Aims: Dust is a natural hazard that predominantly occurs worldwide in arid and semi-arid regions. As such, it poses a significant challenge in the Khuzestan Province. This investigation seeks to understand more about the spatial distribution of dust sources based on landunits. Additionally, the study aims to estimate the threshold velocity and soil erodibility in Mahshahr, Omidiyeh, and Hendijan sources using a wind tunnel.
Materials & Methods: Due to the location of the relevant areas in flat and plain regions, the selection of samples and generally the basis of this research is on land types. Thus, in the mentioned study area, 32 points were selected. Then, by taking the average of each landunit, ten points were selected as the surface soil sample and transferred to the wind tunnel laboratory. Then, the velocity of the erosion threshold and the erodibility of the soil were measured at speeds of 15, 20, 25, and 30 (m.s-1) for a period of two (min). Findings: The results of wind erosion threshold estimation in the studied area showed that the velocity of wind erosion threshold varied from 17-6 (m.s-1), and the erosion rate ranged from 30 to 2200 (gr.m-2.min-1) at a wind velocity of 20(m.s-1). The lowest threshold velocity is located in the sedimentary plains of Jarahi-Mahshahr, located in the northwest of the center, and the highest amount of erosion was in the alluviums and Alluvial Fans of Hendijan anticline, located in the southeast of the center.
Conclusion: This study considers the primary factor of dust emission potential based on landunits and reveals the substantial of alluvium, alluvial fans, and alluvial plains as significant contributors to the erodible sediment contributing to dust emissions in the study area. Alluviums and alluvial fans deposited by ephemeral rivers in the eastern foothills of Hendijan contain fine-grained sediments and marl that are highly erodible and must be stabilized early on. Furthermore, according to the results of granulation tests conducted by the Chepil theory, the erodibility of all samples collected from the dust sources of Khuzestan Province was high, and all samples were sensitive to wind erosion. By locating dust sources based on land-units, we can implement more accurate and effective land stabilization methods against wind erosion in alluvium, alluvial fans, and alluvial plains. Furthermore, using the Chipel theory and grain size, we can classify the soil erosion susceptibility of these areas