A wind erosion model and its application to broad scale wind erosion pattern assessment

Wind erosion is a complex process influenced by weather, soil and vegetation. For wind erosion assessment and prediction, it is necessary to understand the physical processes and to have reliable information about environmental susceptibility to erosion. In this paper we present an integrated system for wind erosion assessment and prediction, using a physically based wind erosion scheme with an atmospheric model and a GIS database. The system has been applied to the February 1996 dust storms in Australia. The importance of this system to land care practice lies in its capacity to identify areas and periods of wind erosion threat, and also to identify the environmental factors responsible.