Where and How Often Does Rain Prevent Dust Emission?
Abstract
Precipitation‐derived soil moisture in the active aeolian layer (the top ∼2 mm of the soil) impacts dust emission by increasing the threshold for emission. The purpose of this study was to use data similar to those used in global and regional dust emission models to calculate the probability that a high wind event happens during the period that antecedent precipitation would have left the active layer wet. The results indicate that the answer to this question is more strongly related to regional climate than soil texture. For more than half of the global drylands, the probability of precipitation influencing dust emission is greater than 30%–40%. Thus, rain‐derived soil moisture in the active layer should not be ignored in models throughout much of the world's dust producing regions. However, because the thin active layer dries faster than the underlying soil, models that use thick surface soil layer moisture for this may underestimate dust emission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 11, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1029/2021gl095501
Entities
People
- Gregory S. Okin
Organizations
- Army Research Office