Industrial wind erosion: PM emission from the erodible flat surfaces of tailing basins

The article deals with the emission of Particulate Matter (PM) from the erodible surfaces of tailing basins. Dust emission from industrial sites typically derives from both conveyed sources and fugitive dust sources. While the emission from conveyed sources can be estimated with sufficient accuracy, the quantification of the emission rate from fugitive sources is notoriously more challenging, all the more so when the wind not only governs the dispersion phenomenon but also effects the emission rate (i.e.: erosion from erodible surfaces). The article specifically deals with the emission of PM from the deposits of mineralogical processing residue exposed to wind erosion (industrial win erosion). In fact, the exam of the technical and scientific reports has shown that the emission factors proposed for other types of erodible surfaces cannot be directly applied to those deposits, because of their peculiar characteristics: wide and flat surfaces with low roughness and residue physical state dependent on its moisture content. The object of the research hereby discussed is the definition of an emission conceptual model applicable to the Bauxite Residue Disposal Areas (BRDA). Basing on the analysis of the scientific literature regarding wind erosion, the article proposes a specific-site conceptual model and its validation procedure

Ecohydrological implications of aeolian processes in drylands

Aeolian processes, the erosion transport and deposition of soil particles by wind, are dominant geomorphological processes in many drylands, and important feedbacks are known to exist among aeolian, hydrological, and vegetation dynamics (Field et al. 2010; Ravi et al. 2011). The wind, a natural geomorphic agent, has been active as an erosive agent throughout geological times in many parts of the world. Outstanding examples are the extensive loess deposits along the Huanghe River (Yellow River) in China and along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in the United States. Climatic changes and anthropogenic activities can greatly accelerate soil erosion by wind with implications for soil and vegetation degradation (Kok et al. 2012; Webb and Pierre 2018; Nauman et al. 2018). For instance, in the 1930s, a decreased precipitation coupled with intensive agricultural activities caused a dramatic increase in wind erosion in the Great Plains of the United States, resulting in the so-called Dust Bowl. Wind erosion can be activated also by land-use change. An example is provided by the Mu Us region in North China with an annual precipitation of 400 mm, which was once a grassland partially covered with forest, yet now is one of the major sources of dust in the world as a result of overgrazing and agricultural practices (Wang et al. 2005; Miao et al. 2016)