The relationship of the relative size distribution of soil wind erosion aerosols to wind velocity was examined in field measurements and wind tunnel simulations. The ratio of sedimentation velocity to friction velocity ((vertical momentum flux/air density)1/2) at which aerosol particles were significantly affected by settling was larger than 0.12 and smaller than 0.68. The shapes of the size distributions of soil wind erosion aerosols (2 μm < r < 10 μm) were fairly constant with wind speed. This result is evidence that the dominant mechanism of aerosol production by soil erosion is sandblasting of the soil surface.

Abstract. The vertical flux of particles smaller than 10/xm for a saline playa surface, the particle size composition of which was classified as loam-textured, was estimated for a highly wind-erodible site on the playa of Owens (dry) Lake in California. The ratio of this vertical flux to the horizontal flux of total airborne material through a surface perpendicular to the soil and to the wind, Fa/qtot , is 2.75 x 10 -4 m -1. This is consistent with that ratio for sand-textured soils and suggests that the binding energy and size of saltating particles for the tested surface material at Owens Lake is of the same order as that for sandier soils. The horizontal mass flux of saltating grains, q, in the reported wind erosion event is 51.3% of the total horizontal mass flux qtot. Therefore the ratio of F,/q is 5.4 x 10 -4 m -•.

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We hypothesized that drought accelerates wind erosion by increasing plant and soil factors of erodibility together, compounding the erosion hazard. Erodibility factors measured in biennial spring wheat–fallow on Pachic and Typic Haploborolls soil were (i) soil‐inherent wind erodibility (SIWE) by rotary sieving, (ii) surface roughness by pin meter and chain methods, (iii) standing residue profile, and (iv) residue coverage photographically. Four tillage treatments ranged from low residue (LR) to no‐till (NT). The erodible fraction of surface soil (a SIWE measure) changed from 53% during a dry period (1989–1990) to a less erodible 26% during a wet period (1992–1994). Median erosion protection values calculated from flat and standing residue measurements made after seeding were, respectively, 16 and 43% in 1989 to 1990, and 80 and 76% in 1992 to 1994. Soil losses estimated by RWEQ model equations were 11 to 6100 times greater during 1989 to 1990, compared with 1992 to 1994. No‐till was protective, and estimated soil losses on LR were up to 3000 times greater than those on NT. However, low residue yields in 1988 (930 vs. 3640 kg/ha avg.) resulted in inadequate protection after seeding in 1990, even in NT; and soil losses in LR and NT were 13 and 8 Mg/ha, respectively. Results indicate biennial small grain–fallow is nonsustainable in the long term from a soil‐erosion perspective.

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Wind erosion adversely affects soils, plants, animals, equipment, the environment, and people. Wind erosion can be minimized or prevented by either standing residue or flat residue cover. Our objective was to develop mathematical relationships between these two crop residue properties and soil loss ratio (SLR: soil loss from protected soil/soil loss from flat, bare soil), for more accurate predictions of wind erosion soil losses. Therefore, from a previously reported wind tunnel study (wind tunnel 1.1 m high, 0.51 m wide, and 5 m long) we took data for velocities ranging from 9.4 to 16.1 m s−1 and silhouette areas (S) of upright wood dowels (simulating plant stems) ranging from 31 to 813 cm2 m−2 of soil surface (washed sand <0.42 mm) and developed the following equation for standing residue and SLRs: SLRs = exp(−28.49 × S0.6413/V2.423) (r2 = 0.95), where S = stalk height (cm) × stalk diameter (cm) × stalk density (no. m−2) and V = wind velocity in m s−1 at a height of 0.61 m. We combined data from a second previously reported wind tunnel (0.9 m high, 0.6 m wide, and 7 m long) study in which the soil had been covered from 0.0 to 80.0% with wood dowels, artificial clods, or cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) gin trash with data from field studies published by other researchers for various soil types and soil coverages ranging from 8 to 95% with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residue or gravel, and developed the following equation for soil cover and SLRc: SLRc = exp(‐0.04380 × psc) (r2 = 0.94), where psc is the percent of the soil that is covered by nonerodible material (e.g., soil aggregates, rocks, plant material). These equations should be useful to researchers developing and evaluating wind erosion models, prediction systems, and wind erosion control practices.

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