IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i10p3940-d1390515.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Spatial Characteristics of Aeolian Sand Transport Affected by Surface Vegetation along the Oshang Railway

Author

Listed:
  • Ning Huang

    (College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
    Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Ministry of Education of China, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Yanhong Song

    (College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
    Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Ministry of Education of China, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Xuanmin Li

    (Zhengzhou Design Institute, China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450001, China)

  • Bin Han

    (Zhengzhou Design Institute, China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450001, China)

  • Lihang Xu

    (College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
    Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Ministry of Education of China, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Jie Zhang

    (College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
    Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Ministry of Education of China, Lanzhou 730000, China)

Abstract

Blown sand transport plays a pivotal role in determining the optimal placement of sand protection facilities along railways in sandy areas. Surface vegetation cover significantly influences blowing sand activities along the Oshang Railway (from Otog Front Banner to Shanghai-Temple Town). In this study, the spatial characteristics of aeolian sand transport along the railway were derived from field observations conducted at five different locations, each with varying fractional vegetation cover ( FVC ). The results indicate that sand-transport intensity does not fully correlate with the wind energy environment, primarily due to differences in surface vegetation cover among the observation sites. We utilize the dimensionless ratio Q ·g· f /(0.136 × DP · ρ a ) to represent the sand transport rate ( Q ), the sand-moving wind frequency ( f ) and drift potential ( DP ), exhibiting a negative exponential trend with FVC . Sand transport is effectively restrained when FVC is greater than or equal to 20%. Conversely, when FVC is less than 20%, sand transport intensity exponentially increases with decreasing fractional vegetation cover. After careful analysis, we propose a simple empirical expression that incorporates the influence of both the wind field and fractional vegetation cover to assess sand transport on a flat surface. The study offers valuable insights for designing wind-blown sand protection measures along railways and evaluating wind-blown sand movement on a flat surface affected by vegetation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ning Huang & Yanhong Song & Xuanmin Li & Bin Han & Lihang Xu & Jie Zhang, 2024. "Spatial Characteristics of Aeolian Sand Transport Affected by Surface Vegetation along the Oshang Railway," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:10:p:3940-:d:1390515
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/10/3940/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/10/3940/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shengbo Xie & Jianjun Qu & Yuanming Lai & Yingjun Pang, 2015. "Formation mechanism and suitable controlling pattern of sand hazards at Honglianghe River section of Qinghai–Tibet Railway," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 76(2), pages 855-871, March.
    2. Long Shi & Dongyuan Wang & Kaichong Li, 2020. "Windblown sand characteristics and hazard control measures for the Lanzhou–Wulumuqi high-speed railway," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(1), pages 353-374, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Long Shi & Dongyuan Wang & Kaichong Li, 2020. "Windblown sand characteristics and hazard control measures for the Lanzhou–Wulumuqi high-speed railway," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(1), pages 353-374, October.
    2. Shengbo Xie & Xian Zhang & Yingjun Pang, 2022. "Wind Dynamic Characteristics and Wind Tunnel Simulation of Subgrade Sand Hazard in the Shannan Wide Valley of the Sichuan–Tibet Railway," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Abbas Miri & Nick Middleton, 2022. "Long-term impacts of dust storms on transport systems in south-eastern Iran," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 114(1), pages 291-312, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:10:p:3940-:d:1390515. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.