Section 4: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
Soil and Water Erosion
Subtopic: Mechanics of soil erosion – wind and water erosion
Question Statement:
In the mechanics of wind erosion, which transport mode involves soil particles of diameter $0.10 \text{ to } 0.50\text{ mm}$ moving in short bouncing leaps along the ground, accounting for $50\% \text{ to } 75\%$ of total wind-borne soil movement?
Options:
(A) Saltation
(B) Surface creep
(C) Suspension
(D) Attrition
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
- Saltation: Involves grains between $0.10 \text{ to } 0.50\text{ mm}$ bouncing across the surface; it accounts for $50 \text{ to } 75\%$ of total soil movement and dislodges other particles.
- Surface creep: Larger particles ($0.50 \text{ to } 2.0\text{ mm}$) rolled along the bed ($5 - 25\%$).
- Suspension: Fine dust particles (lt; 0.10\text{ mm}$) lifted high into the atmosphere ($3 - 15\%$). Option A is correct.