Wind Erosion in Western Queensland Australia

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Chapter 1 - Introduction1.5 Research ApproachThis research develops a model that can be used to assess land susceptibility to wind erosion.What sets the research apart from other modelling studies is the focus between the field scale(10 3 m 2 ) and regional (>10 4 km 2 ) to global scale studies. Developing a model to operatebetween these scales will address a significant gap in our ability to assess and map land areassusceptible to wind erosion. It will also improve our understanding of linkages between fieldscale processes driving spatio-temporal variations in dust emissions, and regional to globalscale dust transport processes. This research is essential for developing an advancedunderstanding of which areas of the Earth surface are susceptible to wind erosion, and howthe erodibility of these areas changes through time in response to climate variability and landmanagement.Model development has been directed toward assessing land erodibility in rangelandenvironments. Processes and controls specific to cultivated regions have not been accountedfor. This is because wind erosion in cultivated areas, for example in south-eastern Australia,has previously been the focus of much scientific research. Spatial and temporal patterns inpotential wind erosion in rangeland environments have received considerably less attention.Australia’s rangelands cover the largest dust source in the southern hemisphere, the LakeEyre Basin. Monitoring and modelling land erodibility in this environment will make asignificant contribution to our understanding of a major global dust source area. The researchalso provides a modelling framework that can potentially be adopted for application in otherdryland environments.The research does not seek to develop a model that can necessarily be integrated into existingmodelling systems. The model was developed so that it can be applied with readily availableinput data, is robust, conceptually easy to understand, and is capable of capturing the natureof relationships between land surface conditions and land erodibility. This addresses datarequirements and application limitations of current wind erosion models. These aspects arecritical for the application of a model at the landscape (10 3 km 2 ) and regional scales (10 4km 2 ), and in particular for the potential uptake of the research in land management and policydevelopment contexts. Current wind erosion models are limited by their inherent complexity,and data and computing power requirements (Raupach and Lu, 2004). These attributes make14
Chapter 1 - Introductionthem inaccessible to those without appropriate resources or an understanding of the microphysicalprocesses on which they are based.It is acknowledged that the modelling approach adopted in this research has a number oflimitations, some of which are common to existing wind erosion models. These relate tochallenges in accounting for the heterogeneous distribution of vegetation cover in arid andsemi-arid environments, and an inability to account for temporal changes in soil erodibility.Developing methods to account for the spatial distribution of vegetation cover in winderosion models was beyond the scope of this research; however, the issue of soil erodibilitymodelling is addressed in this thesis.Finally, the development of models to assess complex dynamic systems is an iterativeprocess. The research presented in this thesis reflects this characteristic. There is, however, afocus on presenting the research successes. Early into the research a field monitoring programwas established in an attempt to obtain quantitative data on the interactions betweenmeteorological and land surface conditions controlling land erodibility in the westernQueensland rangelands. Considerable resources were directed toward the field study,including substantial support from volunteers. Ultimately, a reliance on coarse samplingresolutions meant that the data collected was insufficient to resolve process interactionssuitable for incorporation into the model. For this reason the data have not been included inthis thesis. The experience I gained from spending time working at the field sites was,however, invaluable in developing an understanding of the rangeland system.1.6 Study AreaThe study area is the arid and semi-arid rangelands of western Queensland, Australia (Figure1.3). The region forms the north-eastern half of the Lake Eyre Basin, the dominant dustsource area in Australia and in the southern hemisphere (Goudie and Middleton, 2006). Thestudy area is ~672 000 km 2 in size and can be divided into four biogeographical regions.These include: the Mulga Lands, Mitchell Grass Downs, Channel Country, and Simpson-Strzelecki Dunefields. Each of the regions can be described by characteristic landforms andvegetation types (DEWHA, 2007).15
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Beadle, N.C.W., 1945. Dust storms.
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Bryan, R.B., Govers, G., Poesen, J.
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Chepil, W.S., 1965. Transport of so
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Fryrear, D.W., Sutherland, P.L., Da
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Gregory, J.M., 1984. Prediction of
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Hugenholtz, C.H., Wolfe, S.A., 2005
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Littleboy, M., McKeon, G.M., 1997.
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Marshall, J.K., 1973. Drought, land
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Assessment Report of the Intergover
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Penner, J.E., et al. , 2001. Climat
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Rickert, K.G., McKeon, G.M., 1982.
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Stokes, C., J., McAllister, R.R.J.,
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Williams, W.J., Eldridge, D.J., Alc
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Wind Erosion in Western Queensland Australia

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