In all coastal regions and temperate areas where the natural vegetation has been destroyed through resource extraction activities, moisture is an important surface limiting factor inhibiting wind erosion. However, transport is known to occur over wet surfaces, though the relations underlying the saltation process are not well understood. This wind tunnel study attempts to gain a better understanding of the boundary layer response and flux over wet surfaces using identical tests over dry and stabilized surfaces for comparison.; Results indicate that flux measurements are essentially identical irrespective of surface condition (i.e. wet or dry), however fewer grains are saltating over the wet beds. The majority of the grains moving over wet surfaces saltate to heights of 50-80 mm, with very few moving below this range. As a result, shear stresses within the lower region are considerably lower over wet surfaces than dry ones. Evidence suggests shear stress over a dry surface is above threshold in the presence of saltation, regardless of freestream velocity. The empirical data are used to test a model of aeolian transport over a wet surface from a dry source area and incorporates particle supply constraints and boundary layer response.
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