Work

Differences in Dust Release, Near-Surface Transport Structure, and Static Settling Among Farmland Soils Under Wind Erosion

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Farmland wind erosion is usually assessed only by emission intensity, with limited understanding of how soil differences propagate through transport and post-wind settling. Here, seven typical farmland soils from west-central Inner Mongolia, northern China, were tested in a closed-circuit wind tunnel under five wind speeds (8.0–14.0 m s−1). Based on particle-size composition, dry aggregate fractions, and organic matter content, the soils were grouped into three particle–aggregate groups. The results showed that, at 14.0 m s−1, differences in measured particle–aggregate properties among soils were first reflected in marked differences in steady dust release intensity and vertically integrated transport input, which ranged from 27.78 to 76.39 mg m−3 and from 14.52 to 135.32 g m−2 10 min−1, respectively. These differences were then transmitted to the near-surface transport layer, where the soils exhibited contrasting patterns in upper-layer contribution, transport height, and vertical particle-size sorting. After wind cessation, the soils further diverged into early-concentrated, transitional, and sustained-accumulation settling types. Steady dust release intensity was positively correlated with transport input and also with early deposition load. These findings indicate that particle-size and aggregate properties influence not only dust release, but also the organization of transport processes and the post-wind fate of particles.

Source: Atmosphere

DOI: 10.3390/atmos17060612