Section 4: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering
Soil and Water Erosion
Subtopic: Mechanics of soil erosion – wind and water erosion
Question Statement:
In wind erosion, the maximum portion of soil is transported by the process of __________.
Options:
(A) suspension
(B) saltation
(C) surface creep
(D) bed load
Official Answer Key:
B
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
Wind moves soil by three mechanisms, and their shares of the total transported mass are well established:
Saltation (50–75 %) — particles roughly 0.1–0.5 mm in size hop in short bouncing trajectories. On landing they dislodge further particles, making saltation both the largest transport mode and the trigger for the other two.
Suspension (3–40 %) — the finest particles (< 0.1 mm) are carried aloft over long distances.
Surface creep (5–25 %) — the coarsest particles (0.5–2 mm) roll and slide along the surface, pushed by the impact of saltating grains.
Hence the maximum portion moves by saltation. Option (D), bed load, is a water-erosion (sediment transport) term, not a wind-erosion mode.
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