Collaborative research: Wind erodibility of salt-affected soils

盐的积累和加速的土壤侵蚀是影响世界各地农业的两个主要土壤退化问题，特别是在蒸发需要量大、地下水位浅或用富含溶解固体的水灌溉的地区。盐碱化对土壤受风和相关粉尘排放的可蚀性的影响仍然知之甚少。这些过程对美国和世界大部分地区的人类健康、土壤生产力、生态系统动态和气候产生了许多影响。这项拟议的研究将调查土壤盐度和碱度如何影响土壤对风蚀和相关粉尘排放的敏感性。随着这项研究的成功完成，更好地了解土地利用方式对土壤盐/碱度和风蚀易感性之间的相互作用，将有助于更好地预测风蚀和改善易退化土地的管理。拟议的研究还寻求通过本科和研究生教育的机会，积极招募来自代表性不足群体的学生，以及与K-12教育工作者的联系，将教育和研究结合起来。本研究探讨了一个新的基本的土壤和地貌过程（即盐诱导土壤可蚀性增强），并为其解释提供了一个新的机制框架。拟议的研究将使用实验和理论分析相结合的方法来研究土壤盐度和碱度对颗粒间结合力的影响，从而研究土壤被风侵蚀的能力。风洞试验将用于在实验室和现场评估各种土壤盐浓度、土壤质地和湿度情况下的土壤可蚀性。实验室实验将直接或间接测量与这种情况相关的粒子间结合力的变化。将开发一个理论框架，通过考虑盐影响土壤中颗粒间结合力的变化来解释观察到的土壤可蚀性变化。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The accumulation of salts and accelerated soil erosion are two major soil degradation issues affecting agriculture around the world, particularly in regions with high evaporative demand, shallow water tables or in those irrigated with water rich in dissolved solids. The effect of salinization on soil erodibility by wind and the associated dust emissions remain poorly understood. These processes are responsible for numerous impacts on human health, soil productivity, ecosystem dynamics, and climate over large areas of the United States and the world. The proposed research will investigate how soil salinity and sodicity affect soil susceptibility to wind erosion and the associated dust emissions. With successful completion of this research, better understanding of the interactions between land use practices contributing to soil salinity/sodicity and wind erosion susceptibility will enable better prediction of wind erosion and improved management of lands susceptible to degradation. The proposed research also seeks to integrate education and research through opportunities in undergraduate and graduate education, active recruitment of students from underrepresented groups, and outreach to K-12 educators.This proposal investigates a new fundamental soil and geomorphic process (i.e., salt-induced enhancement of soil erodibility) and provides a new mechanistic framework for its explanation. The proposed research will use a combination of experimental and theoretical analyses to investigate the effect of soil salinity and sodicity on interparticle bonding forces and, consequently, soil erodibility by wind. Wind tunnel tests will be used to evaluate soil erodibility under a wide range of soil salt concentrations, soil textures, and moisture scenarios both in the lab and in the field. Laboratory experiments will directly and indirectly measure the changes in interparticle bonding forces associated with such scenarios. A theoretical framework will be developed to explain the observed changes in soil erodibility by accounting for the changes in interparticle bonding forces in salt-affected soils.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.