Differences in Dust Release, Near-Surface Transport Structure, and Static Settling Among Farmland Soils Under Wind Erosion

Farmland wind erosion is usually assessed only by emission intensity, with limited understanding of how soil differences propagate through transport and post-wind settling. Here, seven typical farmland soils from west-central Inner Mongolia, northern China, were tested in a closed-circuit wind tunnel under five wind speeds (8.0–14.0 m s−1). Based on particle-size composition, dry aggregate fractions, and organic matter content, the soils were grouped into three particle–aggregate groups. The results showed that, at 14.0 m s−1, differences in measured particle–aggregate properties among soils were first reflected in marked differences in steady dust release intensity and vertically integrated transport input, which ranged from 27.78 to 76.39 mg m−3 and from 14.52 to 135.32 g m−2 10 min−1, respectively. These differences were then transmitted to the near-surface transport layer, where the soils exhibited contrasting patterns in upper-layer contribution, transport height, and vertical particle-size sorting. After wind cessation, the soils further diverged into early-concentrated, transitional, and sustained-accumulation settling types. Steady dust release intensity was positively correlated with transport input and also with early deposition load. These findings indicate that particle-size and aggregate properties influence not only dust release, but also the organization of transport processes and the post-wind fate of particles.