Wind-Blown Sand Electrification

Abstract

Many researchers were aware of that sand particles can charge up and they demonstrated that the electric field in sand (dust) storm is much stronger than the one of fair weather (Rudge 1913, 1914; Kunkel 1950; Latham 1964; Kamra 1969; Stow 1969). The charged sand particles and wind-blown sand electrification may affect wind-blown sand flow, which attract more attentions recently. In fact, sand charging and wind-blown sand electric field have significant effects upon the entrainment of sand particles, transportation and deposition, whereas, sand particles acquire substantial charges during their entrainments and collisions which conversely affect the wind-blown sand electric field. Besides, particles in an electric field are known to self-assemble into complex patterns (Sapozhnikov 2003). Clouds of charged dust regularly produce devastating explosions in particle and coal plants (Palmer 1973), and a calamitous blast can be occurred by a lot of charged particles. In exploring outer space, charged grit attaches itself to spacesuits and works its way into suit joints, causing them to leak air and so cut exploration time. Therefore, the studies on wind-blown sand electrification are expected to clarify these problems, to explore the mechanism of sand particles charged, and further to predict the effect of wind-blown sand electrification on the formation and evolution of the landforms on Mars. Back to Earth, the study of wind-blown sand electrification is meaningful to reveal how sand particles be entrained, transport and deposit in wind-blown sand flux, and to explore other planets successfully.