MONITORING 	AND 	EVALUATING 	EROSION 	AND DEPOSTION RATES BY WIND IN OASES AREA

Sharkawy, S. F. T.; Ali, A. A.; Ashour, I. A.; Wassif, M. M.

doi:10.21608/jssae.2004.242510

MONITORING AND EVALUATING EROSION AND DEPOSTION RATES BY WIND IN OASES AREA

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Soil Cons. Dept., Desert Research Center, Mataria-Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/jssae.2004.242510

Abstract

Oases of New Valley governorate lie in hyperarid zone, where wind erosion
and deposition by wind threaten sustained agricultural production. The annual rate of
sell mass transport by wind was measured by installing BSNE samplers on the flat,
bare fields in different sites of EI-Kharga, EI-Dakhla, EI-Farafra and Paris oases during
the period from 1/211999 to 10/6/2004. Data showed that wind soil erosion and
deposition rates in the study area are very high and differ from site to another.
The annual rate of soil mass transport by wind was dependent on soil
texture, percentage of dry stable aggregates,>0.84mm, soil surface conditions and
wind erosivity. At each oasis, the average annual soil loss decreased as percentage
of dry stable aggregates >0.84mm increased. Soil losses rates due to wind erosion
varied from 1.15ton.ha·¹.y(1 at Abu-Monkar area (Clay soil, EI-Farafra oasis) to .
16.43ton.ha·¹.y(1 at EI-Qase area (Sandy loam soil, Paris oasis). In average, wind soil
erosion is significant in the case of sandy and sandy loam soils.
The rate of deposition by wind is more pronounced than soil erosion by wind
in the studied area. The annual rate of soil materials being deposited over agricultural
soils varied from 4.4ton.ha·¹.y(1 at EI-Kharga oasis (East Well 2 EI-Kharga area) to
110.6ton.ha·¹.yr'1 at EI-Farafra oasis (Qarween plain area), which corresponds to
addition of 3.1 to 76.9mm depth of aeolian sediments on top soil each year.
In each oasis, the average annual deposition of windblown materials was
greater than the average annual eroded soil by wind. For further studies, the
classification of New Valley oases according to the deposition or erosion rate by wind
should be put under consideration. This study confirm the urgent needs for
implementation of a successful soil conservation practices to combats the hazards of
erosion and deposition by wind in order to attain the potential productivity of the New
Valley oases.

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