WIND TUNNEL EXPERIMENTS OF AEOLIAN DUST DEPOSITION ALONG RANGES OF HILLS

Abstract

Wind tunnel experiments of aeolian dust deposition on topographic scale models of ranges of hills were conducted. Different hill sizes and hill spacings were used, and comparisons with the deposition patterns over single, isolated hills were made. Dust profiles over ranges of hills differ from the profiles over identical, but isolated hills. On isolated hills the sedimentation maximum on the windward hillslope is always single and located on the concave part of the slope. In the case of ranges of hills, the maximum is either single or double, with the second peak on the convex part of the windward slope in the latter case. The local sedimentation maximum on the convex leeslope, which is rather unimportant on isolated hills, is much more developed in multiple-hill topography. Also, dust deposition on the leeslopes is significantly higher in multiple-hill topography than on isolated hills. Dust patterns on ranges of hills may be affected by the dust shadow created by the most upstream-located hill. If hills succeed each other quickly, they are located within the shadow zone and are protected from important dust deposition. The plume of high air dust concentration that is created by a hill largely determines the dust pattern on the next hill. As a result of the supply of dust from above by the descending plume, areas that are normally devoid of dust now experience significant dust deposition.