find that these two ratios can reflect the variation of the environmental oxidation state under which the crust layers deposit. The evolution of the oxidation degree reflected by the two indexes resembles the evo-lution of temperature since the Oligocene reflected by the δ 18O curves of the Pacific benthic foraminif-era. This suggests that the crust-forming environment after the Oligocene is controlled mainly by the oxygen-rich bottom water originated from the Antarctic bottom water (AABW). However it is not the case prior to the Oligocene. Furthermore it suggests that the environmental oxidation degree controls the formation of the crusts and the Co contents in the crusts. This explains why the Co contents in the crusts increase with time up to now.     

Climate–surface–pore‐water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning

Sodium accumulating playas (also termed sodic or natric playas) are typically covered by polygonal crusts with different pattern characteristics, but little is known about the short‐term (hours) dynamics of these patterns or how pore water may respond to or drive changing salt crust patterning and surface roughness. It is important to understand these interactions because playa‐crust surface pore‐water and roughness both influence wind erosion and dust emission through controlling erodibility and erosivity. Here we present the first high resolution (10^?3 m; hours) co‐located measurements of changing moisture and salt crust topography using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and infra‐red imagery for Sua Pan, Botswana. Maximum nocturnal moisture pattern change was found on the crests of ridged surfaces during periods of low temperature and high relative humidity. These peaks experienced non‐elastic expansion overnight, of up to 30 mm and up to an average of 1.5 mm/night during the 39 day measurement period. Continuous crusts however showed little nocturnal change in moisture or elevation. The dynamic nature of salt crusts and the complex feedback patterns identified emphasize how processes both above and below the surface may govern the response of playa surfaces to microclimate diurnal cycles. © 2015 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Evaporative losses from soils covered by physical and different types of biological soil crusts

Evaporation of soil moisture is one of the most important processes affecting water availability in semiarid ecosystems. Biological soil crusts, which are widely distributed ground cover in these ecosystems, play a recognized role on water processes. Where they roughen surfaces, water residence time and thus infiltration can be greatly enhanced, whereas their ability to clog soil pores or cap the soil surface when wetted can greatly decrease infiltration rate, thus affecting evaporative losses. In this work, we compared evaporation in soils covered by physical crusts, biological crusts in different developmental stages and in the soils underlying the different biological crust types. Our results show that during the time of the highest evaporation (Day 1), there was no difference among any of the crust types or the soils underlying them. On Day 2, when soil moisture was moderately low (11%), evaporation was slightly higher in well‐developed biological soil crusts than in physical or poorly developed biological soil crusts. However, crust removal did not cause significant changes in evaporation compared with the respective soil crust type. These results suggest that the small differences we observed in evaporation among crust types could be caused by differences in the properties of the soil underneath the biological crusts. At low soil moisture (<6%), there was no difference in evaporation among crust types or the underlying soils. Water loss for the complete evaporative cycle (from saturation to dry soil) was similar in both crusted and scraped soils. Therefore, we conclude that for the specific crust and soil types tested, the presence or the type of biological soil crust did not greatly modify evaporation with respect to physical crusts or scraped soils. Copyright © 2011 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.