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Threshold Velocity for Saltation Activity in the Taklimakan Desert

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Abstract

The threshold velocity is an indicator of a soil’s susceptibility to saltation activity and is also an important parameter in dust emission models. In this study, the saltation activity, atmospheric conditions, and soil conditions were measured from 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009 in the Taklimakan Desert, China. the threshold velocity was estimated using the Gaussian time fraction equivalence method. At 2 m height, the 1-min averaged threshold velocity varied between 3.5 and 10.9 m/s, with a mean of 5.9 m/s. Threshold velocities varying between 4.5 and 7.5 m/s accounted for about 91.4% of all measurements. The average threshold velocity displayed clear seasonal variations in the following sequence: winter (5.1 m/s) < autumn (5.8 m/s) < spring (6.1 m/s) < summer (6.5 m/s). A regression equation of threshold velocity was established based on the relations between daily mean threshold velocity and air temperature, specific humidity, and soil volumetric moisture content. High or moderate positive correlations were found between threshold velocity and air temperature, specific humidity, and soil volumetric moisture content (air temperature r = 0.75; specific humidity r = 0.59; and soil volumetric moisture content r = 0.55; sample size = 251). In the study area, the observed horizontal dust flux was 4198.0 kg/m during the whole period of observation, while the horizontal dust flux calculated using the threshold velocity from the regression equation was 4675.6 kg/m. The correlation coefficient between the calculated result and the observations was 0.91. These results indicate that atmospheric and soil conditions should not be neglected in parameterization schemes for threshold velocity.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the China Special Fund for Meteorological Research in the Public Interest (GYHY201106043), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41405013), and the Central Scientific Research Institute of the Public Basic Scientific Research Business Professional (IDM201103).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Xinghua Yang & Shuanghe Shen

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, No. 219, Ningliu Road, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Xinghua Yang, Qing He & Shuanghe Shen

  3. Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi, 830002, China

    Xinghua Yang, Qing He, Ali Matimin, Fan Yang, Wen Huo & Xinchun Liu

  4. Desert Atmosphere and Environment Observation Experiment of Taklimakan Station, Tazhong, 841000, China

    Xinghua Yang, Qing He, Ali Matimin, Fan Yang, Wen Huo & Xinchun Liu

  5. Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Tianliang Zhao

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  1. Xinghua Yang
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Correspondence to Shuanghe Shen.

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Yang, X., He, Q., Matimin, A. et al. Threshold Velocity for Saltation Activity in the Taklimakan Desert. Pure Appl. Geophys. 174, 4459–4470 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-017-1644-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-017-1644-5

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