Comparative rates of wind versus water erosion from a small semiarid watershed in southern Arizona, USA

Y. G. Zhang; M. A. Nearing; B. Y. Liu; R. S. Van Pelt; J. J. Stone; H. Wei; R. L. Scott

doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2011.03.006

Comparative rates of wind versus water erosion from a small semiarid watershed in southern Arizona, USA

Y. G. Zhang, M. A. Nearing, B. Y. Liu, R. S. Van Pelt, J. J. Stone, H. Wei, R. L. Scott

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

The relative erosion rates of wind and water erosion have rarely been studied simultaneously and are poorly quantified. In this study, wind and water erosion rates were simultaneously measured and compared over 2yrs for a small rangeland watershed in the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona. Average horizontal, wind-driven sediment flux was 7.0gm^-1d^-1 during the study period. The combined soil erosion rate by water and wind was 7.60tha^-1yr^-1, with only 0.08tha^-1yr^-1 attributed to wind during the 2yrs. The results of this study showed that rates of soil erosion by water greatly exceeded rates of erosion by wind during the study period in this small watershed. Comparison between these results and other recent studies in the same area suggest that measurements of horizontal sediment fluxes by wind and water are not necessarily indicative of relative net soil erosion rates on a unit area basis because the measurements of the wind flux sediment cannot be considered as mass of soil loss per unit area per unit time.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	197-204
Number of pages	8
Journal	Aeolian Research
Volume	3
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2011.03.006
State	Published - Nov 2011
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Erosion
MWAC
Rangelands
Sediment flux
Sediment yield

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geology
Earth-Surface Processes

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10.1016/j.aeolia.2011.03.006

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title = "Comparative rates of wind versus water erosion from a small semiarid watershed in southern Arizona, USA",

abstract = "The relative erosion rates of wind and water erosion have rarely been studied simultaneously and are poorly quantified. In this study, wind and water erosion rates were simultaneously measured and compared over 2yrs for a small rangeland watershed in the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona. Average horizontal, wind-driven sediment flux was 7.0gm-1d-1 during the study period. The combined soil erosion rate by water and wind was 7.60tha-1yr-1, with only 0.08tha-1yr-1 attributed to wind during the 2yrs. The results of this study showed that rates of soil erosion by water greatly exceeded rates of erosion by wind during the study period in this small watershed. Comparison between these results and other recent studies in the same area suggest that measurements of horizontal sediment fluxes by wind and water are not necessarily indicative of relative net soil erosion rates on a unit area basis because the measurements of the wind flux sediment cannot be considered as mass of soil loss per unit area per unit time.",

keywords = "Erosion, MWAC, Rangelands, Sediment flux, Sediment yield",

author = "Zhang, {Y. G.} and Nearing, {M. A.} and Liu, {B. Y.} and {Van Pelt}, {R. S.} and Stone, {J. J.} and H. Wei and Scott, {R. L.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was jointly supported by USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southwest Watershed Research Center and The Western Development Action, Chinese Academy of Science (KZCX2-XB2-07-01) and The Chinese National Science and Technology Infrastructure Program (2008BAD98B04). The authors acknowledge Kevin Loeffelmann and John Smith who helped construct the samplers. The authors are also thankful to Dr. Viktor O. Polyakov, and Rudy Ortiz, for their help in the field work. Thanks also to the University of Arizona for providing access to the Santa Rita Experimental Range field sites. ",

year = "2011",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.aeolia.2011.03.006",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "3",

pages = "197--204",

journal = "Aeolian Research",

issn = "1875-9637",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

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T1 - Comparative rates of wind versus water erosion from a small semiarid watershed in southern Arizona, USA

AU - Zhang, Y. G.

AU - Nearing, M. A.

AU - Liu, B. Y.

AU - Van Pelt, R. S.

AU - Stone, J. J.

AU - Wei, H.

AU - Scott, R. L.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was jointly supported by USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southwest Watershed Research Center and The Western Development Action, Chinese Academy of Science (KZCX2-XB2-07-01) and The Chinese National Science and Technology Infrastructure Program (2008BAD98B04). The authors acknowledge Kevin Loeffelmann and John Smith who helped construct the samplers. The authors are also thankful to Dr. Viktor O. Polyakov, and Rudy Ortiz, for their help in the field work. Thanks also to the University of Arizona for providing access to the Santa Rita Experimental Range field sites.

PY - 2011/11

Y1 - 2011/11

N2 - The relative erosion rates of wind and water erosion have rarely been studied simultaneously and are poorly quantified. In this study, wind and water erosion rates were simultaneously measured and compared over 2yrs for a small rangeland watershed in the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona. Average horizontal, wind-driven sediment flux was 7.0gm-1d-1 during the study period. The combined soil erosion rate by water and wind was 7.60tha-1yr-1, with only 0.08tha-1yr-1 attributed to wind during the 2yrs. The results of this study showed that rates of soil erosion by water greatly exceeded rates of erosion by wind during the study period in this small watershed. Comparison between these results and other recent studies in the same area suggest that measurements of horizontal sediment fluxes by wind and water are not necessarily indicative of relative net soil erosion rates on a unit area basis because the measurements of the wind flux sediment cannot be considered as mass of soil loss per unit area per unit time.

AB - The relative erosion rates of wind and water erosion have rarely been studied simultaneously and are poorly quantified. In this study, wind and water erosion rates were simultaneously measured and compared over 2yrs for a small rangeland watershed in the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona. Average horizontal, wind-driven sediment flux was 7.0gm-1d-1 during the study period. The combined soil erosion rate by water and wind was 7.60tha-1yr-1, with only 0.08tha-1yr-1 attributed to wind during the 2yrs. The results of this study showed that rates of soil erosion by water greatly exceeded rates of erosion by wind during the study period in this small watershed. Comparison between these results and other recent studies in the same area suggest that measurements of horizontal sediment fluxes by wind and water are not necessarily indicative of relative net soil erosion rates on a unit area basis because the measurements of the wind flux sediment cannot be considered as mass of soil loss per unit area per unit time.

KW - Erosion

KW - MWAC

KW - Rangelands

KW - Sediment flux

KW - Sediment yield

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Comparative rates of wind versus water erosion from a small semiarid watershed in southern Arizona, USA

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Keywords

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