Assessing Wind Erosion: A Review of Recent Measurement Techniques

Wind erosion represents a formidable environmental challenge and has serious negative impacts on soil health and agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. The complex dynamics of wind erosion make its large-scale monitoring and quantification a daunting task. To facilitate the monitoring and quantification of wind erosion, various scientific approaches and methods have been employed. These include sophisticated wind erosion equations and models, wind tunnel experiments, and the application of radionuclides. Additionally, researchers have assessed soil physicochemical properties, used anemometers for wind speed measurement, and deployed dust collectors for particle capture. Remote sensing technologies, wind erosion monitoring stations, and evaluations of wind barriers have also been utilized. Recently, the adoption of machine learning methods has gained popularity. Despite their value, each of these techniques has limitations in capturing the full spectrum of the wind erosion process. This paper examines these limitations and assesses the effectiveness of each method in the context of wind erosion studies. It also outlines directions for future research and suggests pathways that could enhance the understanding and management of wind erosion.

An estimation method of soil wind erosion in Inner Mongolia of China based on geographic information system and remote sensing

Studies of wind erosion based on Geographic Information System（GIS） and Remote Sensing（RS） have not attracted sufficient attention because they are limited by natural and scientific factors.Few studies have been conducted to estimate the intensity of large-scale wind erosion in Inner Mongolia,China.In the present study,a new model based on five factors including the number of snow cover days,soil erodibility,aridity,vegetation index and wind field intensity was developed to quantitatively estimate the amount of wind erosion.The results showed that wind erosion widely existed in Inner Mongolia.It covers an area of approximately 90×104 km2,accounting for 80% of the study region.During 1985–2011,wind erosion has aggravated over the entire region of Inner Mongolia,which was indicated by enlarged zones of erosion at severe,intensive and mild levels.In Inner Mongolia,a distinct spatial differentiation of wind erosion intensity was noted.The distribution of change intensity exhibited a downward trend that decreased from severe increase in the southwest to mild decrease in the northeast of the region.Zones occupied by barren land or sparse vegetation showed the most severe erosion,followed by land occupied by open shrubbery.Grasslands would have the most dramatic potential for changes in the future because these areas showed the largest fluctuation range of change intensity.In addition,a significantly negative relation was noted between change intensity and land slope.The relation between soil type and change intensity differed with the content of Ca CO3 and the surface composition of sandy,loamy and clayey soils with particle sizes of 0–1 cm.The results have certain significance for understanding the mechanism and change process of wind erosion that has occurred during the study period.Therefore,the present study can provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of wind erosion in Inner Mongolia.

Cogitation on developing a dynamic model of soil wind erosion

Studies on soil wind erosion began with single factors affecting soil wind erosion; with increasing quantities of data being accumulated,the wind erosion equation(WEQ),the revised wind erosion equation(RWEQ),the wind erosion prediction system(WEPS),and other soil wind erosion models have been successively established,and great advances have been achieved.Here we briefly review the soil wind erosion research course and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the current soil wind erosion models.From the perspective of the dynamics of wind erosion,we classified the factors affecting soil wind erosion into three categories,namely,wind erosivity factors(WEF),soil antierodibility factors(SAF),and roughness interference factors(RIF).We proposed the concept of a standard plot of soil wind erosion to solve the problem of uncertainty of the soil wind erosion modulus on a spatial scale,and provided methods to set similarity conditions in wind tunnel simulation experiments and to convert the spatial scale of the wind erosion modulus from the standard plot to a large scale field.We also proposed a conceptual model on the basis of the dynamics of soil wind erosion with the theoretical basis that wind produces a shear force on the soil surface.This shear force is partitioned by barely erodible soil surfaces and roughness elements on the ground,and the amount of soil loss by wind should be calculated by comparing the shear force of the wind on barely erodible soil surfaces with the anti-erosion force of the surface soil.One advantage of this conceptual model is that the calculated soil wind erosion modulus is not subject to changes of spatial scale.Finally,we recommended continual improvement of the existing models while also establishing new models.