Dust Emissions Joint Forum: Fugitive Dust Emissions from Wind Erosion

Final Report: Fugitive Wind Blown Dust Emissions and Model Performance Evaluation: Phase II (05/05/06)

• Final Report PDF (5.1 MB)
• Appendix A: Results of Model Sensitivity Simulations PDF (0.2 MB)
• Appendix B: Scatter Plots of Predicted Dust Emissions and Ambient Data PDF (7.8 MB)
• Project Summary PDF (1.7 MB) or PPT (1.5 MB)

Project Update and Latest Results with Revised Landuse Data, Transport Fractions, and Fine Fractions (09/20/05) PDF or PPT

Draft Report: Fugitive Wind Blown Dust Emissions and Model Performance Evaluation: Phase II (04/23/05)
The report describes the methods and results for obtaining a 12-km resolution 2002 wind blown dust emissions inventory for the WRAP region, as well as an inventory for adjacent regions. Comments should be provided to Lee Alter (lalter@westgov.org) by May 31, 2005.

• Report (3.6 MB) PDF
• Appendix A (0.3 MB) PDF
• Appendix B (4.6 MB) PDF

Project Update and Summary of Emissions for Four Scenarios (09/02/04) PDF or PPT

Recommendations for the Phase II Windblown Fugitive Dust Emission Project (06/04/04) PDF or DOC

Final Report - Determining Fugitive Dust Emissions from Wind Erosion - Phase 1 (PDF, 4.7MB)
On behalf of the Emissions and Dust Emissions Forums, a team of contractors led by ENVIRON Corporation has produced a 1996 windblown dust emission inventory by employing an empirical methodology based on the method developed by MacDougall. A limited number of wind tunnel studies have been conducted in the western United States that include descriptions of vacant land that require characterization. Based upon vacant land categories, wind tunnel study results were reviewed and applied appropriately to each category. This Phase 1 project had two primary goals: 1) to develop a general methodology and program code for estimating fugitive dust emissions from wind erosion, and 2) to develop 1996 PM2.5 and PM10 windblown dust emissions inventories for the WRAP region modeling domain.

This final report is the starting point for Phase 2 of this project, which will improve the performance of the windblown dust emissions estimates for use in regional air quality modeling. Phase 2 will be a 2004 task for the WRAP Regional Modeling Center. Please contact Tom Moore with any questions about the Phase 1 report, or the Phase 2 task activities. (3/12/04)

Wind-Blown Dust Emissions
The images below illustrate how dust is emitted into the atmosphere by the wind. Typically, particles are either entrained directly by the wind or entrained after larger particles begin to creep and bounce on the surface. This process is known as saltation. Saltation can fracture or disconglomerate soil particles into smaller, suspendable particles which then become entrained as atmospheric dust. This process can be observed in more detail in hi- or lo- bandwidth by clicking the links below the images. (07/30/04)

View detail: Hi-Bandwidth | Lo-Bandwidth

Additional documents regarding Fugitive Dust

RFP for Determining Fugitive Dust Emissions from Wind Erosion (08/01/02) PDF

Empirical Method for Determining Fugitive Dust Emissions from Wind Erosion of Vacant Land (06/07/02) DOC

Teleconference on WRAP Dust Issue (05/07/01) DOC
The Emissions Forum coordinated a conference call on fugitive dust issues in the WRAP 1996 Base Year Emissions Inventory, and on potential cooperative efforts between the WRAP/EPA/WESTAR to address these concerns.