Sand Drift Research Articles

Evolutionary stage, anthropogenic activities and evolution of the Itapeva dunefield (Torres-RS, Brazil)

Transgressive coastal dunefields dominate the southern coast of Brazil, and few studies are investigating the factors driving their historical changes. The aim of this study is to investigate spatio-temporal changes over the last 60 years in the Itapeva coastal transgressive dunefield (northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul state) and also the factors influencing these changes. The dunefield is analyzed via various methods including (i) spatial and temporal analyses of the dunefield utilizing aerial photography, satellite imagery and Geographic Information System, (ii) climatic analysis from 1961 to present and (iii) sand drift calculations. The results show a significant decrease in the mobile dunes area since 1953, an increase in vegetation cover, and an increase in urbanization area. While anthropogenic factors have influenced the dunefield (e.g. sediment removal and urbanization development), results of this study show that an increase in rainfall and decrease in average wind velocity are also responsible for the main spatial changes, vegetation colonization and stabilization processes in the Itapeva dunefield. The dunefield has also evolved into a new stage where deflation basin development and enlargement has encouraged vegetation colonization and expansion

Monitoring Sand Drift Potential and Sand Dune Mobility over the Last Three Decades (Khartouran Erg, Sabzevar, NE Iran)

Aeolian sediments cover about 6% of the earth’s surface, of which 97% occur in arid regions, and these sediments cover about 20% of the world’s lands. Sand drifts can harm sensitive ecosystems; therefore, this research has aimed to study wind regimes and the monitoring of sand drift potential and dune mobility in the Khartouran Erg (NE Iran). The study investigated 30 years of wind speed and direction to better understand sand dune mobility processes using the Fryberger and Tsoar methods. The results of the wind regime study showed that the eastern (33.4%) and northeastern (14.3%) directions were more frequent, but the study of winds greater than the threshold (6 m/s) in winter, spring, and autumn indicated the dominance of eastern and northern wind directions. Findings of calm winds showed that winters (40.4%) had the highest frequency, and summers (15%) had the lowest frequency; the annual frequency was 30%. The average wind speed in summers was the highest (4.38 m/s), and, in the winters, it was the lowest (2.28 m/s); the annual average wind speed was 3.3 m/s. The annual drift potential (DP = 173 VU) showed that it was categorized as low class, and the winds carried sand to the southwest. The monitoring of drift potential showed that there was a sharp increase between 2003 and 2008, which could have been attributed to a change in wind speeds in the region. Unite directional index, the index of directional variability, has been alternating from 0.3 to 0.6 for 30 years. Furthermore, monitoring of sand mobility recorded a value from 0.1 to 0.4, and the lowest and highest values were registered from 0.08 to 0.9, with an average of 0.27. Finally, it can be concluded that sand dunes have been fixed for a long time, and the intensity of the mobility index is affected by climate changes.

Dynamic ordering transitions in charged solid

The phenomenon of group motion is common in nature, ranging from the schools of fish, birds and insects, to avalanches, landslides and sand drift. If we treat objects as collectively moving particles, such phenomena can be studied from a physical point of view, and the research on many-body systems has proved that marvelous effects can arise from the simplest individuals. The motion of numerous individuals presents different dynamic phases related to the ordering of the system. However, it is usually difficult to study the dynamic ordering and its transitions through experiments. Electron bubble states formed in a two-dimensional electron gas, as a type of electron solids, can be driven by an external electric field and provide a platform to study the dynamic collective behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that the noise spectrum is a powerful method to investigate the dynamics of bubble states. We observed not only the phenomena of dynamically ordered and disordered structures, but also unexpected alternations between them. Our results show that a dissipative system can convert between chaotic structures and ordered structures when tuning global parameters, which is concealed in conventional transport measurements of resistance or conductance. Moreover, charging the objects to study the electrical noise spectrum in collective motions can be an additional approach to revealing dynamic ordering transitions.

Sand drift potential impacts within desert railway corridors: a case study of the Sarakhs-Mashhad railway line

Railways play a key role in the connection between urban and rural areas and enhance the economic sectors of many countries. However, little is known about wind regimes within the railway corridors, particularly in developing countries. The main aim of this research is to identify and analyze wind regimes and sand drift potential (DP) within the Sarakhs-Mashhad railway corridor based on 3-h wind speed data collected during the last two decades (1996–2016). Our results showed that the highest frequency of winds in the three monitored stations was from the northwest (NW) and north (N) for the Sarakhs (NW=21.5%, N=9.3%) and Torbat-e Jam (N=16%, NW=28.4%), and from the south (S) and east (E) for the Mashhad (S=13.49%, E=13.3%). Monthly analysis of wind regime showed that the mean frequency of calm winds increased from 26% in Torbat-e Jam to 46% in Sarakhs. Annual assessment of the sand rose graph showed that Torbat-e Jam registered the highest DP values (DP= 336, RDP= 211) and the Mashhad area the lowest (DP= 71, RDP= 22). Looking at the complete Sarakhs-Mashhad railway line corridor, summer months (particularly July) recorded the highest frequency of sand drift potential, while the autumn season recorded the lowest values. Some railway stations such as Sarakhs, Gonbadli, and Robate Sharif in the vicinity of Sarakhs Erg have the greatest threats of damage by sand movement. We recommend an increase in the stabilizing activities using biological methods of native plant species, especially planting perpendicularly to the erosive prevailing wind direction (north–northwest).

Two centuries of forest succession, and 30 years of vegetation changes in permanent plots in an inland sand dune area, The Netherlands.

There are not many sites in densely populated temperate Europe where primary forest succession has a chance to run without direct human intervention for a long time and over a relatively large area. The extensive drift sand area of the Veluwe, central Netherlands, provided an opportunity to study succession in a formerly open and dynamic inland sand dune system combining chronosequence and permanent plot approaches. Different successional stages, aged up to 205 years since the first tree individuals established, were identified and vegetation studied using 1200 permanent plots established in 1988 in three adjacent sand dune complexes of different successional age, and resampled during the past three decades. After two centuries, forest succession has proceeded to a pine forest with gradually increasing participation of native deciduous trees. However, their expansion has been arrested by browsing of wild ungulates. Species diversity peaked after about 40 years of forest succession, then declined, and increased again after 100 years. During the past three decades, the herb layer has differentiated in the oldest plots, and the spontaneous forest succession is still in progress. Besides open drift sand with early successional stages, also the spontaneously established late successional forests are valuable from the conservation point of view.

Sand Drift and Measures to Mitigate Its Impact on the Railway Track

This research provides an analytical review of measures to mitigate the impact of winds and flow on a railway track based on publications in English, Russian, French, Chinese and Spanish, identifies general and specific experience in the application of measures in a socio-geographical context, consistently sets out their physical and technical characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of technological solutions, identified prospects for further research to improve their technical, technological and economic efficiency.

Provenance of Neogene sandstones in western Taiwan traced with garnet geochemistry and zircon geochronology

AbstractIn this study, we use provenance analysis to shed light on the Neogene evolution of river drainage and sediment dispersal in eastern Asia as a consequence of the Himalayan orogeny and topographic rise of the Tibetan Plateau. As an attempt to envisage how sediment‐routing systems operated in the past, and to identify the ultimate source of siliciclastic detritus originally generated in mainland China and now incorporated in, and recycled from, the western Taiwan accretionary prism, we have used Raman spectroscopy of detrital garnet in modern river sands and upper Neogene sandstones, complemented by detrital‐zircon geochronology and by petrographic and heavy‐mineral analysis. Garnet grains are relatively abundant and largely represented by almandine with various percentages of pyrope molecules in Yangtze sand as in western Taiwan sandstones and modern river sand derived from them. Instead, they are rare and largely represented by grossular or andradite in the sand of the Pearl River and of coastal rivers of SE China facing the Taiwan Strait. This finding supports the result of detrital geochronology, which documents a sharp difference between U‐Pb age spectra of Pearl River and coastal SE China zircons (characterised by a Paleozoic‐Mesozoic triple peak) and Yangtze and western Taiwan zircons (characterised by prominent Neoproterozoic, Paleoproterozoic, and latest Archean clusters). The Pearl River and minor rivers facing the Taiwan Strait are thus ruled out as ultimate sources of upper Neogene sandstones exposed today along the western front of the Taiwan fold‐thrust belt. In the envisaged scenario, sand mostly supplied by the paleo‐Yangtze River was entrained for ~ca.1,000 km southward by longshore currents and deposited on the Chinese passive margin before being accreted along the front of the Taiwan orogen since ~6 Ma. Littoral sand drift represents a major factor of long‐distance sediment transport in modern shelves and needs to be taken into full account in source‐to‐sink studies and paleogeographic reconstructions.

Проблема песчаных заносов на железных дорогах

The sand drift of the railway track and the blowing of the roadbed negatively affect the elements of the track infrastructure to such an extent that they reach the limit states at which it becomes impossible for them to continue functioning. This leads to a violation of train safety. To assess the negative impact of sand and determine the necessary protective measures, a method of visual monitoring of the state of the track is proposed.

Landscape changes and human–landscape interaction during the first millennium AD in the Netherlands

Abstract The first millennium AD encompasses the Roman period (12 BC to AD 450) and the Early Middle Ages (AD 450 to 1050). In the Netherlands, this millennium saw population growth, steep decline and subsequent revival. In addition, many changes occurred in the physical landscape, marking a transition from a mainly natural prehistorical lowland landscape to an increasingly human-affected landscape. This paper synthesises the main landscape changes and human–landscape interactions in the Netherlands during this dynamic period. The degree of landscape change is compared between the coastal plain, the delta and the Pleistocene sand area. Human activities caused major often unintended geomorphological changes in all studied landscapes. Landscape sensitivity to human impact, however, strongly varied as a function of preceding landscape state. The most prominent changes took place in many parts of the coastal plain, where back-barrier peatlands transformed into open tidal basins. Presence of compaction-prone peat and intensified artificial drainage led to subsidence. This precondition and slow anthropogenic forcing combined, made the area more sensitive to stochastically occurring storms, which could serve as tipping points for large-scale drowning. Eventually, major peatlands turned into tidal areas that for many centuries would remain unsuitable for habitation. Human-induced peatland subsidence also led to the formation of the new Hollandse IJssel and Lek river branches. This marked a major reorganisation of the river network in the lower Rhine–Meuse delta. In the middle and upstream parts of the delta, the landscape was more stable. Yet, settlements on the natural levees show adaption to increasing flooding frequency from the Late Roman period onwards. The settlements shifted towards higher positions, while route networks between them largely remained intact. Smaller-scale landscape changes were found in the Pleistocene sand area. Here, local sand drifting occurred, most frequently occurring close to human movement corridors. Drift sand intensity became larger as population density increased after c.AD 900.

Sand Grain Size and Organic Matter Concentration in the Intertidal Zones on the Southwest Coast of Taiwan

From April 2013 to April 2014, the average pH and water temperature of the Taisi oyster cultivation area (TS, Yunlin County, Taiwan) were 8.05 (7.35 - 8.45) and 24.7˚C (13.7˚C - 32.8˚C) (N = 8226) The average organic matter (OM) concentration at sites TS-A and TS-B were 6.9% ± 1.3% and 6.9% ± 1.2%, and the weight of drift sand was 40.3 ± 19.1 g/d/m2 and 28.5 ± 34.3 g/d/m2 (N = 27). Considerable sand drifting typically occurs during the southwest monsoon season in summer. The average OM concentration at five dunes from Zhuoshui estuary to Zengwun estuary was 23.9 ± 4.5 g/kg. The percentage of sand grain weight of 0.15 - 0.25 mm and 0.25 - 0.60 mm was 82.5% ± 14.2% and 10.5% ± 12.0%. In the spring and autumn of 2015, the average OM concentration at the eight intertidal zones from Hanbao to Cigu was 49.8 ± 34.1 g/kg (N = 177), and the OM concentrations at Huwei estuary and Hanbao and Fangyuan intertidal zones were relatively high. The OM concentration (95.3 ± 75.7 g/kg) of the low tide zone of Huwei estuary was the highest among all tidal zones. The OM concentration during spring (59.4 ± 41.7 g/kg, N = 95) was higher than that in autumn (39.1 ± 17.8 g/kg, N = 84). For sand grain size ranges 0.15 - 0.25 and 0.063 - 0.15 mm, the weight ratio of intertidal sediment was 39.4% ± 26.9% and 27.6% ± 20.1%, respectively. The broad and flat intertidal zone was marked by fine sand and long intertidal zone; the weight ratio of SGSs < 0.25 mm exceeded 65%, and the OM concentration was between 20 and 30 g/kg. Coastal habitat diversity creates differences in biological communities, especially among crabs and benthic organisms. A greater understanding of coastal environments can aid in the management of coastal wetlands.

Lake and inland dunes as interconnected Systems: The story of Lake Tresssee and an adjacent dune field (Schleswig-Holstein, North Germany)

The specific aim of the study was to investigate how four adjacent geomorphological systems – a lake, a dune field, a small alluvial fan and a slope system – responded to the same impacts. Lake Tresssee is a shallow lake in the North of Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). During the Holocene, the lake’s water surface declined drastically, predominately as a consequence of human impact. The adjacent inland dune field shows several traces of former sand drift events. Using 30 new radiocarbon ages and the results of 16 OSL samples, this study aims to create a new timeline tracing the interaction between lake and dunes, as well, as how both the lake and the dunes reacted to environmental changes. The water level of the lake is presumed to have peaked during the period before the Younger Dryas (YD; start at 10.73 ka BC). After the Boreal period (OSL age 8050 ± 690 BC) the level must have undergone fluctuations triggered by climatic events and the first human influences. The last demonstrable high water level was during the Late Bronze Age (1003–844 cal. BC). The first to the 9th century AD saw slightly shrinking water levels, and more significant ones thereafter. In the 19th century, the lake area was artificially reduced to a minimum by the human population. In the dunes, a total of seven different phases of sand drift were demonstrated for the last 13,000 years. It is one of the most precisely dated inland-dune chronologies of Central Europe. The small alluvial fan took shape mainly between the 13th and 17th centuries AD. After 1700 cal. BC (Middle Bronze Age), and again during the sixth and seventh centuries AD, we find enhanced slope activity with the formation of Holocene colluvia.

SOME QUESTIONS STUDY OF DEFLATION PROCESSES AND SAND TRANSPORT IN THE DRAINED BOTTOM OF THE ARAL SEA

The article discusses the results of the study of sandy deserts, which allowed us to obtain and reveal a number of important laws and mechanisms of formation, formation, movement and development of Aeolian landforms. The establishment of these patterns helps to solve a number of practical tasks to combat sand drifts in the sandy desert of various objects. In connection with the prospects for the development of this territory, it is very important to know the direction and intensity of the development of these processes. The obtained data on the mechanism and structure of the entire air-soil flow, starting from the moment of its formation, i.e. in the blowing zone, and ending with the transfer and deposition of soil particles by wind in the accumulation zone, make it possible to increase the level of scientific validity of the rational use of soil resources, as well as to take timely measures to protect the environment.

CWE study of wind flow around railways: Effects of embankment and track system on sand sedimentation

Desert railways are constantly exposed to incoming sand blown by the wind. The railway body acts as an obstacle that perturbs the wind flow and the sand drift, resulting in zones of sand sedimentation and erosion. The insight into the local flow around the railway track and resulting sedimentation patterns is a necessary prerequisite to predict and prevent sand-induced limit states.The present study generally aims at filling such a gap, by investigating the local flow and the related potential sedimentation patterns around railways. The knowledge acquired about such patterns is required in the perspective of the design of innovative on-track Receiver Sand Mitigation Measures. The study adopts a Computational Wind Engineering approach to simulate the local wind flow, to obtain the shear stress field at the ground, to derive from it sand sedimentation/erosion patterns, and to obtain bulk performance metrics. The performances of different railway substructures and track systems are discussed under different incoming wind speeds and yaw angles. The simulated sedimentation/erosion patterns qualitatively agree with the field evidences observed along desert railways. The comparative analysis shows that rails elevated by humped sleepers or slab on top of a gentle-sloped substructure perform better than other track systems.

Monitoring shoreline changes and aeolian sand encroachment, Nasser Lake, Egypt, using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Sand encroachment takes place when sand grains are transported by winds and collect on the glide, along watercourses. The drifts of dunes are the most important events leading to future disasters. Monitoring shoreline changes and mapping these changes at Nasser Lake using GIS and remote sensing techniques at regular periods represents the first significant step in accurately characterizing the problem. The data show a relationship between shoreline morphology, dune morphology and erosion/accretion. The analysis results show that the sands encroaching on the lake are in the shape of sand sheets, not dunes. Change detection was observed on images, and at the same time it was not possible to find rates of sand drift through remote sensing only. Nevertheless, it was found that the origin of sand is further north and that the wind, which is oriented south to southeastward, deposits its load near the lake or in it. Mitigation of dynamic sand should involve consideration of its source, corridors of movement and the site or sites of deposition. Zoning of the fluvial zone for regulatory design and assessing the potential impact of rising water levels indicates severe erosion in many locations, due to reduction in sediment supply by recharge dams and roads and the long-term process of rising water levels.

The mechanism of sand damage at the Fushaliang section of the Liuyuan–Golmud expressway

Abstract The Liuyuan–Golmud Expressway is located in the extreme arid area inland of the Hexi Corridor and Qaidam Basin. This expressway, particularly its Fushaliang section, is prone to serious blown sand hazards. The causes of these hazards remain unknown, thereby hindering targeted sand prevention and control. The aim of this paper is investigate the mechanism of sand damage in Fushaliang by performing a field observation of the locale and conducting wind tunnel simulation experiments. Results show that the sand-moving wind in Fushaliang dominates in the northwest west (WNW) direction. The wind speed, sand-moving wind frequency, sand drift potential, and maximum possible sand transport quantity in Fushaliang are high during summer and low during winter, and the yearly resultant sand transport dominates in the southeast east (ESE) direction. The wind route in Fushaliang is approximately perpendicular to the dominant wind and sand transport directions. During summer, sand materials are blown by the wind from WNW to ESE, after which they are blocked by the expressway roadbed. An area with high wind speed is observed at the shoulder of the windward roadbed slope that leads to a blown sand flow erosion. Meanwhile, low wind speed areas are observed –5H at the upwind direction of the roadbed and from the shoulder of the leeward slope of the roadbed to the 15H downwind direction. These areas accumulate sand materials at the up- and down-wind directions and then release them to the leeward slope of the roadbed, thereby resulting in blown sand hazards. The findings of this work can guide the prevention and control of sand damage in this section of the expressway.

Formation of the Wahiba Sand Sea in the Sultanate of Oman: implications of change in wind energy

The Wahiba Sand Sea is a north-south aeolian field that occupies the northeast corner of the Sultanate of Oman. Two main phases of sand dunes are conspicuous in this dune field as revealed by satellite data, namely High Sands in the north and Low Sands in the south. They are completely different in grain color and dune morphology. Granulometric and mineralogical analyses of sediments reveal more than a single source of sand supply for the two regions. Linear dune belts cover the northern dune field and complex transverse ridges predominate at the southern area. Hourly wind data from two meteorological stations at Ibra and Masirah in the north and south of the sand sea, respectively, were collected for 11 years (Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2010) in order to calculate the seasonal and annual sand drift potential along the sides of the sand sea. Results showed that wind energy is extremely high at Masirah due to the SW summer and fall monsoons, whereas at Ibra, wind energy is very low. The drop of sand drift potential (DP) from south to north is clearly observed from analyzing sand moving winds by empirical equations. The morphology of dunes and the direction of sand drift potential suggest two dune fields in the sand sea. The current pattern of wind regime in the north is presumably different from the prevailing wind during dune formation, whereas the dunes in the south were significantly formed by the recent wind regimes. This observation implies that two connected dune fields constitute the Wahiba Sand Sea.

Influence of Climate and Land Use Change on the Groundwater System of the Veluwe, The Netherlands: A Historical and Future Perspective

Changes in land use and climate have a large influence on groundwater recharge and levels. In The Netherlands, precipitation shifts from summer to winter are expected, combined with an increase in summer temperature leading to higher evaporation. These changes in climate could threaten the fresh water supply and increase the importance of large groundwater reservoirs. Sustainable management of these groundwater reservoirs, therefore, is crucial. Changes in land use could help mitigate the effects of climate change by decreasing the evaporation. In this study, we investigate the effect of changes in climate and land use on a large groundwater reservoir in The Netherlands, the Veluwe, for a historical period (1850–2016) and in the future (2036–2065). During the historical period, evaporation increased due to conversions from heather and drift sand to pine forest across the Veluwe. This change in land use had a larger effect on the groundwater recharge than change in climate over the historical period. In the future, an increase in winter precipitation will lead to higher groundwater levels in the elevated parts of the region. Surrounding areas are more vulnerable to an increase in dry periods in the summer. Groundwater reservoirs provide an opportunity to store water during wetter periods, which could alleviate drought impacts in surrounding regions during dry periods. Land use change, such as conversion from pine forest to other land use types, is a possible measure to increase water availability.

Growth responses of Pinus sylvestris (L.) to burial by drift sand and its application to the reconstruction of aeolian dune development

Sand dunes represent unique environments that increase the biodiversity, geodiversity, or ecosystem services of landscapes. The knowledge of past sand dune development is crucial for realizing their effective protection. Dendrogeomorphic methods represent an effective tool for the reconstruction of geomorphic processes, but their application in aeolian geomorphology is limited. This state can be caused by limited knowledge of the tree growth responses (particularly microscopic anatomical ones) to burial by sand. Thus, tree growth responses to sand burial were studied in detail for one of the most extensively distributed tree species on European dunes – Pinus sylvestris (L.) in this study. Four buried P. sylvestris individuals occupying selected dunes in the Borská lowland (SW Slovakia) were exhumed and densely sampled at vertical distances of 5 cm. The results evidenced the distinct macroscopic growth responses of trees to burial in the form of abrupt growth suppression (51.8% on average) in four various years of sand accumulation (1990, 1994, 1999, 2012). The intensity of the increment response was not dependent on the burial depth but expressed a significant correlation with the mean tree ring series sensitivity (r = 0.68–0.93). In addition, growth suppression was always accompanied by a distinct anatomical response in the form of an increase in cell lumen area (103.5% on average). The intensity of this response was significantly dependent on the depth of burial. Both main forms of responses (abrupt growth suppression and cell lumen area increase) were detected even in the non-buried parts of stems (up 15 cm above the ground). Finally, the sand accumulation rate was calculated (2.5 cm year−1 on average) and spatially interpolated regarding the microtopography of the dune. The limits and uncertainties (absence of some expected tree growth responses) as well as the advantages (data about past dune development without monitoring) of dendrogeomorphic methods in aeolian geomorphology are discussed.

Deep Learning with Open Data for Desert Road Mapping

The availability of free and open data from Earth observation programmes such as Copernicus, and from collaborative projects such as Open Street Map (OSM), enables low cost artificial intelligence (AI) based monitoring applications. This creates opportunities, particularly in developing countries with scarce economic resources, for large–scale monitoring in remote regions. A significant portion of Earth’s surface comprises desert dune fields, where shifting sand affects infrastructure and hinders movement. A robust, cost–effective and scalable methodology is proposed for road detection and monitoring in regions covered by desert sand. The technique uses Copernicus Sentinel–1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data as an input to a deep learning model based on the U–Net architecture for image segmentation. OSM data is used for model training. The method comprises two steps: The first involves processing time series of Sentinel–1 SAR interferometric wide swath (IW) acquisitions in the same geometry to produce multitemporal backscatter and coherence averages. These are divided into patches and matched with masks of OSM roads to form the training data, the quantity of which is increased through data augmentation. The second step includes the U–Net deep learning workflow. The methodology has been applied to three different dune fields in Africa and Asia. A performance evaluation through the calculation of the Jaccard similarity coefficient was carried out for each area, and ranges from 84% to 89% for the best available input. The rank distance, calculated from the completeness and correctness percentages, was also calculated and ranged from 75% to 80%. Over all areas there are more missed detections than false positives. In some cases, this was due to mixed infrastructure in the same resolution cell of the input SAR data. Drift sand and dune migration covering infrastructure is a concern in many desert regions, and broken segments in the resulting road detections are sometimes due to sand burial. The results also show that, in most cases, the Sentinel–1 vertical transmit–vertical receive (VV) backscatter averages alone constitute the best input to the U–Net model. The detection and monitoring of roads in desert areas are key concerns, particularly given a growing population increasingly on the move.

Wind Dynamic Environment and Wind Tunnel Simulation Experiment of Bridge Sand Damage in Xierong Section of Lhasa–Linzhi Railway

The Lhasa–Linzhi Railway is located in the sandy area of the South Tibet valley, with high elevation and cold temperature. The Xierong section is a bridge section where blown sand hazards are severe. However, the disaster-causing mechanism of blown sand hazards in this section is currently unclear, thereby hindering targeted sand prevention and control. To address this problem, the wind dynamic environment of and causes of sand damage in this section are investigated through the field observation of the locale and a wind tunnel simulation experiment. Results show that the dominant sand-moving wind direction in the Xierong section is SSE. The wind speed, frequency of sand-moving wind, sand drift potential (DP), and maximum possible sand transport quantity (Q) in this section are relatively high during spring (March to May) and low during other seasons. The yearly resultant sand transport direction (RDD, RA) is SW. The angle between the route trend of this section and the sand transportation direction is 30°–45°, and the sand source is located in the east side of the railway. During spring, sand materials are blown up by the wind, forming blown sand flow and movement from the NE to SW direction. Increased wind speed area is formed between the top of the slope shoulder of the windward side of the bridge and the downwind direction of 3H, causing blown sand erosion. Meanwhile, weakened wind speed areas are formed within the distance of -3H at the upwind direction and from the downwind direction of the 3H to 20H of the bridge. These areas accumulate sand materials at the upwind and downwind directions of the bridge, thereby resulting in blown sand hazards. This research provides a scientific basis for the prevention and control of sand damage in the locale.