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Threshold Velocities for Dust Production

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Physics of desertification
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Abstract

There exists a minimum wind stress that corresponds to a “threshold velocity” needed to initiate wind erosion on desert surfaces. For both undisturbed and disturbed soils, threshold velocity is strongly related to the mode of the aggregate soil size distribution. For undisturbed soils, clay percentage is also related to threshold velocity due to its effectiveness in forming protective crusts. Other influences such as presence of nonerodible elements and special destabilizing mechanisms are discussed.

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© 1986 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht

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Gillette, D.A. (1986). Threshold Velocities for Dust Production. In: El-Baz, F., Hassan, M.H.A. (eds) Physics of desertification. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4388-9_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4388-9_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8451-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4388-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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