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%).