It can cause significant economic and environmental damage. Wind erosion management natural resources south australia. The first wind erosion equation was a simple exponential expressing the amount of soil loss in a wind tunnel. In earth science, erosion is the action of surface processes such as water flow or wind that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the earths crust, and then transports it to another location not to be confused with weathering which involves no movement. Raindrops fall on sloping land, more of splash goes downhill than uphill 1. The downwind side of a barrier, buffer strip, field, etc. A strong, turbulent wind, coupled with highly erodible field conditions, causes wind erosion.
Windblown sands erode the soft rock leaving the rocks standing. Wind deposition most common, needs constant wind in the same direction. The rate of erosion on a construction site varies with site conditions and soil types but is typically 100 to 200 tons per acre and may be as high as 500 tons per acre. The critical wind erosion period is that part of the year when agricultural fields are particularly vulnerable to wind erosion. Significant wind erosion occurs when strong winds blow over lighttextured soils that have been heavily grazed during periods of drought. Okin4 1 usdaars jornada experimental range las cruces, new mexico 2 faculty of environmental design. There is a need for an easier to use and a faster model. Kansas state university agricultural experiment station and cooperative extension service. Okin4 1 usdaars jornada experimental range las cruces, new mexico. Erosion preceded by the destruction of the crumb structure due to the impact of falling raindrop on the surface of soil is termed as splash erosion. Mohsin zafar lecturer, soil sciencefaculty of agriculture, rawalakot 2. In the great plains alone, about five million acres are damaged moderately to severely by wind erosion each. Apr 11, 2020 wind erosion is a natural process by which landforms are altered by the action of wind. Raindrops falling on level bare soils, wo wind, sppqy,latter equally in all directions, soil removed matched by soil redeposited from another area iii.
Many wind erosion models have been applied successfully to obtain accurate wind erosion rates. Another advantage of the proposed model relates to pixel scalebased large area erosion estimates. Water and wind are the two main mechanisms by which soil is eroded and transported. The wind changes the surface of the earth and other planets. Wind erosion occurs when sand and silt particles are removed from one area and blown against rock surfaces or other objects.
It is only usually strong enough to pick up and transport sand and fine sediments. Wind erosion is a serious problem in the united states and the world. Wind can dislodge and transport soil, silt and sand particles, sometimes carrying them long distances and depositing them in other areas, and it can wear down surfaces by the abrasive effect of small, airborne mineral particles, resulting in a number of. Pdf an introduction to the wind erosion prediction.
Weels wind erosion on european light soils was a research project funded as part of the eu environment and climate programme, intended to develop a smallscale model of wind erosion at the level of individual farms and fields, based on research at three test sites in lower saxony, scania, and suffolk weels was a collaborative project between university college london, the geological. As wind moves sand sized particles, they will remain close to the ground, usually less than a meter from the ground even in the strongest winds. The wind erosion equation was developed by the late dr. When the wind speed at the soil surface exceeds 21 kilometers per hour about. Wind erosion wind does not have the same energy to erode and transport larger fragments as glaciers. It is a dynamic, physical process where loose, dry, bare soils are transported by strong winds. Dry, bare soil is more easily blown away by the wind than wetter soil or soil held in place by plant roots. Features produced by wind erosion geography alevel revision. Sep, 2012 factors of wind erosion e fi, c, k, l, vi is the soil erodibility by wind related to relative amount of particles 0. Water erosion may change the environment, especially if there is nothing to support the sand or soil. About 40% of the total area of pakistan is affected by wind erosion. This video will help you better understand the problems associated with wind erosion of soil. Vegeta tion can regenerate from a degraded state as long as the seed stock remains viable and there is soil for seeds to germinate and grow in. Standard methods for wind erosion research and model.
The main agents of erosion are water, wind and gravity. Chemical weathering is the process by which chemicals in water wear away the surface of the earth by reacting with rocks and minerals. Wind erosion is controlled by a set of factors such as wind force, soil wetness, surface roughness, soil. In arid regions, a sandstorm actually moves much smaller particles than sand in the winds. Rock pedestals wind sculpts stratified rock into pedestals by wind abrasion and weathering, e. Understanding wind erosion is important in science because it helps determine how the landscape has changed over time. Wind erosion research formerly in manhattan, kansas problem wind erosion is a serious problem in the united states and the world.
Erosion and deposition by wind earth science in maine. Wind erosion is controlled by reducing the wind forces on erodible soil particles or by creating aggregates on soil surfaces that are. It creates ridges on the land, fills ditches and pollutes the air. There is a need for more information about wind erosion than just rotational average tonsacreyear we get now. Types and forms of erosion by water and by wind food and. When the particles are removed it leaves a slightly lowered or hollowed area. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow. By the late 1930s, systematic and scientific research into wind erosion was being pioneered in california, south dakota, texas, and in canada and england. The direction, velocity, duration, and variability of the wind all affect the erosion that occurs from a windstorm. Soil may blow into, within, and out of a field in several directions in a single storm. The word erosion is derived from the latin rodere meaning to gnaw, the same root that gives us the word rodent. It is responsible for about half of the more than two billion tons of soil lost from u. There are two main types of erosion that can have an effect on the south east landscape.
When the force of wind is exerted on a land surface, the soil moves. Wind erosion is a natural process that moves soil from one location to another by wind power. These documents should be referred to and used for all data recording and submission as part of network activities. Erosion by wind soil and water conservation management. Dregne soil erosion is the main reason why desertification is irreversible. Wind erosion refers to the detachment, transport, and deposition of sediment by wind.
Prevailing wind erosion direction and critical wind erosion period 8. Air has mass and when mass is in motion, it has energy. Wind erosion control we1 definition and purpose wind erosion control consists of applying water or other dust suppressants as necessary to prevent soil erosion. Wind is an element that speeds the erosion process. Wind sculpts stratified rock into pedestals by wind abrasion and weathering, e. It is the result of nearly 30 years of research to determine the primary variables or factors that influence erosion of soil by wind. Wind erosion equation weq does not predict wind erosion where erosion is observed in some areas.
This page provides access to all manuals, data recording sheets and documentation for the national wind erosion research network. Wind erosion is a natural process by which landforms are altered by the action of wind. The parameter of wind erosion that reflects the increase of potential erosion as the wind flow lines are compressed meeting the crest of certain slopes. These actions depend mainly on the type of soil, the climate, the vegetation cover, the speed and frequency of wind. After reading this article you will learn about wind erosion. One of americas worst environmental disasters happened on the prairies of the southern great plains. There are various methods of biological and physical methods to control wind erosion, including windbreakers, maintaining vegetation residues on the soil surface, utilizing stable soil aggregates or clods, reducing field width. In a sandstorm, about a quarter of the particles are sand which moves as bed load. C is the local wind erosion climatic factor product of average wind velocity and average moisture of soil surfacek is the soil surface roughness expressed in height of ridges. Wind deposition common in coast, moderate winds parabolic dune 6.
Since wind deposition follows the event of wind erosion, it is important to learn. The extent of movement depends on the amount of soil moved depends on the size of the soil particles, the cloddiness of the soil particles and the velocity of the wind wind velocity. It is the fairly uniform removal of soil in thin layers from the land surface, often scarcely perceptible, especially when caused by wind. Pdf an introduction to the wind erosion prediction system. Processes and principles of erosion and sedimentation. Weels wind erosion on european light soils was a research project funded as part of the eu environment and climate programme, intended to develop a smallscale model of wind erosion at the level of individual farms and fields, based on research at three test sites in lower saxony, scania, and suffolk. It is one of the processes leading to desertification. This leaflet explains the different types of erosion on the north coast. The weq is described by the general functional relationship efunction of i, c, k, l, v, where e is the potential average annual soil loss in tons per acre per year. Dust storms like the one in figure above are more common in dry climates. Tables listing the prevailing wind erosion direction by month for many locations in the united states are available see nrcs weq web site address at the end of this document. Wind is the weakest agent in shaping the land, but can be powerful in shaping the land in areas where there are few plants to hold the soil in place. Several bmps protect the soil surface like vegetative covers ss2, ss4, and ss15, buffer or.
It causes loss of fertility, loss of organic matter, reduced water holding capacity and a change in surface soil texture. The classes of accelerated erosion that follow apply to both water and wind erosion. Wind can erode nonvegetated areas and was responsible for the great dust bowl in the early 1900s. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Particle dynamics are described in terms of suspension, saltation, surface creep, abrasion, sorting and threshold conditions. Jul 30, 2016 wind erosion is controlled by reducing the wind forces on erodible soil particles or by creating aggregates on soil surfaces that are. Wind erosion wind erosion is the form of soil degradation by the action of the wind which abrades, transports and deposes soil sand particles. The wind erosion equation weq is the primary wind erosion prediction technology currently in use in the united states 23, 51.
Wind erosion wind erosion is a serious problem of dry land regions. Wind erosion occurs in the processes of deflationwind removing particles from the surfaceand abrasionthe grinding and sandblasting of particles carried by wind. Wind erosion can be caused by a light wind that rolls soil particles along the surface through to a strong wind that lifts a large volume of soil particles into the air to create dust storms. The loss of soil nutrients and the covering of the land with many deposits decrease the ability of the soil to properly produce drops.
All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Standard methods for wind erosion research and model development protocol for the national wind erosion research network by nicholas p. High school earth sciencewind erosion and deposition. Pdf principles of wind erosion and its control researchgate. However, if the soil is almost pure clay with clods that break down under saltation, a high percentage of soil loss will be by suspension. Types of erosion environment, land and water queensland. The three types of soil movement are suspension, saltation and surface creep. The direction from which most of the erosive winds commonly occur. Wind erosion is a common cause of land degradation in the arid and semi arid grazing lands of inland queensland. Feb 14, 20 this video will help you better understand the problems associated with wind erosion of soil.
Erosion is a natural process but is often intensified by human land use practices. Development of the wind erosion equation drought and wind erosion during the l9th century caused wind erosion to be recognized as an important geologic phenomenon. Wind erosion equation weq recent changes to weq a slide presentation download the powerpoint presentation 1. This information is provided by the usda engineering and wind erosion research unit in cooperation. Wind erosion and deposition science project by ryan huang. Wind erosion occurs in three processes known as creeping, saltation and suspension. Wind erosion is where the lose soil in dry areas is eroded by the wind and the soil is blown away, causing air pollution, loss of nutrients and other issues. Department of agriculture manhattan, kansas wind erosion is a serious problem in portions of the usa and becomes more widespread and severe during droughts. To understand wind erosion and its control, we need to understand the processes involved. Wind moves across the land in a turbulent, erratic fashion. One of the best places on earth to see the effects of wind erosion is.
Raindrops more responsible for sheet erosion than surface flow of water ii. Wind can dislodge and transport soil, silt and sand particles, sometimes carrying them long distances and depositing them in other areas, and it can wear down surfaces by the abrasive effect of small, airborne mineral particles, resulting in a number of characteristic. Detachment and transportation of top soil particles by wind andor water is known as soil. This is the type of erosion that results from runoff that spreads across the soil surface during. These sources typically are characterized by nonhomogeneous surfaces impregnated with nonerodible elements particles larger than approximately 1 centimeter cm in. Standard methods for wind erosion research and model development. Wind erosion can be prevented by keeping the ground covered with plants. Susceptibility to wind erosion is related rather definitely to the moisture content of soils. Identifying erosion problems at the planning stage and noting highly erodible.
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