Aeolian Material Migration in Transbaikalia (Asian Russia)

Round  1

Reviewer 1 Report

Review: Aeolian Material Migration in Transbaikalia (Asian Russia)
Reviewed article in this form is more overview of older literature than author achievement. However
in the material and methods are mentioned field research campaigns, collection of meteo data and
even usage of GPS tools. There is hard to divide what is achieved by author and what from literature
(probably all in Russian, but in references all titles are translated) – even in abstract is underlined
years of research. The title is focused on particles (material) migration. Actually I do not know how
this migration was measured (mentioned are containers or traps – but no information when, what
and how many, there is also no information about collected amount, lack of data about dunes
movement (any table, any comparison). There is also no information about particle size, but
difference in size is mentioned.
The more information is about different dune fields location (but not named as fields in text) but is
not enough about their movement in different scales: after storm, month, years, ten years? It could
be marked somehow on the fig 1 instead red arrows (the short pink one are less visible)
Reviewed article contains several kinds of mistakes:
1.Not described field data and its result, that is mentioned in ch. Methods.
2.Not clear definition of aeolian forms, as listed in one line: dunes, ridges, barchans (two times in
manuscript). What is difference between them?
If You have dunes – as on aerial photos - seen – you have dune field with different forms. Try to
name them using literature. Do not mix names!
Shape of such dune field may be more longitudinal, surface and looking as oblong, oval ect.
Also some forms have names due to its geographical development as: - dunes ascending the slopes, -
developed in valleys, - along lake coast, - in river delta, - rocky slope shelf. – plains (flat plains)
Dune field may be build (covered) by such dunes ridges, hummock, barchans, parabolic, stars,
nebkha, etc…..
3. No conclusions
4. English language – some sentences are too long. Some words should be changed for proper
understand
5.No description of mentioned module (?), equation as I think.
6.Different numbering of pictures on fig ad: as big letters ,then small ones and small ones with dots!
Lack of scale and north direction on aerial photos.
(eg. Fig 5, 8)
Some suggestions are below:
Abstract/ key words
No key word migration of material (aeolian migr, material mig ?)
1.Intro
-In my opinion firstly should be who studied when and what we know, then problems recent and
aims of author
-Should be aim of work
-Surface of dunes or aeolian area lest present also in % of total area – will be more clear
2. Data…
- No data of field research
-No information what kind of filed data – no straight relation to described results.
-“Data were taken from literature” (line 64) – what data?
-How many field research areas (study sites) what was done: Why were used GPS (line 73). What kind
of collectors – where are results from collectors (line 61)
-What does it mean data collected all year – year round? 365 days in the field?
-How to distinguish author data studied over winds and data from literature (I can not compare),
(line 75)
-Where is mentioned “module” (line 66) – equation. For matter / particle migration?
-m2, km2 upper caption! (line 67)
- snow height? Height cover? Shortcut. Thick of snow cover?
3. Results
(line 91) : The number of dust storms correlates well with the actual volume of the transported matter.
Do not clear. It is obvious that the more storms more material is carried! Why correlation, where data, how it
was stated?
3.1.In my opinion order of this chapter should be different.
First: info about winds power, days, direction, season (line 126-139), then strongest (line 98-…
Second: snow cover (line ca 104)
Then increase of dust storms due to snow cover decrease. Period of dust storms (line 114)
Third eroding availability, (accumulation due to relief obstacles?)
Last threat for human soil erosion (lines 79-…)
3.2.Spatial and temporal regularity ? because changes in time are presented too.
(line 231) – names of aeolian forms!!!! Represented by ?
(line 245) dunes and barchans - ?
There is not enough about material migration: from where is taken and where is settled).
Suggest.: It could be graphical arrow of different size (length, thick) presenting rate of migration (on
fig 1)/ divided simply eg 3 classes: high medium low
Shape and morphological parameters of aeolian forms are not aim of study.
3.3 – is two times!
No conclusion
No threat for human from research?
No comparison of own research achievement with older cited literature. It look like manuscript is
overview of almost 60 years of different type investigations in one.
Literature:
Poz 9 – soil research? Not author first?
If all literature was written in Russian I suggest to add it after reference!
Graphic
How to read table 1
-titles : “deflationary wind…”, “climatic index…”?
-Precipitation H ?
-dust storm s, ea ?
No relation of migration to wind speed
Fig 1.
-Not readable wind digits.
-red pink arrows – to similar. Maybe dashed line . and more thick line should be
- north direction on photo
- names of towns too small
Fig .2,3,4, tc – use the same marks on photos : not different Big, small and small with dots! Use as
proposed by journal
Figs with aerial photos : lack of scale and north sign direction
Fig. 9 in caption are digits not letters
Fig .10 – not all C data from text are on fig – the youngest one?
What means arrows on figs? Wind direction or material transport? Please add in captions.
In conclusion if dunes and deflation hollows, residuum or observed dust storms are signs for material
migration could it be somehow mentioned in material that aim of study is achieved studying such
aeolian manifestations.
Still not clear what for was containers, GPS….
Rev. T.L.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Review: Aeolian Material Migration in Transbaikalia (Asian Russia)
Reviewed article in this form is more overview of older literature than author achievement. However
in the material and methods are mentioned field research campaigns, collection of meteo data and
even usage of GPS tools. There is hard to divide what is achieved by author and what from literature (probably all in Russian, but in references all titles are translated) – even in abstract is underlined years of research. The title is focused on particles (material) migration. Actually I do not know how this migration was measured (mentioned are containers or traps – but no information when, what and how many, there is also no information about collected amount, lack of data about dunes movement (any table, any comparison). There is also no information about particle size, but
difference in size is mentioned.

The study of aeolian processes (deflation, migration, accumulatio) was carried out on the experimental stations of the Institute of Geography SBRAS since the 7os years of th 20th century till now.

The more information is about different dune fields location (but not named as fields in text) but is
not enough about their movement in different scales: after storm, month, years, ten years? It could
be marked somehow on the fig 1 instead red arrows (the short pink one are less visible)

This was not the aim of our research and inquires special investigations 

Reviewed article contains several kinds of mistakes:
1.Not described field data and its result, that is mentioned in ch. Methods. 

 The field data in detail have been published here Bazhenova O., Tyumentseva E. Contemporary Aeolian Morphogenesis in Semiarid Landscapes of the Intermountain Depressions of  Southern Siberia, Catena, 2015, no 134, pp. 50-58. 

2. Not clear definition of aeolian forms, as listed in one line: dunes, ridges, barchans (two times in
manuscript). What is difference between them?

We use the categories from:

Goudie, A.S., Arid and Semi-Arid Geomorphology, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2013, 454 p. Стр 166 Fryberger, Steven and Dean, Gary. 1979. Dune forms and wind regime. In A Study of Global Sand

Seas, E. McKee, ed., pp. 137-170. Washington, U. S. Geological Survey Paper 1052. Фтв Timofeev, D.A., Terminology of aeolian and arid terrain forming, Moscow, Nauka, 1980, 163 p. in Russian

If You have dunes – as on aerial photos - seen – you have dune field with different forms. Try to
name them using literature. Do not mix names!
Shape of such dune field may be more longitudinal, surface and looking as oblong, oval ect.
Also some forms have names due to its geographical development as: - dunes ascending the slopes, -
developed in valleys, - along lake coast, - in river delta, - rocky slope shelf. – plains (flat plains)
Dune field may be build (covered) by such dunes ridges, hummock, barchans, parabolic, stars,
nebkha, etc…..
3. No conclusions

Added
4. English language – some sentences are too long. Some words should be changed for proper
understand

Improved 

5.No description of mentioned module (?), equation as I think.

Added in text "Methods...

6.Different numbering of pictures on fig ad: as big letters ,then small ones and small ones with dots!
Lack of scale and north direction on aerial photos.
(eg. Fig 5, 8)

Improved
All suggestions have been accepted

Reviewer 2 Report

This is an interesting description of aeolian processes on a variety of timescales in a little known region.  There is a lot of material in this paper, which makes it difficult sometimes to appreciate all the details. 

There are numerous references to papers in Russian, which makes this a useful link to research that is otherwise hard to locate.

It woudl be helpful if the authors were to use a commonly accepted method for estimating sand flux such as Fryberger (1979).  Please also define the wind deflation potential (WDP), and  the climatic index of deflation (C),and explain how they are calculated.

A figure showing the seasonal variation in sediment flux at key localities woudl be a good addition.

Throughout the manuscript, there are any examples of English usage that should be corrected by a native English speaker.  They are too numerous for me to list here

Author Response

It woudl be helpful if the authors were to use a commonly accepted method for estimating sand flux such as Fryberger (1979).  

We use the categories of dunes from 

Fryberger, Steven and Dean, Gary. 1979. Dune forms and wind regime. In A Study of Global Sand Seas, E. McKee, ed., pp. 137-170. Washington, U. S. Geological Survey Paper 1052.  The methodology wil be used in the next investigations.

Please also define the wind deflation potential (WDP), and  the climatic index of deflation (C),and explain how they are calculated.

Added in text

A figure showing the seasonal variation in sediment flux at key localities woudl be a good addition.

Detailed research has been published in Bazhenova O., Tyumentseva E. Contemporary Aeolian Morphogenesis in Semiarid Landscapes of the Intermountain Depressions of  Southern Siberia, Catena, 2015, no 134, pp. 50-58.

Throughout the manuscript, there are any examples of English usage that should be corrected by a native English speaker.  They are too numerous for me to list here

Improved by the native speaker

Round  2

Reviewer 2 Report

English usage is still rather strange in places, especially when aeolian geomorphology terms are concerned