Electrical processes in a wind-sand flux on desertified areas
G.I. Gorchakov, A.V. Karpov, R.A. Gushchin, O.I. Datsenko
A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Keywords: wind-sand flux, dust aerosol, electrification of wind-sand flux, saltation current, aerosol charge transport, electric current density, current density module, logarithmic gradient
Abstract
Electrical processes in a wind-sand flux has been studied. According to synchronous measurements in a deserted area in the Astrakhan region, the density of saltation electric currents and currents caused by the transfer of charged dust aerosol particles at heights of 4 and 12 cm are received. The statistical characteristics of variations in the density and density moduli of these currents are calculated. It is shown that in a wind-sand flux in the height range from 4 to 12 cm, the density modules of saltation electric currents and currents caused by the transfer of dust aerosol decrease with height much more slowly (logarithmic gradients are -0.025 and -0.07 cm-1) than the concentration of saltating particles (logarithmic gradient is -0.32 cm-1). It is confirmed that the moduli of saltation electric current density correlate with each other and with wind speed in the surface air layer more closely than the current densities themselves. It is of great interest to study the influence of electrical processes in wind-sand flux on the dynamics of saltation.
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