Salts in the clay playas of China’s arid regions: gone with the wind

摘要: In China’s arid regions, aeolian salts are transported along with dust aerosols, but their contents and the emission rates poorly understood. Using samples undisturbed surfaces artificially disrupted (to simulate human disturbances such as reclamation, planting, trampling by animals, other activities), transport for windblown material salt of clay playa were investigated in a wind tunnel. The results showed that under velocities ranging from 8 to 22 m/s, erosion ranged between 0.009 0.066 g/m2/s 0.011 0.048 g/m2/s surfaces. Although amount wind-transported was captured too small allow an analysis individual using available equipment, electrical conductivity measurements correlation revealed mean total 9.59 g/kg materials collected above sealed versus 3.38 g/kg same cracked after testing Given large areas containing playas these will improve our understanding China facilitate interpretation sources salts.