THE SINGLE-EVENT WIND EROSION EVALUATION PROGRAM (SWEEP) AS A TOOL FOR EVALUATING AND DESIGNING DUST MITIGATION MEASURES

Fugitive dust emissions from agricultural fields and natural open areas in dry, windy climates throughout the world can contribute significantly to high airborne concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM₁₀). This presentation focusses on a methodology to model potential sand motion and PM₁₀ emissions using the Single-event Wind Erosion Evaluation Program, or SWEEP, a component of the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS). Aspects that will be discussed include: data input generation, model calibration methods, and model applications. Applications include the evaluation of potential sand motion and associated PM₁₀ emissions over a variety of surfaces commonly found in arid climates, including desert playa and sand dunes. In addition, the model has been applied as a tool for designing and verifying measures aimed at reducing the effects of wind erosion, including dust emissions, on desert playa soils. Dust control measures to be discussed include: vegetation cover (Distichlis spp.), partial flooding, and two waterless dust control measures, both aimed at increasing surface roughness and aerodynamic sheltering. Comparisons of model predictions with observed sand motion data from field studies indicate that modeled and observed values track well, both in terms of absolute and relative sand motion following implementation of dust control measures.