Project Number: 6208-11120-005-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Apr 13, 2002
End Date: Apr 12, 2007

Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to study the basic physical processes that govern wind erosion and dust emissions in agricultural regions at multiple scales to provide a basis for the development of mitigation strategies. The specific objectives of this project are to: 1) Relate sand transport (saltation) and atmospheric turbulence, as affected by soil surface conditions, with dust emissions at the sub-field and field-scale; 2) Define plant and soil surface properties that impact wind erosion processes at the field-scale level; 3) Use long-term dust records and geographic information systems to relate ambient dust levels and potential wind erosion to changing land-use practices at a regional-scale and define linkages between climatic conditions and regional dust levels.

Approach:
Fundamental research will be performed to determine the relation of sand transport (saltation) and dust emissions at various scales. This research will include defining the plant and soil properties that impact erosion processes at the field scale to reduce the magnitude and frequency of dust emission. Wind erosion on a regional scale will be investigated using long-term dust records coupled with ambient dust and climatic measurements to define the linkage between meteorological conditions and regional dust levels. In another approach, geographic information systems will be coupled with soils, land management and ARS wind erosion models to determine the wind erosion and dust potential for a semiarid region in the winter and spring when the soils are most susceptible to erosion. The origin of dust and its environmental impact will be investigated by quantifying the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of dust and relating it to source samples.

Project Team

Zobeck, Teddy - Ted Upchurch, Dan Baker, Jeff Acosta-Martinez, Veronica Van Pelt, Robert - Scott Stout, John

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002