Dust emission over different land surface in the arid region of Northwest China

Abstract

In this paper, the main wind erosion factors influencing dust emission are analyzed by using the observed data from the gobi and oasis sites of ADEC (Aeolian Dust Experiment on Climate impact) Project in Dunhuang station in Northwest China, and the dust emission rate over the two different land surfaces are calculated by using Shao's dust emission model. The results indicate that the threshold friction velocity over the non-ploughed cropland is larger than that over the gobi desert, while after spring ploughing, it is smaller. Dust emission rate over the ploughed cropland is largest, which is hundreds of times larger than that over the gobi desert. Over the non-ploughed cropland, dust emission rate is less than that over the ploughed cropland, but larger than that over the gobi desert, while when the friction velocity is larger than 0.8 ms-1 it is close or equal to that over the ploughed cropland. © 2005, Meterological Society of Japan.