Effects of wind guide plates on wind velocity acceleration and dune leveling： a case study in Ulan Buh Desert, China

The areas used to be covered by shifting sand dunes have been reclaimed rapidly in recent years. However, it is a challenge to reclaim high sand dunes because it is rather costly to level the high dunes to gentle arable lands. In this study, a wind guide plate was used to change the characteristics of natural wind to level the sand dunes. The use of wind energy could significantly increase the efficiency of dune leveling and decrease the cost. Low wind velocity is a typical characteristic in Ulan Buh Desert of China where the average wind speed is much lower than the threshold velocity for sand movement. The experiment of this study was conducted to accelerate the wind velocity by a wind guide plate to level a sand dune. Results show that the threshold velocity for sand movement is 3.32 m/s at 10 cm above the sand surface in Ulan Buh Desert. A wind guide plate set at an angle less than 50° could significantly increase the wind velocity. The wind velocity could be accelerated up to the threshold velocity for sand movement behind a plate when the plate is at the angles of 20°, 25°, 35° and 40°. The most significant acceleration of wind velocity appears at 1.5 and 3.0 m behind the plate with an angle of 25°. An obvious wind velocity acceleration zone exists behind the wind guide plate when the angles are at 25°, 35°, 40° and 45°, with the most obvious zone under the angle of 45°. The results also show that the total amount of sand transferred over the experimental period increased by 6.1% under the effects of wind guide plates compared to the sand moved without wind guide plates. The results of the study will provide theoretical and practical supports for desert management in sand dune areas.

A Field Experiment on Dust Emission by Wind Erosion in the Taklimakan Desert

Dust emission by wind erosion in surface is a serious problem in many arid regions around the world,and it is harmful to the ecological environment,human health,and social economy.To monitor the characteristics of saltation activity and to calculate the threshold wind velocity and sediment discharge under field conditions have significance on the research of dust emission by wind erosion.Therefore,a field experiment was conducted over the flat sand in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert.One sampling system was installed on the flat sand surface at Tazhong,consisting of a meteorological tower with a height of 2 m,a piezoelectric saltation sensor（Sensit）,and a Big Spring Number Eight（BSNE） sampler station.Occurrence of saltation activity was recorded every second using the Sensit.Each BSNE station consisted of five BSNE samplers with the lowest sampler at 0.05 m and the highest sampler at 1.0 m above the soil surface.Sediment was collected from the samplers every 24 h.It is found that saltation activity was detected for only 21.5% of the hours measured,and the longest period of saltation activity occurring continuously was not longer than 5 min under the field conditions.The threshold wind velocity was variable,its minimum value was 4.9 m s 1,the maximum value was 9.2 m s 1,and the average value was 7.0 m s 1.The threshold wind velocity presented a positive linear increase during the measurement period.The observation site had a sediment discharge of 82.1 kg m 1 over a period of 24 h.Based on hourly saltation counts,hourly sediment discharge was estimated.Overall,there was no obvious linear or other functional relationship between the hourly sediment discharge and wind velocity.The results show that the changes of sediment discharge do not quite depend on wind velocity.