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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #301749
Title: Aerodynamic properties of agricultural and natural surfaces in northwestern Tarim Basin

Author
item LI, XINHU - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item Feng, Gary
item Sharratt, Brenton
item ZHENG, ZEHAO - Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/6/2015
Publication Date: 1/1/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60296
Citation: Li, X., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Zheng, Z. 2015. Aerodynamic properties of agricultural and natural surfaces in northwestern Tarim Basin. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 204:37-45. DOI: org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.01.005.

Interpretive Summary: Northwestern Tarim Basin is a primary dust source contributing to environmental degradation in arid and semiarid regions of the world. Cotton, red dates, and desert are three main land use types in the region, but little is known how land use affects soil surface characteristics that govern wind erosion. The red date orchard had the highest u* and z0, while the desert had the lowest u* and z0. Since wind erosion is related to the difference between u* and threshold friction velocity, the red date orchard is expected to have the lowest potential while the desert is expected to have the highest potential for dust emissions of the three land use types.

Technical Abstract: Friction velocity (u*) and aerodynamic roughness (z0) are important parameters that influence soil erosion, but no attempts have been made to quantify these parameters as affected by different land use types in the northwestern Tarim Basin. Wind velocity profiles were measured and used to determine u* and z0 of a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) field, red date (Ziziphus jujube L.) orchard and native desert during the spring erosion season of 2012 and 2013. Friction velocity was 0.39 m s-1 (mean value) for the cotton field, 0.51 m s-1 for the red date orchard, and 0.35 m s-1 for desert. The z0 was 7.0 mm in the cotton field, 17.0 mm in the red date orchard, and 1.2 mm in the desert. Our results indicate that the desert has the greatest potential for wind erosion (due to the lowest u* and z0) while the red date orchard has the lowest potential for wind erosion (due to the highest u* and z0).