PROPERTIES OF SOIL WHICH INFLUENCE WIND EROSION

Abstract

Relationships between the various dry structural conditions of soil and erodibility by wind are descr. and evaluated. These relationships fall into 4 main categories: (a) relation of wind velocity to proportion of erodible and nonerodible fractions; (b) influence of volume of nonerodible fractions on erodibility; (c) relationship of wind velocity to erodibility; (d) influence of equivalent diam. distr. of erodible fractions on erodibility. Tables and graphs evaluating each of these relationships give a general insight into what constitutes an erodible or a nonerodible soil. The relative erodibility of any soil of which the dry aggregate structure is known can be estimated from the table and graphs. In addition, 2 simplified methods of estimation are presented. On 6 widely different soils each of these methods gave, for all practical purposes, the same order of erodibility as that detd. directly by wind tunnel tests. The estimated and detd. erodibility was based on certain specified conditions of the wind and conditions of the soil not connected with soil structure.