Wind erosion characteristics of Sahelian surface types

The assessment of wind erosion magnitudes for a given area requires knowledge of wind erosion susceptibilities of the dominant local surface types. Relative wind erosion potentials of surfaces can hardly be compared under field conditions, as each erosion event is unique in terms of duration, intensity and extent. The objective of this study was to determine and compare relative wind erosion potentials of the most representative surface types over a transect comprising most parts of southwestern Niger. For this purpose, mobile wind tunnel experiments were run on 26 dominant surface types. The effects of surface disturbance were additionally determined for 13 of these surfaces. The results, namely measurements of wind fields and mass fluxes, can be classified according to specific surface characteristics. Three basic surface groups with similar emission behaviour and aerodynamic characteristics were identified: (1) sand surfaces, (2) rough stone surfaces and (3) flat crusted surfaces. Sand surfaces feature a turbulent zone close to the surface due to the development of a saltation layer. Their surface roughness is medium to high, as a consequence of the loss of kinetic energy of the wind field to saltating particles. Sand surfaces show the highest mass fluxes due to the abundance of loose particles, but also fairly high PM10 fluxes, as potential dust particles are not contained in stable crusts or aggregates. Rough stone surfaces, due to their fragmented and irregular surface, feature the highest surface roughness and the most intense turbulence. They are among the weakest emitters but, due to their relatively high share of potential dust particles, PM10 emissions are still average. Flat crusted surfaces, in contrast, show low turbulence and the lowest surface roughness. This group of surfaces shows rather heterogeneous mass fluxes, which range from moderate to almost zero, although the share of PM10 particles is always relatively high. Topsoil disturbance always results in higher total and PM10 emissions on sand surfaces and also on flat crusted surfaces. Stone surfaces regularly exhibit a decrease in emission after disturbance, which can possibly be attributed to a reorganization which protects finer particles from entrainment. The results are comparable with field studies of natural erosion events and similar wind tunnel field campaigns. The broad range of tested surfaces and the standardized methodology are a precondition for the future regionalization of the experimental point data. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.