Relative Occurrence of Soil Transport Mechanisms and its ranking: At Al-Wafra and Al- Jahra-Subiya Area Situated Along the Major Sand Corridors of Kuwait PDF

Keywords

aeolian sand, creep, saltation, suspension, soil stabilization, windbreaks

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the occurrence, mechanisms and ranking of aeolian sand particle movement through particle size analysis of recently deposited wind-blown soil materials in the sensitive and selected desert areas of Kuwait -Wafra and Al-Jahra-Subiya). These areas fall in the two major sand corridors of Kuwait. The acolian movement mechanisms were evaluated through particle size analysis of recently deposited sand sediment. Soil samples were collected from two areas Al Wafra area in the southern part of Kuwait and Al-Jahra-Subiya area in the northern eastern part of the state. The particle size analysis of the soil samples revealed the dominance of acolian particles. Saltation of sand particles movement was concluded to be dominant, followed by creep and then in the Al-Wafra area, the percentage of particles distribution in the saltation was calculated to be 41.0 to 90.0% with average of 72.4%. This was followed by creep which ranged between 8.0 and 57.0%, with an average of 25.1%, and a suspension of 0.5 to 5.0%, with an average of 2.36%. In Jahra-Subiya area, the percentage of particle distribution in the saltation ranged between 65.0 to 940%, with an average of 85.8%. Creep ranged between 4.0-33.0%, with an average of 11.6%, and the suspension ranged between 0.2-40% with an average of 1.8%. The results suggest that the control of the sallation movement in the desert of Kuwait could lead to reducing the mass movement of sand particles. This could be achieved by using soil stabilization processes or windbreaks