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A Wind-tunnel Study of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Flow over Vegetated Surfaces to Suppress PM10 Emission on Owens (dry) Lake

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Abstract

Dust storms on Owens (dry) Lake located 200 milesnortheast of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., havecaused serious PM10 emission problems. Alaboratory-based experimental study was conducted toinvestigate the efficiency of 'vegetation cover' onthe playa to suppress dust emission rates as part ofa mitigation plan.

Erodible lakebed material and field vegetation (saltgrass) taken from Owens (dry) Lake were placed in awind tunnel to simulate near-surface wind flow in theatmospheric boundary layer. Vertical wind-speedprofiles and vertical PM10-concentration profileswere measured over six different levels of surfacevegetation cover. In order to understand the mechanismof aeolian particle transport and dust injection intothe atmosphere, the roughness parameter, z0, thefriction velocity, u*, and the surface dragcoefficient, CD, were carefully determined.

An empirical equation was developed to predictPM10 emission rates as a function of wind speedand level of vegetation coverage for Owens (dry) Lake.Although the current results apply only to theeffectiveness of vegetation cover to suppressPM10 emissions at Owens playa, the procedure canbe employed for any arid area or region that mightutilize added vegetation as a mitigation measure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A.

    Dae Seong Kim, Greg H. Cho & Bruce R. White

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  1. Dae Seong Kim
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  2. Greg H. Cho
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  3. Bruce R. White
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Kim, D.S., Cho, G.H. & White, B.R. A Wind-tunnel Study of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Flow over Vegetated Surfaces to Suppress PM10 Emission on Owens (dry) Lake. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 97, 309–329 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1002786323224

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