Give an example of wind erosion. In what ways is wind erosion a potential problem?

Answer 1

During the 1930's, a prolonged dry spell culminated in dust storms and soil destruction of disastrous proportions. The "black blizzards" of the resulting Dust Bowl inflicted great hardships on the people and the land.

Wind erosion physically removes the lighter, less dense soil constituents such as organic matter, clays, and silts. Thus it removes the most fertile part of the soil and lowers soil productivity (Lyles, 1975). Lyles (1975) estimated that top soil loss from wind erosion causes annual yield reductions of 339,000 bushels of wheat and 543,000 bushels of grain sorghum on 0.5 million hectares (1.2 million acres) of sandy soils in southwestern Kansas. This loss in productivity has been masked or compensated for over the years by improved crop varieties and increased fertilization. Thus wind erosion reduces potential soil productivity and increases economic costs. Blowing soil impacting plants can also reduce seedling survival and growth, depress crop yields, lower the marketability of vegetable crops, increase the susceptibility of plants to certain types of stress, including diseases, and contribute to transmission to some plant pathogens (Armbrust, 1982 and 1984; Claflin, et al., 1973; Michels et al., 1995). In the long run, the cost of wind erosion control practices can offset the cost of replanting a blownout crop. Some soil from damaged land enters suspension and becomes part of the atmospheric dust load. Dust obscures visibility and pollutes the air, it fills road ditches where it can impact water quality, it causes automobile accidents, fouls machinery, and imperils animal and human health (Skidmore, 1988). In Seward County Kansas alone the state highway department spent over $15,000 in 1996 to remove 965 tons of sand from 500 feet of highway and ditch (Tri-County Area Proposal for EQIP, unpublished report). Wind erosion is a threat to the sustainability of the land as well as the viability and quality of life for rural as well as urban communities.

Answer 2

In NYC, next to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, stands a gift from Egypt. It is a huge obelisk with four sides which are carved with hyerogliphics on each. When Egypt presented this gift to the museum, about 20 years ago...it was in very good shape. It was constructed during the ancient Egyption Civilization. Because of the polluted air in New York, we have a serious problem with acid rain. Today two sides of this obelisk, the west and the south sides are eroded due to the wind bringing in the acidic rain. While the west side and some of the north sides are legible because the wind comes from the east and erodes the hierogliphycs.