ATI Soils

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ATI Soils

Lesson Outline

Lesson Media Objects

Faculty/Instructor

Deana Namuth-Covert
Professor, Director of Online Education and Outreach, The Ohio State University; Agronomy & Horticulture Adjunct Professor, University of Nebraska
dcovert2@unl.edu

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Erosion

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Wind Erosion

Types of wind erosion

Types of Wind Erosion

suspension

saltation

soil creep

1. SUSPENSION: Fine particles less than 0.1 mm in size are moved parallel to the surface and upward into the atmosphere by strong winds. The most spectacular of erosive processes, these particles can be carried high into the atmosphere, returning to earth only when the wind subsides or they are carried downward with precipitation. Suspended particles can travel hundreds of miles.

NASA satellite image of a dust storm carrying particles off the coast of west Africa. Image by NASA

2. SALTATION: Movement of particles by a series of short bounces along the surface of the ground, and dislodging additional particles with each impact. The bouncing particles ranging in size from 0.1 to 0.5 mm usually remain within 30 cm of the surface. Depending on conditions, this process accounts for 50 to 90% of the total movement of soil by wind.

3. SOIL CREEP: The rolling and sliding of larger soil particles along the ground surface. The movement of these particles is aided by the bouncing impacts of the saltating particles described above. Soil creep can move particles ranging from 0.5 to 1 mm in diameter, and accounts for 5 to 25% of total soil movement by wind.


The impact of bouncing soil particles dislodges finer particles into suspension and sets coarser particles into motion as surface creep. Image by UNL

In the following animation, you will observe the processes of saltation, surface creep, and suspension. Note that the larger particles tend to move by saltation and surface creep while finer particles are suspended and moved in the air. Click on the picture to view the animation.

Thumbnail to access the Soil erosion video.

Animation of saltation, soil creep, and suspension during wind erosion.
Animation by UNL

The following two video clips (part I and part II) demonstrate different types of wind erosion and the relationship of soil texture to the types of wind erosion.

Part I	Part II

This video clip explains the three types of wind erosion, (saltation, surface creep, and suspension). Video Clip by Dr. John Tatarko, USDA	This video clip explains the relationship of soil texture to type of wind erosion (saltation, surface creep or suspension). Video clip by Dr. John Tatarko, USDA

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This project was supported in part by the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants CAP project 2011-68002-30029 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, adminstered by the University of California-Davis and by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education, National SMETE Digital Library Program, Award #0938034, administered by the University of Nebraska. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA or NSF.

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