AUSLEM (AUStralian Land Erodibility Model): A tool for identifying wind erosion hazard in Australia

Webb, Nicholas P.; McGowan, Hamish A.; Phinn, Stuart; McTainsh, Grant Harvey

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.01.012

Cited by 79 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Birdsville is surrounded by dust-producing regions, being located on the eastern fringe of the Simpson desert, lying to the North of the Strzelecki desert, and west of the Channel Country through which Queensland's inland-flowing rivers pass en route to Lake Eyre. The high incidence of dust activity in the region encompassing both sites is shown in the Dust Storm Index Webb et al (2006). The DSI maps also show moderate intermittent dust activities at Lake Argyle, which lies to the North of the Tanami desert, a significant dust source.…”

Section: Classmentioning

confidence: 87%

Characterisation of episodic aerosol types over the Australian continent

Qin

Mitchell

2009

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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Abstract. Classification of Australian continental aerosol types resulting from episodes of enhanced source activity, such as smoke plumes and dust outbreaks, is carried out via cluster analysis of optical properties obtained from inversion of sky radiance distributions at Australian aerosol ground stations using data obtained over the last decade. The cluster analysis distinguishes four significant classes, which are identified on the basis of their optical properties and provenance as determined by satellite imagery and backtrajectory analysis. The four classes are identified respectively as aged smoke, fresh smoke, coarse dust and a superabsorptive aerosol. While the first three classes show similarities with comparable aerosol types identified elsewhere, the super-absorptive aerosol has no obvious foreign prototype. The class identified as coarse dust shows a prominent depression in single scattering albedo in the blue spectral region due to absorption by hematite, which is shown to be more abundant in central Australian dust relative to the "dust belt"of the Northern Hemisphere. The super-absorptive class is distinctive in view of its very low single scattering albedo (∼0.7 at 500 nm) and variable enhanced absorption at 440 nm. The strong absorption by this aerosol requires a high black carbon content while the enhanced blue-band absorption may derive from organic compounds emitted during the burning of specific vegetation types. This aerosol exerts a positive radiative forcing at the top of atmosphere (TOA), with a large deposition of energy in the atmosphere per unit aerosol optical depth. This contrasts to the other three classes where the TOA forcing is negative. Optical properties of the four types will be used to improve the representation of Australian conCorrespondence to: R. M. Mitchell (ross.mitchell@csiro.au) tinental aerosol in climate models, and to enhance the accuracy of satellite-based aerosol retrievals over Australia.

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Section: Classmentioning

confidence: 87%

Characterisation of episodic aerosol types over the Australian continent

Qin

Mitchell

2009

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

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“…Bagnold (1941) identified the basic relationship between soil texture and wind characteristics and worked out a method for calculating the rate of wind erosion. This concept was developed further by creating and improving the wind erosion equations (WEQ -Wind Erosion Equation and RWEQRevised Wind Erosion Equation) and by deriving other relationships using different methodologies, for example, WEPS -the Wind Erosion Prediction System, the Australian Land Erodibility Model (AUSLEM) (Fryrear, 1998;Fryrear et al, 1998;Woodruff and Siddoway, 1965) and the USDA National Agronomy Manual 502 standard (Hagen, 2004;NAM, 2002;Webb et al, 2006). These models were developed based on extensive field measurements and experiments, but several limiting factors, e.g.…”

Section: G Mezősi Et Al: Estimation Of Regional Differences In Windmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…surface roughness or wind path length), and the output result can be the amount of dust flux or even the rate of deflation. However, the applied mathematical and physical relationships cannot be simply scaled up to regional applications (NAM, 2002;Webb et al, 2006).…”

Section: Wind Erosion Modelling In Local and Regional Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of regional differences in wind erosion sensitivity in Hungary

Mezősi

Blanka

Bata

et al. 2015

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. In Hungary, wind erosion is one of the most serious natural hazards. Spatial and temporal variation in the factors that determine the location and intensity of wind erosion damage are not well known, nor are the regional and local sensitivities to erosion. Because of methodological challenges, no multi-factor, regional wind erosion sensitivity map is available for Hungary. The aim of this study was to develop a method to estimate the regional differences in wind erosion sensitivity and exposure in Hungary.Wind erosion sensitivity was modelled using the key factors of soil sensitivity, vegetation cover and wind erodibility as proxies. These factors were first estimated separately by factor sensitivity maps and later combined by fuzzy logic into a regional-scale wind erosion sensitivity map. Large areas were evaluated by using publicly available data sets of remotely sensed vegetation information, soil maps and meteorological data on wind speed. The resulting estimates were verified by field studies and examining the economic losses from wind erosion as compensated by the state insurance company. The spatial resolution of the resulting sensitivity map is suitable for regional applications, as identifying sensitive areas is the foundation for diverse land development control measures and implementing management activities.

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“…Absorption of shortwave radiation by aerosols such as dust also causes heating of the lower troposphere and cooling of the surface, which is expected to stabilise the lower atmosphere and reduce convection. This has been shown on regional scales in several modelling studies (Jiang and Feingold, 2006;Grini et al, 2006;Fan et al, 2008;Wendisch et al, 2008). However, modelling also suggests that dustinduced radiative heating can enhance ascent and moisture convergence, leading to increased convection and precipitation in some situations (Stephens et al, 2004;Solmon et al, 2008;Lau et al, 2009;Perlwitz and Miller, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…For example, transport of African dust across the North Atlantic shows large interannual changes that are highly anticorrelated with rainfall in the SoudanoSahel region (Prospero and Lamb, 2003). Wind erosion of soils is sensitive to vegetation cover and soil moisture, as well as the intrinsic properties of the soil (Gillette and Passi, 1988;Fécan et al, 1999;Webb et al, 2006;Ishizuka et al, 2008). Zender and Kwon (2005) found that, in most L. D. Rotstayn et al: ENSO-related rainfall variability and Australian dust regions, precipitation and vegetation variations strongly constrain dust anomalies, with dust emission and precipitation being negatively correlated on multiple timescales.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated enhancement of ENSO-related rainfall variability due to Australian dust

et al. 2011

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Abstract. Australian dust emissions are highly episodic, and this may increase the importance of Australian dust as a climate feedback agent. We compare two 160-year coupled atmosphere-ocean simulations of modern-day climate using the CSIRO Mark 3.6 global climate model (GCM). The first run (DUST) includes an interactive treatment of mineral dust and its direct radiative effects. The second run (NODUST) is otherwise identical, but has the Australian dust source set to zero. We focus on the austral spring season, when the correlation between rainfall and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is strongest over Australia. The ENSOrainfall relationship over eastern Australia is stronger in the DUST run: dry (El Niño) years tend to be drier, and wet (La Niña) years wetter. The amplification of ENSO-related rainfall variability over eastern Australia represents an improvement relative to observations. The effect is driven by ENSO-related anomalies in radiative forcing by Australian dust over the south-west Pacific Ocean; these anomalies increase (decrease) surface evaporation in La Niña (El Niño) years. Some of this moisture is advected towards eastern Australia, where increased (decreased) moisture convergence in La Niña (El Niño) years increases the amplitude of ENSOrelated rainfall variability. The modulation of surface evaporation by dust over the south-west Pacific occurs via surface radiative forcing and dust-induced stabilisation of the boundary layer. The results suggest that (1) a realistic treatment of Australian dust may be necessary for accurate simulation of the ENSO-rainfall relationship over Australia, and (2) radiative feedbacks involving dust may be important for understanding natural rainfall variability over Australia.

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AUSLEM (AUStralian Land Erodibility Model): A tool for identifying wind erosion hazard in Australia

Cited by 79 publications

References 53 publications

Characterisation of episodic aerosol types over the Australian continent

Characterisation of episodic aerosol types over the Australian continent

Estimation of regional differences in wind erosion sensitivity in Hungary

Simulated enhancement of ENSO-related rainfall variability due to Australian dust

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