Hydrology and Land Surface Studies

A simple method to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field

  1. Junran Li1,2,
  2. Gregory S. Okin2,
  3. Jeffrey E. Herrick1,
  4. Jayne Belnap3,
  5. Seth M. Munson3,
  6. Mark E. Miller4

Article first published online: 26 MAY 2010

DOI: 10.1029/2010GL043245

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Li, J., G. S. Okin, J. E. Herrick, J. Belnap, S. M. Munson, and M. E. Miller (2010), A simple method to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L10402, doi:10.1029/2010GL043245.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Jornada Experimental Range, ARS, USDA, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

  3. 3

    U.S. Geological Survey, Moab, Utah, USA

  4. 4

    Southeast Utah Group, National Park Service, Moab, Utah, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 26 MAY 2010
  2. Article first published online: 26 MAY 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 20 APR 2010
  4. Manuscript Revised: 15 APR 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 23 MAR 2010

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Keywords:

  • wind erosion;
  • soil disturbance;
  • soil crust

[1] This study provides a fast and easy-to-apply method to estimate threshold friction velocity (TFV) of wind erosion in the field. Wind tunnel experiments and a variety of ground measurements including air gun, pocket penetrometer, torvane, and roughness chain were conducted in Moab, Utah and cross-validated in the Mojave Desert, California. Patterns between TFV and ground measurements were examined to identify the optimum method for estimating TFV. The results show that TFVs were best predicted using the air gun and penetrometer measurements in the Moab sites. This empirical method, however, systematically underestimated TFVs in the Mojave Desert sites. Further analysis showed that TFVs in the Mojave sites can be satisfactorily estimated with a correction for rock cover, which is presumably the main cause of the underestimation of TFVs. The proposed method may be also applied to estimate TFVs in environments where other non-erodible elements such as postharvest residuals are found.

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