A dataset of global sand flux (1950-2021)

Simply, we use all effective friction velocities derived from the instantaneous estimates of 10 m u-component and v-component hourly wind speeds of the ERA5-Land reanalysis product from 1950 to 2021 to infer sand flux based on the physics formulas of blown sand, and according to the existing studies (Gunn et al., 2021; Chanteloube et al., 2022; Gunn et al., 2022a; Gunn et al., 2022b), further improve the conceptual framework of sand flux, and simply define the flux potential (FP), resultant flux potential (RFP) and azimuthal flux potential (FP_N, FP_NNE, FP_NE, FP_NEE, FP_E, FP_EES, FP_ES, FP_ESS, FP_S, FP_SSW, FP_WS, FP_WWS, FP_W, FP_WWN, FP_NW and FP_NNW). Specifically, FP is the sum of FPs moving to all azimuths; RFP is the resultant flux potential, represents net sand transport potential under the different wind directions; RFD is the resultant flux direction, represents net trend of sand flux; FDV is flux directional variability, defined as the ratio of RFP/FP, represents that the flux moves to the same direction (approximate to 1) or many directions (approximate to 0); FP_azimuth represents the azimuthal flux potential, the sum of azimuthal flux potentials is flux potential (FP); RFP_N or RFP_E represent that FPs to all azimuths are projected to the due-north and due-east directions in order to solve the RFP, RFD and the final FDV. All fluxes are the bulk-volume flux, the units are m2 yr-1.

Specifically, FP is the sum of FPs moving to all azimuths; RFP is the resultant flux potential, represents net sand transport potential under the different wind directions; RFD is the resultant flux direction, represents net trend of sand flux; FDV is flux directional variability, defined as the ratio of RFP/FP, represents that the flux moves to the same direction (approximate to 1) or many directions (approximate to 0); FP_azimuth represents the azimuthal flux potential, the sum of azimuthal flux potentials is flux potential (FP); RFP_N or RFP_E represent that FPs to all azimuths are projected to the due-north and due-east directions in order to solve the RFP, RFD and the final FDV.

References:

1 Gunn, A., Wanker, M., Lancaster, N., Edmonds, D. A., Ewing, R. C. & Jerolmack, D. J. 2021. Circadian rhythm of dune-field activity. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2020GL090924.

2 Chanteloube, C., Barrier, L., Derakhshani, R., Gadal, C., Braucher, R., Payet, V., Léanni, L. & Narteau, C. 2022. Source-to-sink aeolian fluxes from arid landscape dynamics in the Lut Desert. Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2021GL097342.

3 Gunn, A., Casasanta, G., Di Liberto, L., Falcini, F., Lancaster, N. & Jerolmack, D. J. 2022a. What sets aeolian dune height? Nature Communications, 13, 2401.

4 Gunn, A., East, A. & Jerolmack, D. J. 2022b. 21st-century stagnation in unvegetated sand-sea activity. Nature Communications, 13, 3670.