Dune sand transport as influenced by wind directions, speed and frequencies in the Ordos Plateau, China

The Ordos Plateau in China is a region with extensive wind erosion, severe desertification and various aeolian sand hazards. In order to determine aeolian sand transport in this region, the relationship between the sand transport rate and wind speed at 10 min frequencies was established by field observation in both the Qubqi Sand Desert and the Mu Us Sandy Land. Threshold wind speeds (2 m above the ground) for mobile, semi-fixed and fixed dune surfaces were estimated by field observations. The sand transport rate increased with the increase of the bare land ratio and near-bed wind speed. High-resolution meteorological 10 min average wind velocity data at 10 m above the ground were converted into velocity values at a height of 2 m to calculate sand transport potential based on three specific parameters decisive for sand transport: wind speed, duration and direction. The quantity of aeolian sand transported was calculated for various wind speed levels and directions, and the overall characteristics of sand transport on different dune surface types were determined by vector operation techniques. Sand transporting winds took place mainly in springtime. The prevailing wind directions were W, WNW and NW, with a frequency of more than 60% in total, and sand transport in these directions made up more than 70% of the total transport, corresponding to a general southeastward encroachment of aeolian sand in the study area. The relationship between wind frequency and speed can be expressed by a power function. High magnitude strong winds had a low frequency, but they played a dominant role in aeolian sand transport.     

Magnitude and frequency of grain flows on a desert sand dune

Preliminary studies of the magnitude and frequency of lee side avalanches (grain flows) on a Namib crescentic dune show that the frequency of grain flows for a given segment of the lee face is dependent on the wind speed and sand transport rate for the period preceding their initiation; and the magnitude of the flows as described by their area is inversely proportional to the interval between flows and thus wind speed and sand transport rates. These studies indicate the potential of using a simple digital video camera technique to document the magnitude, frequency and geometry of grain flows on desert sand dunes.     

青藏铁路沿线不同类型挡沙墙阻沙率

基于风洞试验对青藏铁路沿线不同类型防沙措施防沙效果进行模拟研究,探讨了不同类型挡沙墙的防沙效果。结果表明：挂板式、轨枕式和箱式挡沙墙输沙率随高度基本呈递增缓变型趋势,最大输沙率低于20%;铃铛式和高立式聚乙烯（PE）网挡沙墙随高度呈递减陡降型趋势,距地表6~8 cm处为转折点,转折点以上输沙率随高度增大急剧减小,转折点以下输沙率随高度变化较为平缓,最大输沙率低于50%。随着风速的增大,各挡沙墙的阻沙率呈递减趋势：挂板式和轨枕式挡沙墙对风速的敏感性最弱,整体阻沙效果较优,可大范围推广;箱式挡沙墙对风速的敏感性较弱,建议在风速18 m·s^-1以下的地区使用;PE网挡沙墙防沙效果对风速的敏感性最强,建议在风速10 m·s^-1以下的地区使用。     

风蚀事件中农田土壤PM10释放特征

地表风蚀导致的粉尘释放涉及全球变化研究的热点。自然条件下对粉尘释放的观测可以为风洞试验结果提供验证并为开发预测模型提供数据支撑与关键参数。本研究在河北坝上风蚀区,通过观测风蚀事件中农田近地表PM₁₀浓度、垂直通量与流失通量,以及风速和风沙流强度的变化,探讨农田风蚀过程中的粉尘释放特征。结果表明：地表风蚀释尘对近地表粉尘浓度的影响随高度增大而逐渐减弱,各高度的粉尘浓度变化趋势与摩阻风速、输沙率变化趋势相同;粉尘垂直通量和流失通量与摩阻风速呈幂函数关系,与输沙率呈线性关系;农田土壤跃移颗粒的轰击效率α数量级为10^-7m^-1。     

Particle size and sorting characteristics of sand in transport on the stoss slope of a small reversing dune

Studies of the particle size and sorting characteristics of sand on the stoss slope of a 6-m high reversing dune show that the sand in transport is generally finer and better sorted than surface sand at the same position on the slope. The sand in transport becomes coarser and more poorly sorted as wind speed and rates of mass transport increase toward the dune crest. These patterns reflect changes in the competence of the wind, which is capable of transporting larger grains and a wider range of grain sizes as its speed increases in space and time. Our field observations suggest that the particle size and sorting characteristics of surface sand are highly dependent on antecedent wind conditions and are not an invariant property of the dune, as is widely assumed. The wide range of particle sizes on the surface, as well as its change through time, also has important implications for modeling sediment transport on dunes. Transport thresholds may vary by as much as 30% on the stoss slope of the study dune.     

Modeling the aeolian sand transport for the desert of Kuwait: Constraints by field observations

The Kuwaiti desert is swept by strong winds, particularly by northwesterly wind, during the summer months (April through September), causing mass-scale sand transport that poses a serious environmental hazard. Understanding that accurate transport rate data are very difficult to obtain either by field measurements or by using any existing sand transport formulae, this paper presents a mathematical model to predict the sand-transport rate for Kuwaiti desert by following a well-known theoretical approach of Lettau and Lettau (1978) and by taking into account the effect of seasonal wind variability. The validity of the model is next examined using the field data from the study of Al-Awadhi and Al-Sudairawi (2002). The examination showed that the model underestimates the rate of sand transport by an average ratio of 0.15. The application of the model, at some seven locations that are evenly distributed across the Kuwaiti desert, indicated that about 40% of the amount of sand transport in Kuwait prevails from the NW during the peak summer months (June and July). The resulting map of sand transport rate indicated that the zone of higher sand transport rate is located within the areas covered by most extensive mobile sand sheets and sand dunes.     

The dynamic effects of moisture on the entrainment and transport of sand by wind

There is an increasing awareness of the influence of surface moisture on aeolian entrainment and transport of sediment. Existing wind tunnel studies have shown the impact of a limited range of moisture contents on entrainment thresholds but similar investigations are lacking in the field. The research reported here investigated the influence of changes in surface moisture content on sand entrainment and transport on a meso-tidal beach in Anglesey, North Wales.High frequency (1 Hz) wind velocities measured with hot-wire anemometers were combined with grain impact data from a Sensit monitor and mass flux measurements from a standard sand trap. Surface and near-surface moisture contents were assessed gravimetrically from surface sand scrapes and also directly by using a ThetaProbe. Critical threshold values for entrainment were specified using a modified form of the time fraction equivalence method (Stout, J.E., Zobeck, T.M., 1996a. Establishing the threshold condition for soil movement in wind-eroding fields. Proceedings of the International Conference on Air Pollution from Agricultural Operations. MWPS C-3, Kansas City, 7–9 February 1996, pp. 65–71).Results indicate a time-dependent change in dominant control of the sand transport system from moisture to wind speed, dependent upon the moisture content of the surface sediment. This interchange between controlling parameters on both entrainment and transport was very sensitive to prevailing moisture conditions and took place over a period of minutes to hours. Under conditions experienced in the experiments presented here, the critical moisture threshold for sediment entrainment was determined to be between 4% and 6%, higher than the 1–4% specified in previous wind tunnel experiments. Furthermore, a moisture content of nearly 2% (where moisture was adhered to transported sediment) appeared to have little or no impact on the rate of sand flux.     

Wind tunnel modeling and measurements of the flux of wind-blown sand

This paper presents a way to empirically fit experimental data for the horizontal flux of various sizes of wind-blown dry sand using data from wind tunnel experiments. We measured vertical wind profiles to derive threshold shear velocity and estimated shear velocity and the flux of sand mass as a function of the height for nine different grain sizes. We propose a fitting model based on the experimental data and a least-squares method and derive an explicit form of sand flux as a function of height and shear velocity for these grain sizes. We also obtained an explicit form of the empirical equation for the measurement of sand transport per unit width and unit time by integrating the empirical equation as a function of height. Finally, we compared the effectiveness of Bagnold's equation, Kawamura's expression and Lettau and Lettau's equation, for predicting sand transport with the results of our empirical equation. The results show that the transport predicted by all of the equations were always lower than the measured results from the empirical equation for all grain sizes and shear velocities. However, the empirical equation matched Bagnold's equation, Kawamura's equation, and Lettau and Lettau's equation if the coefficients in these equations were adjusted instead of using their original coefficients. The empirical equation for sand transport in the present study contradicts previous conclusions generated by Bagnold's equation, which predict that for a given wind drag, the transport of a coarse sand is greater than that of a fine sand.     

海岸湿沙表面风沙传输特征的风洞实验研究

通过湿沙表面风沙传输的风洞实验,研究了湿润海岸风沙流的垂直结构、输沙率随风速与表层湿度的变化规律。输沙测量使用60 cm高直立式积沙仪,湿度（M）为沙面表层1 mm厚的重量湿度值。结果表明,湿沙表面的输沙量和高度呈指数关系。一般,湿度增大,整体输沙率降低,高湿度床面的沙粒有相对更大的比例被传输到更高的位置。比起低湿度（M＜0.587%）沙粒,高湿度（0.587%＜M＜1.448%）沙粒的垂直运动对湿度变化的影响更加敏感,尤其是在跃移层的底部,当M＞1.448%时,输沙率已经很低,小于0.99 g·cm-1·s-1。伴随湿度0.587%和1.448%的过渡,风沙流垂向分布被分为3个不同坡度的区域,曲线坡度反映了沙粒间不同水分存在形式的影响差异。对于跃移沙粒,高湿度表面（M＞1.448%）仅起到了一个传输平台的作用;当表面变干到某种程度（M=0.587%）之前,表面湿度是跃移运动的主要控制因子,然后风速才重新开始影响输沙。     

兰新高铁烟墩风区戈壁近地表风沙流跃移质垂直分布特性

跃移质作为风沙流的主体,其近地表垂直分布规律是风沙物理学的重要研究内容,对防沙工程具有重要的指导意义。受研究条件与观测仪器限制,戈壁特别是极端大风区近地表风沙流结构特性研究较为薄弱。利用多梯度风蚀传感器与阶梯式集沙仪对兰新高铁烟墩风区戈壁近地表风沙流跃移质的垂直分布特性进行了观测研究。结果表明：兰新高铁烟墩风区戈壁沙粒发生跃移运动的2 m高临界风速达12 m·s^-1;戈壁近地表风沙流具有明显的阵性特征,沙粒跃移发生的时间比例在50%以下,与平均风速成正相关关系,与风速脉动强度无显著相关关系;2 m高阵风7级风速下,戈壁跃移沙粒主要集中于地表50 cm范围内,近地表风沙流结构呈"象鼻效应",跃移质最大质量通量出现在地表2.5~5 cm高度处,沙粒最大跃移高度可达2 m,且沙粒跃移高度随2 m高风速的增加呈指数规律递增。因此,兰新高铁烟墩风区2 m高阻沙栅栏不足以完全阻截戈壁风沙流,是造成烟墩风区兰新高铁轨道积沙的重要原因之一。     

莫高窟顶戈壁偏东风作用下输沙率变化的观测研究

通过一次沙尘暴天气过程对莫高窟顶不同观测点戈壁风沙流结构和输沙率的时空变化特征进行了系统同步观测。观测表明,偏东风条件下,当风速为10 m·s-1时,水平观测方向上存在一个各点输沙率平衡的阶段,即崖顶戈壁至鸣沙山边缘戈壁各观测点的输沙率相当;当风速大于10 m·s-1时,戈壁地表以风蚀搬运作用为主,出现了戈壁向鸣沙山的长距离风沙搬运;当风速小于10 m·s-1时,戈壁沙物质的长距离搬运作用不明显。不同风况及沙源条件下,风沙流结构和输沙特征会发生显著变化。借鉴Lattau输沙率方程,运用风速和输沙率推算各观测点输沙率的时空变化,计算结果表明,在风速为10 m·s-1左右时,窟顶戈壁带的输送效率约为60%。     

二维沙丘迎风坡沙粒跃移运动的数值模拟

为了研究沙丘迎风坡面上沙粒的跃移运动,本文根据风工程和空气动力学的最新理论,给出了沙丘迎风坡面上风场的空间分布规律,在此基础上对沙粒跃移运动进行了数值计算。由于沙丘周围流场情况较为复杂,各处的风速廓线也不同,故选取不同的坡面位置进行跃移计算,其中各处的起沙率由已有的实验结果或拟合公式给出。计算结果表明：从坡脚到坡顶,平均风速加速比和摩阻风速逐渐增加,到沙丘顶部达到最大值;同时沿坡面向上,各截面处单宽输沙率和距离当地地面相同高度处输沙浓度逐渐加强,这与已有文献报道的结果吻合良好。     

Movement of a small slipfaceless dome dune in the Namib Sand Sea, Namibia

The migration of a small slipfaceless dome dune close to the northern edge of the Namib Sand Sea has been measured by topographic survey. The dune dimensions are 45-m wide and 1-m high with a volume of 551 m³ that has been calculated as the difference between the dune's surface elevation and an interdune surface extrapolated from measurements around the edge of the dune. The migration direction, 64°, and distance moved, 90 m, are measured against stakes set out in 1976. The dune has moved about 90 m between 1976 and 1999. This is an average linear migration rate of around 4 m year⁻¹, and is equivalent to an annual sand transport rate of about 1.2 tonnes m⁻¹ year⁻¹. The calculated total potential sand flow in this part of the Namib Desert is 119 tonnes m⁻¹ year⁻¹, and the resultant potential sand flow is 63 tonnes m⁻¹ year⁻¹. The dune migration is therefore about 1% of the total potential sandflow and 2% of the resultant indicating that dune migration is only a small part of total potential sand transport. The results suggest that small slipfaceless dome dunes are very inefficient at trapping sand, and that winds blowing across the interdune in this area are undersaturated with sand.     

沙漠地区春季近地层气象要素分布规律的观测研究

利用2005年1月至2006年4月朱日和地区20 m气象塔的风向、风速、气温、相对湿度的观测资料,分析沙漠地区春季近地层气象要素的分布规律。结果表明: 春季温度回升,风速最大,相对湿度最小,利于起沙,故沙尘天气频繁。风速满足幂指数率分布规律,并且幂指数m能够很好的反映出风速梯度的变化情况;在沙尘暴、扬沙、背景、浮尘的天气条件下,春季近地面层风速梯度依次增大,湍流动量、热量交换系数依次减小;风向以西南为主。浮尘、扬沙天气各气层平均增温率分别大于或小于同时段的背景大气;沙尘暴期间温度下降,平均降温率为0.61 ℃\5h-1。春季相对湿度的平均递减率(递增率)与平均增温率(降温率)的大小正相关。浮尘天气相对湿度的平均递减率大于同时段的背景大气;扬沙天气相对湿度的平均递减率小于同时段的背景大气;沙尘暴天气相对湿度增大,平均增大率为2.80%\5h-1。     

Experimental investigation of the concentration profile of a blowing sand cloud

Detailed wind tunnel tests were carried out to establish the mean downwind velocity and transport rate of different-sized loose dry sand at different free-stream wind velocities and heights, as well as to investigate the vertical variation in the concentration of blowing sand in a cloud. Particle dynamic analyzer (PDA) technology was used to measure the vertical variation in mean downwind velocity of a sand cloud in a wind tunnel. The results reveal that within the near-surface layer, the decay of blown sand flux with height can be expressed using an exponential function. In general, the mean downwind velocity increases with height and free-stream wind velocity, but decreases with grain size. The vertical variation in mean downwind velocity can be expressed by a power function. The concentration profile of sand within the saltation layer, calculated according to its flux profile and mean downwind profile, can be expressed using the exponential function: c_z=ae^−bz, where c_z is the blown sand concentration at height z, and a and bare parameters changing regularly with wind velocity and sand size. The concentration profiles are converted to rays of straight lines by plotting logarithmic concentration values against height. The slope of the straight lines, representing the relative decay rate of concentration with height, decreases with an increase in free-stream wind velocity and grain size, implying that more blown sand is transported to greater heights as grain size and wind speed increase.     

风沙流中风速脉动对输沙量的影响

通过对不同工程措施下风沙流中风速脉动特征与输沙量波动研究发现：不同孔隙度栅栏中各高度层瞬时风速的波动性具有很好的相关性,而且相邻高度之间的相关性非常显著。在不同风速下,典型工程措施中同一高度层输沙量具有相对应的变化特征;瞬时风速的波动性主要与其所在高度层沙粒的运动状态和工程效益有关。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠公路风沙危害与防治

塔克拉玛干沙漠公路447 km路段穿越新月形沙丘与沙丘链、复合横向沙垄以及高大复合纵向沙垄区,风沙危害极为严重,被誉为“世界公路建筑的奇迹”。为解决沙漠公路风沙防护体系构建的一系列科学与技术问题,沙漠学界随之开展了风沙运动规律,风沙危害的成因、强度、时空分异及其机械、化学、生物防治的理论与应用研究。本文对风沙危害及其防治研究的主要内容及研究进展进行了全面总结,认为塔克拉玛干沙漠公路风沙危害与防治的理论研究成果与实践应用水平取得突破性进展。     

The flux profile of a blowing sand cloud: a wind tunnel investigation

The flux profile of a blowing sand cloud, or the variation of blown sand flux with height, is the reflection of blown sand particles that move in different trajectories, and also the basis for checking drifting sand. Here we report the wind tunnel results of systematic tests of the flux profiles of different sized sands at different free-stream wind velocities. The results reveal that within the 60-cm near-surface layer, the decay of blown sand flux with height can be expressed by an exponential function: q_h=aexp(−h/b), where, q_h is the blown sand transport rate at height h, a and b are parameters that vary with wind velocity and sand size. The significance of coefficient a and b in the function is defined: a represents the transport rate in true creep and b implies the relative decay rate with height of the blown sand transport rate. The true creep fraction, the ratio of the sand transported on the surface (h=0) to the total transport varies widely, decreasing with both sand size and wind speed. The flux profiles are converted to straight lines by plotting sand transport rate, q_h, on a log-scale. The slope of the straight lines that represents the relative decay rate with height of sand transport rate decreases with an increase in free-stream wind velocity and sand grain size, implying that relatively more of the blown sand is transported to greater heights as grain size and wind speed increase. The average saltating height represented by the height where 50% of the cumulative flux percentage occurs increases with both wind speed and grain size, implying that saltation becomes more intense as grain size and/or wind velocity increase.     

风沙流中不同粒径组沙粒的输沙量垂向分布实验研究

在非均匀沙床面上, 风沙流中不同粒径组沙粒的输沙量垂向分布, 是非均匀风沙运动研究的重点。研究首先通过风洞实验, 收集了风洞中垂线垂向输沙量分布沙样, 然后对集沙沙样进行了沙粒粒度分析实验, 实验分析结果得出了不同粒径组沙粒的输沙量垂向分布规律, 基于稳定平衡风沙跃移运动模型和本文实验结果, 最后数值模拟研究了不同粒径组沙粒输沙量垂向分布, 与沙粒起跳速度和角度之间的关系。本文研究结果得出, 在非均匀风沙流中, 粗粒径组沙粒垂向输沙量上部符合指数递减分布但近床面区偏离指数分布, 呈现为偏大型分布, 粗粒径组对应的沙粒起跳速度和角度分布均为指数函数; 细粒径组沙粒垂向输沙量在整 个高度上均符合指数递减规律, 细粒径组沙粒对应的起跳速度分布为指数函数, 起跳角度分布为高斯函数。沙粒的平均起跳速度, 在0.4u*~2.2u* 之间变化, 随着气流风速(u*) 和沙粒粒径的增加而减小。     

The assessment of weathering stages in granites using an EC/pH meter

The sidewall effects of a wind tunnel on aeolian sand transport were investigated experimentally. A wind tunnel was used to conduct the experiments with a given channel height of 120 cm and varying widths (B) of 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 cm. Both vertical profiles of wind velocity and sand mass flux were measured at different locations across the test section. The results show that the wind velocity with saltation first increases and then decreases to a minimum, from the sidewall to the central line of the wind tunnel. The discrepancy among wind velocities at different locations of the transverse section decreases with decreasing tunnel width. The wind friction velocity across the wind tunnel floor, with the exception of the region closest to the sidewalls, does not deviate strongly in wide wind tunnels from that along the central line, whereas it does vary in narrow tunnels. The sand mass fluxes, with the exception of some near-bed regions, are larger along the central line of the wind tunnel than they are at the quarter width location from the sidewall. Unlikely previously reported results, the dimensionless sand transport rate, Qg / (ρu³) (where Q is the total sand transport rate, g is the gravitational acceleration constant, ρ is the air density, and u is the wind friction velocity), first decreases and then increases with the dimensionless friction velocity, u / u_t (where u_t is the threshold friction velocity). The above differences may be attributed to the sidewall effects of the wind tunnel. A dimensionless parameter, F_B = u / (gB)^1/2, is defined to reflect the sidewall effects on aeolian sand transport. The flows with F_B of 0.33 or less may be free from the sidewall effects of the wind tunnel and can ensure accurate saltation tunnel simulation.