The factors influencing the abrasion efficiency of saltating grains on a clay-crusted playa

Auteurs :
HOUSER, C.A.
NICKLING, W.G.

Description :
This paper reports on a series of portable wind tunnel tests conducted on a system of clay-crusted playas along the Bouse Wash, near Desert Wells, Arizona, to examine the importance of saltation abrasion in the emission of PM10 (particulate matter < 10μm). Specifically, the results show that the abrasion efficiency is related to the crust strength, the amount of surface disturbance and the velocity of the saltating grains. It is concluded that the spatial and temporal variability of these controls on the abrasion efficiency imposes severe contextual limitations on experimentally derived models, and can make theoretical models too complex and impractical to be of use.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2001, vol. 26, n°. 5, p. 491-505, Collation : Illustration, Références bibliographiques : 40 ref.

Date :
2001

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley