Study on wind dynamics characteristics and sand transport laws in the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor

As the most important transportation corridor in the heart of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor experiences varying degrees and forms of wind–sand hazards, posing serious threats to the construction and maintenance of infrastructure. To reveal the spatial distribution and transport patterns of these hazards and provide a scientific basis for mitigation, this study conducted systematic field measurements and sand particle analysis in the region to quantify key eolian parameters. The results indicate that the annual average wind speed ranged from 3.14 to 3.80 m·s−1, and the annual sand-moving wind frequency ranged from 19.83 to 26.55 percent. Both the annual average wind speed and the annual sand-moving wind frequency gradually increased from north to south, with the predominant annual wind direction and sand-moving wind direction being westerly. The sand particle size in the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor was mainly medium to fine sand, with the intensity of wind–sand activity and the drift potential gradually increasing from north to south. Temporally, sand transport mainly occurred in winter and spring, and spatially, it predominantly moved from the west to east, intersecting nearly perpendicularly with the north–south linear engineering structures within the corridor, causing hazards. The research results provide a scientific basis for the planning, design, and wind–sand prevention of infrastructure in the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor.