Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina

Autores
Dematte, Rodolfo; Caron, Pablo; Huepe, Josefina
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
español castellano
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión aceptada
Descripción
Wind has a significant influence on agricultural ecosystems, contributing to both beneficial processes, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and adverse effects, including physical damage to crops, desiccation, disease propagation, and wind erosion with soil nutrient loss. In the province of Mendoza, in western Argentina, vineyards are grown on sandy loam soils in a predominantly arid climate. These conditions, combined with the presence of intense winds such as the "Zonda wind"—a warm, dry current descending from the Andes Mountains—generate a high susceptibility to wind erosion. This phenomenon represents a significant challenge for soil conservation and the sustainability of local viticultural production. This study quantified wind erosion in Mendoza vineyards using two complementary approaches: laboratory-scale experimental tests in a wind tunnel, in contrast with empirical estimations using the USDA Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). According to the annual estimation of the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ), soil loss was 195 t/ha·year. In contrast, wind tunnel tests at 12.5 m/s (without forest barriers) recorded 504 t/ha·year, which is 2.58 times the WEQ estimate (+158%). The latter is equivalent to an instantaneous rate of 3.6 kg/m²·h, calculated for a frequency of 14 hours per year of extreme wind. The difference indicates that empirical models, such as the WEQ, tend to underestimate erosion during critical events, whereas tunnel tests enable the evaluation of the actual magnitude of soil loss. In this context, the high vulnerability of Mendoza vineyards to wind erosion is highlighted, and the need to implement mitigation strategies that contribute to soil conservation and the sustainability of viticultural production is reinforced.
Fil: Dematte, Rodolfo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.
Fil: Caron, Pablo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.
Fil: Huepe, Josefina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.
Materia
Wind erosion
Wind Tunnel
WEQ
Argentina
Mendoza
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Argentina
Repositorio
Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN)
Institución
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
OAI Identificador
oai:ria.utn.edu.ar:20.500.12272/15311

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spelling Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, ArgentinaDematte, RodolfoCaron, PabloHuepe, JosefinaWind erosionWind TunnelWEQArgentinaMendozaWind has a significant influence on agricultural ecosystems, contributing to both beneficial processes, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and adverse effects, including physical damage to crops, desiccation, disease propagation, and wind erosion with soil nutrient loss. In the province of Mendoza, in western Argentina, vineyards are grown on sandy loam soils in a predominantly arid climate. These conditions, combined with the presence of intense winds such as the "Zonda wind"—a warm, dry current descending from the Andes Mountains—generate a high susceptibility to wind erosion. This phenomenon represents a significant challenge for soil conservation and the sustainability of local viticultural production. This study quantified wind erosion in Mendoza vineyards using two complementary approaches: laboratory-scale experimental tests in a wind tunnel, in contrast with empirical estimations using the USDA Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). According to the annual estimation of the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ), soil loss was 195 t/ha·year. In contrast, wind tunnel tests at 12.5 m/s (without forest barriers) recorded 504 t/ha·year, which is 2.58 times the WEQ estimate (+158%). The latter is equivalent to an instantaneous rate of 3.6 kg/m²·h, calculated for a frequency of 14 hours per year of extreme wind. The difference indicates that empirical models, such as the WEQ, tend to underestimate erosion during critical events, whereas tunnel tests enable the evaluation of the actual magnitude of soil loss. In this context, the high vulnerability of Mendoza vineyards to wind erosion is highlighted, and the need to implement mitigation strategies that contribute to soil conservation and the sustainability of viticultural production is reinforced.Fil: Dematte, Rodolfo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.Fil: Caron, Pablo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.Fil: Huepe, Josefina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.Universidad Tecnológica Nacional2026-07-27T18:57:46Z2025-02-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articulopdfapplication/pdfInternational Journal of Environmental Engineering and Development,E-ISSN: 2945-1159, Volume 3, 2025, Art. #1https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12272/15311spainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Argentinahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/Uso académico de acceso libre.reponame:Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN)instname:Universidad Tecnológica Nacional2026-09-24T12:46:13Zoai:ria.utn.edu.ar:20.500.12272/15311instacron:UTNInstitucionalhttp://ria.utn.edu.ar/Universidad públicaNo correspondehttp://ria.utn.edu.ar/oaigestionria@rec.utn.edu.ar; fsuarez@rec.utn.edu.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:a2026-09-24 12:46:14.363Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN) - Universidad Tecnológica Nacionalfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
title Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
spellingShingle Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
Dematte, Rodolfo
Wind erosion
Wind Tunnel
WEQ
Argentina
Mendoza
title_short Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
title_full Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
title_fullStr Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
title_sort Quantitative evaluation of wind erosion in extreme win scenarios. Case study : Mendoza, Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Dematte, Rodolfo
Caron, Pablo
Huepe, Josefina
author Dematte, Rodolfo
author_facet Dematte, Rodolfo
Caron, Pablo
Huepe, Josefina
author_role author
author2 Caron, Pablo
Huepe, Josefina
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Wind erosion
Wind Tunnel
WEQ
Argentina
Mendoza
topic Wind erosion
Wind Tunnel
WEQ
Argentina
Mendoza
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Wind has a significant influence on agricultural ecosystems, contributing to both beneficial processes, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and adverse effects, including physical damage to crops, desiccation, disease propagation, and wind erosion with soil nutrient loss. In the province of Mendoza, in western Argentina, vineyards are grown on sandy loam soils in a predominantly arid climate. These conditions, combined with the presence of intense winds such as the "Zonda wind"—a warm, dry current descending from the Andes Mountains—generate a high susceptibility to wind erosion. This phenomenon represents a significant challenge for soil conservation and the sustainability of local viticultural production. This study quantified wind erosion in Mendoza vineyards using two complementary approaches: laboratory-scale experimental tests in a wind tunnel, in contrast with empirical estimations using the USDA Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). According to the annual estimation of the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ), soil loss was 195 t/ha·year. In contrast, wind tunnel tests at 12.5 m/s (without forest barriers) recorded 504 t/ha·year, which is 2.58 times the WEQ estimate (+158%). The latter is equivalent to an instantaneous rate of 3.6 kg/m²·h, calculated for a frequency of 14 hours per year of extreme wind. The difference indicates that empirical models, such as the WEQ, tend to underestimate erosion during critical events, whereas tunnel tests enable the evaluation of the actual magnitude of soil loss. In this context, the high vulnerability of Mendoza vineyards to wind erosion is highlighted, and the need to implement mitigation strategies that contribute to soil conservation and the sustainability of viticultural production is reinforced.
Fil: Dematte, Rodolfo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.
Fil: Caron, Pablo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.
Fil: Huepe, Josefina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Mendoza; Argentina.
description Wind has a significant influence on agricultural ecosystems, contributing to both beneficial processes, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and adverse effects, including physical damage to crops, desiccation, disease propagation, and wind erosion with soil nutrient loss. In the province of Mendoza, in western Argentina, vineyards are grown on sandy loam soils in a predominantly arid climate. These conditions, combined with the presence of intense winds such as the "Zonda wind"—a warm, dry current descending from the Andes Mountains—generate a high susceptibility to wind erosion. This phenomenon represents a significant challenge for soil conservation and the sustainability of local viticultural production. This study quantified wind erosion in Mendoza vineyards using two complementary approaches: laboratory-scale experimental tests in a wind tunnel, in contrast with empirical estimations using the USDA Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). According to the annual estimation of the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ), soil loss was 195 t/ha·year. In contrast, wind tunnel tests at 12.5 m/s (without forest barriers) recorded 504 t/ha·year, which is 2.58 times the WEQ estimate (+158%). The latter is equivalent to an instantaneous rate of 3.6 kg/m²·h, calculated for a frequency of 14 hours per year of extreme wind. The difference indicates that empirical models, such as the WEQ, tend to underestimate erosion during critical events, whereas tunnel tests enable the evaluation of the actual magnitude of soil loss. In this context, the high vulnerability of Mendoza vineyards to wind erosion is highlighted, and the need to implement mitigation strategies that contribute to soil conservation and the sustainability of viticultural production is reinforced.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-02-01
2026-07-27T18:57:46Z
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv International Journal of Environmental Engineering and Development,E-ISSN: 2945-1159, Volume 3, 2025, Art. #1
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12272/15311
identifier_str_mv International Journal of Environmental Engineering and Development,E-ISSN: 2945-1159, Volume 3, 2025, Art. #1
url https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12272/15311
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv spa
language spa
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Argentina
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
Uso académico de acceso libre.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Argentina
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
Uso académico de acceso libre.
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN)
instname:Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
reponame_str Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN)
collection Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN)
instname_str Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositorio Institucional Abierto (UTN) - Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
repository.mail.fl_str_mv gestionria@rec.utn.edu.ar; fsuarez@rec.utn.edu.ar
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