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Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by...
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Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by Sand/Dust Processes

A Special Issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433) belonging to the section "Meteorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 5291

Editors

Dr. Hongchao Dun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: blown sand physics; land surface processes; disaster prevention; photovoltaic power; wind power; transmission lines
Dr. Binbin Pei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: turbulent boundary layer; unstable boundary layer; dust deposition
Prof. Dr. Kan He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: fluid mechanics; vehicle aerodynamics; wind–sand coupled flow; bluff body flow

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The formation and evolution of sandy landforms is one of the main land surface dynamic processes in arid and semi-arid regions. The associated sand disasters caused by aeolian sand/dust seriously threaten anthropogenic facilities such as railways, highways, photovoltaic power stations, wind power stations, and transmission lines. Extensive work has been carried out to provide support for land surface dynamic mechanisms and anthropogenic facility disaster prevention. However, this research is still far from complete and continued advancements are necessary. Under the current background of the rapid development of new energy, road, and other projects in arid and semi-arid regions, the research demand for the mechanism and protection of aeolian sand/dust has increased rapidly. This Special Issue is devoted to all topics related to sandy landform dynamic mechanisms and anthropogenic facility disasters, including (but not limited to) the following subjects:

  • Dynamic model of aeolian sand/dust movement;
  • Long-term field observation on wind-blown sand/dust around anthropogenic facilities;
  • Causes of aeolian sand/dust disasters on anthropogenic facilities;
  • The impact of sand/dust transportation on the efficiency of photovoltaic/wind power generation;
  • The influence of surface deposition of sand/dust on roads and power transmission lines;
  • The formation and evolution of sand/snow dunes;
  • New methods and technologies for the prevention of aeolian sand/dust disasters;
  • Failure mechanisms and effectiveness evaluations of prevention measures;
  • New water-saving irrigation technology for plant-based sand disaster prevention;
  • Optimization of a comprehensive protection system for sand/dust disaster.

Dr. Hongchao Dun
Dr. Binbin Pei
Prof. Dr. Kan He
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wind-blown sand/dust
  • sand bury
  • wind erosion
  • photovoltaic power station
  • wind power station
  • transmission tower line
  • desert road
  • unstable atmospheric stratifications
  • sand deposition
  • sand/dust disaster prevention
  • prevention system
  • wind tunnel experiment
  • field observation
  • numerical simulation
  • sand fence
  • mechanical sand barrier

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6599 KB  
Article
A Theoretical Model for Predicting Visibility During Dust Events
by Jin Li, Xiaoqian Ma, Yang Meng, Jun Lu and Weiguang Tian
Atmosphere 2026, 17(9), 902; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17090902 - 16 Sep 2026
Viewed by 84
Abstract
A physically based framework is developed to predict horizontal visibility during dust events by linking surface wind erosion, dust emission, near-surface dust concentration, and visibility. An analytical concentration–visibility relationship is derived using a heuristic closure condition. Dust concentration is further related to wind [...] Read more.
A physically based framework is developed to predict horizontal visibility during dust events by linking surface wind erosion, dust emission, near-surface dust concentration, and visibility. An analytical concentration–visibility relationship is derived using a heuristic closure condition. Dust concentration is further related to wind forcing through saltation-controlled dust emission and steady-state mass conservation, while a moment-balance entrainment model incorporates median particle size and soil cohesion into the threshold friction velocity. The concentration–visibility relationship is evaluated using observations from three published studies and captures the overall variation in the combined dataset with R2 = 0.62. Under the same calibration conditions, the proposed relationship achieved the highest R2 among all formulations examined, indicating that its functional form more effectively captures the nonlinear dependence of visibility on dust concentration in the combined dataset. By linking surface erodibility and aerodynamic forcing to atmospheric dust loading and visibility, the framework provides a physically based approach for dust-event visibility prediction. Further evaluation of the complete model chain requires synchronized observations of surface properties, particle entrainment, dust emission, concentration, and visibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by Sand/Dust Processes)
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16 pages, 1264 KB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Wetting–Drying Alternation on the Erodibility of Sodium Sulfate Salt Crusts
by Zhiyong Kong, Xuelong Hu, Yang Meng, Haozhe Zhang, Jie Wei, Ziwei Wang and Zhenghu Ge
Atmosphere 2026, 17(8), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17080794 - 19 Aug 2026
Viewed by 462
Abstract
Salt dust storms are a distinct and highly hazardous type of dust storm in arid and semi-arid regions. Salt crusts commonly develop on the surfaces of desiccated lake beds, and variations in their structure and properties directly influence dust release. To investigate how [...] Read more.
Salt dust storms are a distinct and highly hazardous type of dust storm in arid and semi-arid regions. Salt crusts commonly develop on the surfaces of desiccated lake beds, and variations in their structure and properties directly influence dust release. To investigate how wetting–drying alternation affects the erodibility of sodium sulfate salt crusts with varying salt contents, four crust types with 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% sodium sulfate were prepared under controlled laboratory conditions. A combination of wind-tunnel tests, direct shear tests, and surface morphology observations was employed to evaluate changes in mechanical properties and wind-erosion responses before and after wetting–drying treatment. The results showed that wetting–drying alternation induced pronounced cracking, salt crystallization, and the formation of a loose surface layer in salt-bearing crusts, with structural damage severity increasing with salt content. In contrast, the physical crust without added salt exhibited minimal surface deterioration. Direct shear tests revealed that after wetting–drying, the internal friction angle of salt-bearing crusts first decreased and then increased with salt content, while cohesion declined markedly; the 5% salt crust showed a 32.4% reduction in cohesion, indicating substantial structural degradation. Wind-tunnel tests further demonstrated that wind-erosion intensity increased significantly after wetting–drying treatment across all salt contents, with the largest relative increase observed in the 1% salt crust. Wind-erosion intensity also scaled approximately as a power function of salt content. These findings demonstrate that wetting–drying alternation is a critical trigger for the degradation of sodium sulfate salt crusts and for enhancing their erodibility. Post wetting–drying, salt crusts may evolve into highly erodible surfaces, becoming major potential sources of salt dust storms. This study provides a theoretical foundation for understanding salt dust release from desiccated lake beds and for improving early warning of ecological hazards in arid regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by Sand/Dust Processes)
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11 pages, 1749 KB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of the Impact of Turbulent Bursting on the Entrainment of Sand and Dust Particles
by Zewen Ju, Zhiyuan Wang, Wei Wang, Dan Wang, Ding Tong and Jie Zhang
Atmosphere 2026, 17(6), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17060554 - 28 May 2026
Viewed by 341
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms by which sand and dust particles detach from the land surface has always been one of the most fundamental and critical issues in aeolian physics and dust-storm forecasting. In this study, large-eddy simulation (LES) was employed to resolve the near-wall [...] Read more.
Understanding the mechanisms by which sand and dust particles detach from the land surface has always been one of the most fundamental and critical issues in aeolian physics and dust-storm forecasting. In this study, large-eddy simulation (LES) was employed to resolve the near-wall turbulence structures. Turbulent bursting events were identified using the second-quadrant method, and a force-balance equation for dust-particle entrainment was formulated at burst locations to numerically simulate the entrainment process of particles of different sizes under bursting conditions. By integrating the latest observational data on near-wall turbulent coherent structures during dust storms both the accuracy of flow-field simulations and the physical consistency of particle force analyses were enhanced. The results suggest that, within the present idealized force-balance framework, near-wall turbulent bursting can provide aerodynamic forcing that contributes to the entrainment of sand and dust particles over the simulated parameter range. Under the same friction velocity, the mean number of lifted particles first increases and then decreases with particle size, exhibiting a parabolic trend. For particles of the same size, the number of lifted particles increases significantly with friction velocity. Under identical incoming wind speeds, the number flux of lifted particles decreases nonlinearly with increasing particle size, whereas the mass flux continues to rise with both friction velocity and particle size. These findings further confirm the critical contribution of aerodynamic entrainment to aeolian transport and provide numerical support for refining the dual-mechanism theory of sand entrainment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by Sand/Dust Processes)
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22 pages, 7514 KB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of Photovoltaic Soiling from White Sands Dust in Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA
by German Rodriguez Ortiz, Malynda Cappelle, Jose A. Hernandez-Viezcas, Alejandro J. Metta-Magana and Thomas E. Gill
Atmosphere 2026, 17(5), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17050442 - 26 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1895
Abstract
This study assessed photovoltaic (PV) soiling losses at Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA, located within the Chihuahuan Desert and near the White Sands gypsum dune field, a region with frequent dust events. Soiling material collected from PV module surfaces showed seasonal variations in mineral [...] Read more.
This study assessed photovoltaic (PV) soiling losses at Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA, located within the Chihuahuan Desert and near the White Sands gypsum dune field, a region with frequent dust events. Soiling material collected from PV module surfaces showed seasonal variations in mineral composition, with quartz being the main component during the fall season and calcite predominating during the spring. All samples collected during the following spring season contained large amounts of gypsum, indicating transport from White Sands, supported by HYSPLIT back-trajectories and surface wind data. Soiling materials collected from PV module surfaces generally had a mineral composition similar to that of the surrounding local soils. The mean particle size of collected soiling material samples ranged from 8 to 21 µm, with ~90% of particles being dust (<50 µm) and ~10% of the soiling particles being sand (>50 µm). Despite Alamogordo experiencing 22 dust events during this study, soiling-related power losses were relatively low, about 2% to 3%, much lower than reported for Global Dust Belt locations. The prevailing south-to-southwest winds and their gusts acted as a passive cleaning mechanism, as they were aligned with the front of the PV modules and likely resuspended particles off panel surfaces. Additionally, relatively low rainfall (about 2.2 mm per hour) was effective in restoring PV performance. These findings suggest that, due to the relatively low soiling losses observed, frequent cleaning may not be necessary at this location, resulting in potential savings in maintenance costs over the long-term operation of the PV system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by Sand/Dust Processes)
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24 pages, 4363 KB  
Article
Mechanistic Links Between Freeze–Thaw Cycles and Topsoil Erosion on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
by Zhenghu Ge, Kang Gao, Hongchao Dun, Ning Huang, Rezaali Pakzad and Yang Meng
Atmosphere 2025, 16(9), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16091053 - 5 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1701
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is uniquely characterized by widespread permafrost and desertification due to its distinctive natural environment and geographic setting. The current lack of understanding regarding the mechanisms by which the number of freeze-thaw cycles (N) exacerbates soil erosion poses [...] Read more.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is uniquely characterized by widespread permafrost and desertification due to its distinctive natural environment and geographic setting. The current lack of understanding regarding the mechanisms by which the number of freeze-thaw cycles (N) exacerbates soil erosion poses a significant challenge to accurately assessing regional erosion dynamics. Here, we simulate realistic freeze-thaw conditions using an optimized cryogenic simulator and systematically quantify changes in soil physical properties, surface microstructure, and frost heave deformation. Research shows that as the number of freeze-thaw cycles rises, the surface soil moisture content decreases by 54.3%. Total porosity and bulk density display opposite trends. These changes in soil properties are mainly driven by frost heave forces disrupting soil cohesion. In particular, repeated water-ice phase transitions lead to continuous accumulation of axial frost heave stress, which rearranges soil particles. This significantly raises surface porosity with a growth rate as high as 60.3% and greatly reduces the soil’s resistance to external erosion. At the same time, the aggregate size distribution shifts toward finer particles, accompanied by a continued decrease in the mean weight diameter (MWD), which declines by approximately 8%. Notably, this degradation persists even when external loading partially suppresses frost heave. Therefore, the progressive physical degradation induced by frost heave-manifested through as moisture loss, porosity changes, aggregate breakdown, and compromised stability even under load-establishes the core mechanistic pathway through which freeze-thaw cycles intensify erosion in QTP soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Surface Dynamic Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Facility Disasters Caused by Sand/Dust Processes)
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