Wind-Blown Sand Environment

Abstract

The surfaces of the earth and some other planets are permeated with sand (dust) particles entrained by airflow, which constitute the wind-blown sand environment to be discussed in the book. Deserts and desertified lands are one of the major material sources of the wind-blown sand environment. Researchers devote their major attention to the evolution mechanism of the wind-blown sand environment, while the government and the public cast more of their eyes on its harm to human beings. Consequently, in this chapter, Sect. 1.1 makes a brief introduction on the situation of deserts and desertification of lands in the world, especially, in the inland China; Sect. 1.2 expounds the major harms brought by the wind-blown sand environment with wind erosion and sand (dust) storm as examples. To make our point more clearly; Sect. 1.3 devotes to a brief introduction of the situations of three typical desertified areas in Gansu, China, where the author comes from, so as to illustrate the disastrous consequences of wind-blown sand. The three areas are Dunhuang, a site of world cultural heritage in an arid region which is severely threatened by wind-blown sand, Minqin, a county situated between the two great deserts of Tengger and Badain Jaran, and Maqu, a county located in a natural meadow of the alpine humid region respectively.