Sand Transport Rate and Turbulent Fluctuation in Aeolian Transportation Over the Gobi Surface Under Extremely High Winds

Abstract There are no theoretical formulas that can accurately predict the sand transport rate ( Q m ) over the Gobi surface. We report herein high‐frequency field observations of wind‐blown sand processes over the Gobi surface under extremely high winds in eastern Xinjiang, China. The results reveal that the power‐law exponent of the scaling relationship between Q m and friction wind velocity ( u τ ) in the extremely high winds with high gravel coverage Gobi area can reach 15.51, significantly exceeding that on sandy surfaces. Meanwhile, there is a favorable power‐law between Q m and the fluctuation intensity of the vertical wind velocity ( I w ), whereas the correlation between Q m and the streamwise fluctuation intensity ( I u ) is weak. Therefore, I w has a significant application in constructing the prediction model for Q m over such Gobi surfaces. This study provides a new insight into the quantitative analysis of the aeolian transport over the windy Gobi areas.