Section 4: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
Soil and Water Erosion
Subtopic: Mechanics of soil erosion – wind and water erosion
Question Statement:
In wind erosion mechanics, which transport process carries intermediate-sized sand particles ($0.10\text{ mm}$ to $0.50\text{ mm}$ diameter) in a series of short bounces or leaps and accounts for $50\%$ to $75\%$ of total windborne soil movement?
Options:
(A) Suspension
(B) Saltation
(C) Surface creep
(D) Attrition
Answer Key:
B
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Wind erosion particle transport consists of:
1. **Saltation** (50–75%): grains of 0.1 to 0.5 mm bouncing along the surface.
2. **Surface creep** (5–25%): heavier particles (0.5 to 1.0 mm) rolled by wind and saltating grain impacts.
3. **Suspension** (3–10%): fine dust particles (<0.1 mm) carried high into the atmosphere.