Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Field observations of sand flux and dust emission above a gobi desert surface

  • Soils, Sec 5 • Soil and Landscape Ecology • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Gobi deserts are a major source of natural and anthropogenic aerosols in China. However, the characteristics of the sand flow and dust emission processes are still an open question. This study intends to accurately describe the characteristics of the sand flow and dust emission and to determine the relationship between the sand transport rate and the vertical dust flux above a gobi surface.

Materials and methods

In this study, a field observation was conducted over a gobi (gravel) desert surface (Yangguan Gobi Desert, Gansu Province, China). We investigated the wind velocity, sand flux, and concentration of particles smaller than 10 μm (PM10) by using cup anemometers, a sonic anemometer, sand traps, and DustTrak.

Results and discussion

We found that (1) piecewise regression described the vertical sand flux profiles; the upper part of the profile (above 17 cm) should be described by a power function and the lower part should be described by a Gaussian function. (2) An empirical model based on the modified Owen equation could predict the sand transport rate accurately. (3) The vertical dust flux was described well by Fv∝u*3 and the dust emission above the gobi surface should follow Aρu*t (u*2 − u*t2), where A is an empirical regression coefficient. (4) The efficiency of saltation bombardment (Fv/Q) was linearly related to the ratio u*t/u*.

Conclusions

The results of this study show that the characteristics of the sand flow and dust emission above a gobi surface were highly different from those of bare sandy surface. In future research, it will be necessary to account for the effect of surface characteristics, and particularly the characteristics of the gravel, to improve the predictive ability of our model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Data will be available on request.

References

  • Bagnold RA (1941) The physics of blown sand and desert dunes. Methuen, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Barchyn TE, Martin RL, Kok JK, Hugenholtz CH (2014) Fundamental mismatches between measurements and models in aeolian sediment transport prediction: the role of small-scale variability. Aeolian Res 15:245–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chepil WS (1945) Dynamics of wind erosion: I. nature of movement of soil by wind. Soil Sci 60:305–320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke RU (1970) Stone pavement in deserts. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 60:560–577

  • Davidson-Arnott RGD, Yang Y, Ollerhead J, Hesp PA, Walker IJ (2008) The effects of surface moisture on aeolian sediment transport threshold and mass flux on a beach. Earth Surf Process Landf 33:55–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong Z, Gao S, Fryrear DW (2001) Drag coefficients, roughness length and zero-plane displacement height as disturbed by artificial standing vegetation. J Arid Environ 49:485–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong Z, Liu X, Wang H, Wang X (2003) Aeolian sand transport: a wind tunnel model. Sediment Geol 161:71–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong Z, Wang H, Liu X, Wang X (2004) A wind tunnel investigation of the influences of fetch length on the flux profile of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface. Earth Surf Process Landf 29:1613–1626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis JT, Sherman DJ (2013) Fundamentals of aeolian sediment transport: wind-blown sand. Treatise Geomorphol:85–108

  • Gillette DA, Ono D (2008) Expressing sand supply limitation using a modified Owen saltation equation. Earth Surf Process Landf 33:1806–1813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillette D, Walker TR (1997) Characteristics of airborne particles produced by winderosion of sandy soil, high plains of West Texas. Soil Sci 123:97–110

  • Gillette DA, Passi R (1988) Modeling dust emission caused by wind erosion. J Geophys Res 93:14233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillies JA, Berkofsky L (2004) Eolian suspension above the saltation layer, the concentration profile. J Sediment Res 74:176–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillies JA, Nickling WG, King J (2007) Shear stress partitioning in large patches of roughness in the atmospheric inertial sublayer. Bound-Layer Meteorol 122:367–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu SA (1971) Wind stress criteria in eolian sand transport. J Geophys Res 76:8684–8686

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawamura R (1951) Study of sand movement by wind. Hydraulics Engineering Laboratory Report HEL-2-8. University of California, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • Kind RJ (1992) One-dimensional aeolian suspension above beds of loose particles—a new concentration-profile equation. Atmos Environ 26:927–931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kok JF, Parteli EJR, Michaels TI, Karam DB (2012) The physics of wind-blown sand and dust. Rep Prog Phys 75:106901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lettau K, Lettau H (1978) Experimental and micrometeorological field studies of dune migration. In: Lettau HH, Lettau K (eds) Exploring the world’s driest climate. Center for Climate Research, Univ. Wisconsin, Madison, pp 67–73

  • Marticorena B, Bergametti G (1995) Modeling the atmospheric dust cycle: I. Design of a soil-derived emission scheme. J Geophys Res 100:15–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Forestry Bureau (2011) Bulletin of the states of desertification and aeolian desertification in China, pp. 1–20

  • Ni J, Li Z, Mendoza C (2003) Vertical profiles of aeolian sand mass flux. Geomorphology 49:205–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nickling WG, Gillies JA (1989) Emission of fine-grained particulates from desert soils. In: Leinen M, Sarnthein M (eds) Paleoclimatology and paleometeorology: modern and past patterns of global atmospheric transport. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickling WG, Gillies JA (1993) Dust emission and transport in Mali, West Africa. Sedimentology 40:859–868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien MP, Rindlaub BD (1936) The transportation of sand by wind. J Comput Civ Eng 6:325–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen PR (1964) Saltation of uniform grains in air. J Fluid Mech 20:225–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qu J, Huang N, Quan T, Qiang L (2005) Structural characteristics of gobi sand-drift and its significance. Adv Earth Sci 20:19–23 In Chinese

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen LA, Windley BF, Cunningham WD, Badamgarav J, Dorjnamjaa D (1997) Quaternary alluvial fans in the Gobi of southern Mongolia: evidence for neotectonics and climate change. J Quat Sci 12:239–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajot JL, Alfaro SC, Gomes L, Gaudichet A (2003) Soil crusting on sandy soils and its influence on wind erosion. Catena 5:1–6

  • Rasmussen KR, Mikkelsen HE (1998) On the efficiency of vertical array aeolian field traps. Sedimentology 45:789–800

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds O (1995) On the dynamical theory of incompressible viscous fluids and the determination of the criterion. Philos Trans R Soc Lond A 186:123–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Shao Y (2008) Physics and modelling of wind erosion, 2nd edn. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shao Y, Raupach MR, Findlater PA (1993) Effect of saltation bombardment on the entrainment of dust by wind. J Geophys Res 98:12719

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman DJ, Jackson DWT, Namikas SL, Wang J (1998) Wind-blown sand on beaches: an evaluation of models. Geomorphology 22:113–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman DJ, Li BL, Ellis JT, Farrell EJ, Maia LP, Granja H (2013) Recalibrating aeolian sand transport models. Earth Surf Process Landf 38:169–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan L, Zhang W, Qu J, Du J, Yin D, An Z (2014) Variation with height of aeolian mass flux density and grain size distribution over natural surface covered with coarse grains: a mobile wind tunnel study. Aeolian Res 15:345–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vassallo R, Ritz JF, Braucher R, Carretier S (2005) Dating faulted alluvial fans with cosmogenic 10Be in the Gurvan Bogd mountain range (Gobi-Altay, Mongolia): climatic and tectonic implications. Terra Nova 17:278–285

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Zhang C, Wang H, Qian G, Luo W, Lu J, Wang L (2011) The significance of gobi desert surfaces for dust emissions in China: an experimental study. Environ Earth Sci 64:1039–1050

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilding LP (1985) Soil spatial variability: its documentation, accommodation and implication to soil survey. In: Nielsen DR, Bouma J (eds) Soil spatial variability. Proceedings of a workshop of the ISSS and the SSA, PUDOC, Wageningen, pp 166–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Z (1987) Geomorphology of wind-drift sands and their controlled engineering. Science Press, Beijing (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Zhou N, Zhang J (2014) Sand flux and wind profiles in the saltation layer above a rounded dune top. Sci China Earth Sci 57:523–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Gong S, Zhao T, Arimoto, R, Wang, Y, Zhou Z (2003) Sources of Asian dust and role of climate change versus desertification in Asian dust emission. Geophys Res Lett 30:2272

  • Zingg A (1953) Wind tunnel studies of the movement of sedimentary material. In: Proceedings of the 5th hydraulic conference. State University of Iowa, Studies in Engineering Bulletin, 34:111-135

  • Zobeck TM, Van Pelt RS (2006) Wind-induced dust generation and transport mechanics on a bare agricultural field. J Hazard Mater 132:26–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Code availability

Not applicable.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41630747).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, MOE Engineering Research Center of Desertification and Blown-sand Control, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China

    Xuesong Wang & Chunlai Zhang

  2. School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China

    Xuesong Wang

Authors
  1. Xuesong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chunlai Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Xuesong Wang did the experiments, analyze the data, and wrote the original manuscript. Chunlai Zhang designed the experiments and checked and revised the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chunlai Zhang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Yi Jun Xu

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, X., Zhang, C. Field observations of sand flux and dust emission above a gobi desert surface. J Soils Sediments 21, 1815–1825 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-02883-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-02883-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation