Erosion Model for Wind-Blown Sand Flow at Earthen Sites in Arid Environment, Northwest China

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the erosive impact of wind-blown sand on earthen sites within arid environments through the establishment of meteorological observation equipment. Over a span of 47 months, a comprehensive approach encompassing numerical simulation, plume analysis, particle examination, three-dimensional scanning, and photo monitoring was employed to continuously monitor the patterns of wind-blown sand movement and the degradation of test walls. The study identifies six distinct zones extending from five times the windward side to ten times the leeward side of the test wall’s height. Notably, a negative correlation between captured particle mass and the height of the sand traps is observed, with 70% of particles concentrated within 50 cm from the base of the test wall. Three primary erosion mechanisms for wind-blown sand are elucidated, including frontal impact, side abrasion, and reverse sapping. Furthermore, the study highlights pronounced erosion at the base of the wall due to vortex flow, with depth erosion affecting the lower, side, and upper sections of the test walls. This paper delves into the erosion mechanisms and operational models of wind-blown sand flow surrounding discontinuous site walls, offering valuable insights for the conservation of ancient earthen sites.KEYWORDS: Ancient earthen siteserosion modelerosion ratewind-blown sand AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank F. Qiu, G.J. Zhao, X.S. Zhang, D.J. Shang, and X.Y. Liu for their help in sample collection, 3D scanning, measurements, and field experiments throughout the fieldwork period.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Author contributionsConceptualization: Q.L. Guo, Q.Q. Pei, H. Zhang, H. Viles, J. Richards; Establishment of monitoring stations: Q.L. Guo, Q.Q. Pei, B. Zhang, H.T. Zhang, F. Qiu; Field experiments and test wall ramming: B. Zhang, Q.Q. Pei; H.T. ZHAN; Indoor experiments: B. Zhang J.J. Huang; Data curation: J.J. Huang,B. Zhang; Writing-original draft: Q.L. Guo, J.J. Huang, Q.Q. Pei; Writing-review & editing: Q.L. Guo, Q.Q. Pei, H. Viles, J.J. Huang.Data Availability materialThe datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Additional informationFundingThis work was financially supported by National key research and development program for Study on deterioration process and conservation technology of earthen site based on condition of multi-field coupling (2020YFC1522200), and the Research and Application of Comprehensive Anti-Weathering Technologies for Earthen Sites on the Chang ‘An-Tianshan Corridor Road Network along the Silk Road (18YF1WA003), and the International Cooperation Project for Conservation of Earthen Sites in NW China between the Dunhuang Academy of China and the University of Oxford, UK. This research was also partially funded by UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Grant for the Centre for Doctoral Training Science and Engineering in Art, Heritage and Archaeology (EP/L016036/1) in association with the Getty Conservation Institute, and Royal Society International Exchange Grant (IE151144).