ANALYSIS OF WIND EROSION ON THE COLUMBIA PLATEAU IN THE UNITED STATES

Authors: FENG, GUANGLONG - WSU; Sharratt, Brenton; WENDLING, LAURA - CSIRO, AUSTRALIA

Submitted to: International Conference on Dryland Development
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2006
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Feng, G., Sharratt, B., Wendling, L. 2006. Analysis of wind erosion on the Columbia Plateau in the United States. Abstracts of Oral Presentations, Eight International Conference on Development of Drylands. Beijing, China p.18

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There are about 1.5 million hectares of agricultural land that are maintained in summer fallow every year for the purpose of storing soil water during the fallow cycle and bolstering crop production in central Washington and north central Oregon. Fields maintained in summer fallow contribute to poor air quality in this region. We determined the quantity of soil and PM10 (particulates '10 µm in diameter) eroded from fields maintained in summer fallow during high wind events. Soil and PM10 loss from a 9-ha field was measured using airborne sediment collectors, high-volume air samplers, and tapered element oscillating microbalances during a major wind storm that occurred on 28 October 2003 event. The erodible fraction of the parent silt loam was comprised of 62% suspension-size and 38% saltation-size aggregate. However, about 90% of total soil loss was suspension-size and thus indicates that suspension and not saltation is the dominated erosion process in the region. Soil and PM10 loss from the fallow field was 2317 and 212 kg ha-1, respectively. Horizontal soil and PM10 flux increased with distance downwind from the leading edge of the field and thus indicates that field length could be an effective method to minimize wind erosion.