[Robotgroup] Something to ponder ... thinking about dust storms

[Def Egge]

I was watching a line of dust storms over the northwestern horizon a 
few weeks back.  I got to thinking about the mass of dust suspended 
in the air and how much soil was being lost on an areal basis.

Assume that only the thickness of a sheet of typing paper (0.0097 cm) 
becomes airborne.

 From each 1 acre (4046.856 m^2 = 40468560 cm^2) of bare soil, 
(0.0097 cm x 40468560 cm^2 = ) 392545.032 cm^3 of soil is removed.

Further assume that the average bulk density of soil = 1 gm / cm^3 
(actually, that is a bit low for fine textured soils more likely to 
become airborne ... 1.1 gm / cm^3  - 1.5 gm / cm^3).

That means that 392545.032 gm (392 kg) of soil is removed per 
acre.  392 kg x 2.2 lb / kg = 863 lbs (probably 950 lb - 1300 lbs) of 
soil removed per acre.

YMMV.  As Mark Twain is quoted, "There is something fascinating about 
science.  One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a 
trifling investment of fact."


-- 

All the best....

Mike