Document Type : Original Article
Author
Department of Soil Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh,Maragheh, Iran.
Abstract
Climate change, accelerated by human activities, has led to the shrinkage and disappearance of salt lakes worldwide. In northwestern Iran, the gradual drying of Lake Urmia has exposed lakebed sediments to wind erosion, turning sandy-saline areas in its southeastern region into a primary source of dust generation. This study examines the effects of various concentrations and application methods of sodium alginate on increasing the resistance of soil samples from these sandy-saline areas against wind erosion. Sodium alginate was applied at four concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) using three methods: dry spraying, wet spraying, and mixing with soil followed by compaction. Key properties such as crust thickness, compressive strength, and changes in compressive strength with soil depth were evaluated. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to measure soil loss, while electron microscopy imaging and elemental analysis were used to investigate the structural bonds formed between soil particles. Results revealed that a 0.5% sodium alginate concentration produced thicker crusts across all application methods. The highest compressive strength (up to 13,053 kPa) was achieved using the 2% sodium alginate concentration with the mixing and compaction method. Wind tunnel tests demonstrated a significant reduction in soil loss, decreasing from 47.29% in the distilled water treatment (control) to 10.75% and 6.37% with 0.5% and 1% sodium alginate treatments, respectively. Microscopic analyses of the crusts,, showed that sodium alginate remained effectively integrated into the soil samples. By forming a durable surface coating on soil particles, sodium alginate enhanced the soil’s resistance to wind erosion.
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