Wind Shear Velocity Research Articles

A Wind Tunnel Experiment Study on Splash Functions During Sand Saltation

AbstractSplash functions delineate the intricate interaction between wind‐driven particles and the bed. However, due to limitations in measurement methods, achieving a comprehensive understanding of splash functions remains challenging. In this study, we utilized a high‐speed system and particle trajectory tracking algorithm to reconstruct 857 collision events involving natural sand particles obtained from field samples and artificial glass microspheres interacting with a bed composed of analogous particles in a wind tunnel. During the experiments, the ratio of the wind shear velocity (u*) to the impact threshold (u*ti) consistently ranged between approximately 1.22 and 1.79. Our findings indicate that the impact angle remains independent of both impact velocity and particle size, maintaining an approximate value of 10.5 ± 6.5°. The evaluation of splash functions depends on the criterion used to define ejection, that is, the ratio of the centroid's height of the liftoff particles to their particle size (H/d). Additionally, at the same critical height (H/d = 1.5), our splash functions show differences of varying degrees from previous experiments and theoretical studies performed under no wind conditions. We believe that the main reason for these differences may be that the energy exchange between the bed surface and the airflow increases the looseness of the large‐particle (>0.1 mm) bed surface. These findings hold significant implications for accurately modeling sand‐bed collisions in natural environments.

Tipping in a low-dimensional model of a tropical cyclone

A presumed impact of global climate change is the increase in frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. Due to the possible destruction that occurs when tropical cyclones make landfall, understanding their formation should be of mass interest. In 2017, Kerry Emanuel modeled tropical cyclone formation by developing a low-dimensional dynamical system which couples tangential wind speed of the eye-wall with the inner-core moisture. For physically relevant parameters, this dynamical system always contains three fixed points: a stable fixed point at the origin corresponding to a non-storm state, an additional asymptotically stable fixed point corresponding to a stable storm state, and a saddle corresponding to an unstable storm state. The goal of this work is to provide insight into the underlying mechanisms that govern the formation and suppression of tropical cyclones through both analytical arguments and numerical experiments. We present a case study of both rate and noise-induced tipping between the stable states, relating to the destabilization or formation of a tropical cyclone. While the stochastic system exhibits transitions both to and from the non-storm state, noise-induced tipping is more likely to form a storm, whereas rate-induced tipping is more likely to cause the storm to destabilize. In fact, rate-induced tipping can never lead to the formation of a storm when acting alone. When rate-induced tipping causes the storm to destabilize, a striking result is that both wind shear and maximal potential velocity have to increase at a substantial rate in order to affect tipping away from the active hurricane state. For storm formation through noise-induced tipping, we identify a specific direction along which the non-storm state is most likely to get activated.

A Study on the Characteristics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Using SODAR Measurements

This paper analyzes the characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer based on data from vertical sounding of the atmosphere using SODAR data. The variation of the mean wind speed and wind shear velocity in the atmospheric boundary layer were analyzed using data collected during nowcasting warnings of convective storms, but also 12 hours before and after the warnings, from 2018 to 2021. Thus, the structure and evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer following thunderstorms were observed. The resulting data are important in understanding the processes that take place in the atmospheric boundary layer during extreme weather events.

Heavy snowfall event over the Swiss Alps: did wind shear impact secondary ice production?

Abstract. The change in wind direction and speed with height, referred to as vertical wind shear, causes enhanced turbulence in the atmosphere. As a result, there are enhanced interactions between ice particles that break up during collisions in clouds which could cause heavy snowfall. For example, intense dual-polarization Doppler signatures in conjunction with strong vertical wind shear were observed by an X-band weather radar during a wintertime high-intensity precipitation event over the Swiss Alps. An enhancement of differential phase shift (Kdp>1∘ km−1) around −15 ∘C suggested that a large population of oblate ice particles was present in the atmosphere. Here, we show that ice–graupel collisions are a likely origin of this population, probably enhanced by turbulence. We perform sensitivity simulations that include ice–graupel collisions of a cold frontal passage to investigate whether these simulations can capture the event better and whether the vertical wind shear had an impact on the secondary ice production (SIP) rate. The simulations are conducted with the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO), at a 1 km horizontal grid spacing in the Davos region in Switzerland. The rime-splintering simulations could not reproduce the high ice crystal number concentrations, produced too large ice particles and therefore overestimated the radar reflectivity. The collisional-breakup simulations reproduced both the measured horizontal reflectivity and the ground-based observations of hydrometeor number concentration more accurately (∼20 L−1). During 14:30–15:45 UTC the vertical wind shear strengthened by 60 % within the region favorable for SIP. Calculation of the mutual information between the SIP rate and vertical wind shear and updraft velocity suggests that the SIP rate is best predicted by the vertical wind shear rather than the updraft velocity. The ice–graupel simulations were insensitive to the parameters in the model that control the size threshold for the conversion from ice to graupel and snow to graupel.

Significant Wave Height Prediction in the South China Sea Based on the ConvLSTM Algorithm

Deep learning methods have excellent prospects for application in wave forecasting research. This study employed the convolutional LSTM (ConvLSTM) algorithm to predict the South China Sea (SCS) significant wave height (SWH). Three prediction models were established to investigate the influences of setting different parameters and using multiple training data on the forecasting effects. Compared with the SWH data from the China–France Ocean Satellite (CFOSAT), the SWH of WAVEWATCH III (WWIII) from the pacific islands ocean observing system are accurate enough to be used as training data for the ConvLSTM-based SWH prediction model. Model A was preliminarily established by only using the SWH from WWIII as the training data, and 20 sensitivity experiments were carried out to investigate the influences of different parameter settings on the forecasting effect of Model A. The experimental results showed that Model A has the best forecasting effect when using three years of training data and three hourly input data. With the same parameter settings as the best prediction performance Model A, Model B and C were also established by using more different training data. Model B used the wind shear velocity and SWH as training and input data. When making a 24-h SWH forecast, compared with Model A, the root mean square error (RMSE) of Model B is decreased by 17.6%, the correlation coefficient (CC) is increased by 2.90%, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is reduced by 12.2%. Model C used the SWH, wind shear velocity, wind and wave direction as training and input data. When making a 24-h SWH forecast, compared with Model A, the RMSE of Model C decreased by 19.0%, the CC increased by 2.65%, and the MAPE decreased by 14.8%. As the performance of the ConvLSTM-based prediction model mainly rely on the SWH training data. All the ConvLSTM-based prediction models show a greater RMSE in the nearshore area than that in the deep area of SCS and also show a greater RMSE during the period of typhoon transit than that without typhoon. Considering the wind shear velocity, wind, and wave direction also used as training data will improve the performance of SWH prediction.

Scaling Laws in Aeolian Sand Transport Under Low Sand Availability

AbstractPrevious studies of wind‐blown sand have considered either fully erodible or non‐erodible soils, but the transport over sparsely sand‐covered soils is still poorly understood. The quantitative modeling of this transport is important for parameterizing Aeolian processes under low sand availability. Here we show, by means of numerical simulations, that the sand transport rate Q scales with the wind shear velocity u∗ as , where u∗t is the minimal threshold u∗ for sustained transport, d is particle size, g is gravity and ρf is air density, while u∗t and the empirical parameters a and b depend on the sand cover thickness. Our model explains the transition from the quadratic to cubic scaling of Q with u∗ as soil conditions change from fully erodible to rigid and provides constraints for modeling Aeolian transport under low sand availability.

Field investigation of the fetch effect and essential conditions for saturated sand flow

AbstractSeveral models of classical aeolian sand transport mechanism have been developed to predict the rate of sand transport. However, the values predicted through modeling almost always display large and significant differences from the measured values. The reason for such discrepancies is not fully understood. By studying the effects of wind velocities and fetch lengths on the C values in the model proposed by Lettau and Lettau in 1978, we found that the saturation level of the measured sand flow can significantly affect the accuracy of the predicted value. To solve this problem, we introduced an index (δ) to represent the saturation level. The closer the δ value is to 1, the greater the chance that the sand flow is saturated. This new approach only requires measurement of the saturated sand flow data to verify the robustness of the aeolian sand transport model, a step that has been neglected by previous researchers. Our results suggest that the value of C = 6.7 proposed in the Lettau and Lettau model is sound and reliable if the sand flow is saturated. We proposed the conditions required for the sand flow to reach saturation and generated an equation to predict the sand transport saturation length (Lsat). Accordingly, we estimated Lsat to be approximately 92 m when = 0.47 m s−1 for the studied sand surface, which is also the minimum wind shear velocity at which the sand flow can potentially reach saturation.

Diurnal landfill methane flux patterns across different seasons at a landfill in Southeastern US

Diurnal patterns of methane flux are examined at a landfill in the Southeastern US. Methane fluxes are measured by an eddy covariance (EC) tower during representative one-week periods in three seasons: summer, fall, and winter. Measured methane fluxes are compared with atmospheric pressure, temporal variation of atmospheric pressure, wind shear velocity, and air temperature. Landfill methane flux varies significantly with shear velocity and temporal changes in atmospheric pressure when the atmosphere is neutral. Under unstable atmospheric conditions, air temperature correlates best with methane flux, which is corroborated with an independent dataset of tracer correlation method (TCM) measurements for similar measurement periods. These field data support a mathematical model previously proposed to describe atmospheric effects on methane flux from landfills. The field data also indicate significant diurnal methane flux variations, with daytime fluxes up to 23 times greater than nighttime fluxes. Because the majority of historical TCM measurements of whole landfill methane flux are between 12 pm and 6 pm at this landfill, when daily emissions are highest because of atmospheric effects, average diurnal fluxes might have been overestimated by as much as 73%. Methane emissions are most representative of diurnal average emissions when atmospheric stability is near-neutral, which occurs in the late morning (∼11 am) and in the early evening (∼5 pm) at this site.

The role of off-highway vehicle activity in augmenting dust emissions at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, Oceano, CA

The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) allows off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity on this coastal dune system. Three sources of data were examined to determine if OHV activity increased wind-blown dust emissions originating from the ODSVRA. Measurements of emissivity (mg m −2 s −1 ) of particulate matter (PM) from dune sands were made using the PI-SWERL® instrument from 2013 through to 2020 in the area with OHV activity and in areas where OHV access is not permitted. These measurements indicated that the mean emissivity of the riding area was two to three times higher than the mean of the non-riding areas, for wind shear velocity ( u ∗ , m s −1 ) conditions well-above threshold ( u ∗ > 0.5 m s −1 ). Measurements of Wind Power Density (WPD, W m −2 ) and suspended particulate matter (PM, μg m −3 ) at monitoring stations in the riding areas and downwind of the riding areas made between May and September 2019 indicate that PM concentrations increased 12% per month for similar WPD conditions. In 2020, OHV activity was prohibited beginning in March due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Network measurements of PM and WPD, April to August 2020 indicated a 12% decrease in PM concentrations per month for similar WPD conditions, suggesting the cessation of OHV activity resulted in the dunes becoming less emissive through time. Measurements of wind speed and suspended PM at a monitoring station downwind of a dune preserve area (no OHV activity allowed) for 2019 and 2020 indicate that PM and WPD measurements do not follow the same temporal trends for the in-Park and downwind of riding area influenced area stations, further suggesting that OHV activity influences dune emissivity. • Measurements of emissivity on areas without riding have significantly lower emissivity than areas with riding. • PM 10 decreased by 12% per month during COVID19 closure for similar values of wind power density. • These environmental measurements provide compelling evidence that OHV activity augments the amount of PM 10 mineral dust.

Lifting of Tribocharged Grains by Martian Winds

Abstract It is a long-standing open question whether electrification of wind-blown sand due to tribocharging—the generation of electric charges on the surface of sand grains by particle–particle collisions—could affect rates of sand transport occurrence on Mars substantially. While previous wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations addressed how particle trajectories may be affected by external electric fields, the effect of sand electrification remains uncertain. Here we show, by means of wind tunnel simulations under air pressure of 20 mbar, that the presence of electric charges on the particle surface can reduce the minimal threshold wind shear velocity for the initiation of sand transport, u *ft, significantly. In our experiments, we considered different samples, a model system of glass beads as well as a Martian soil analog, and different scenarios of triboelectrification. Furthermore, we present a model to explain the values of u *ft obtained in the wind tunnel that is based on inhomogeneously distributed surface charges. Our results imply that particle transport that subsides, once the wind shear velocity has fallen below the threshold for sustained transport, can more easily be restarted on Mars than previously thought.

Artificial intelligence in forecasting central pressure drop and maximum sustained wind speed of cyclonic systems over Arabian Sea: skill comparison with conventional models

An attempt is made in this study to forecast the central pressure drop (PD) and maximum sustained wind speed (MSWS) associated with cyclonic systems at the stage of the highest intensity over Arabian Sea using artificial neural network models. The cyclonic systems include the phases from deep depression to extreme severe cyclones. The sea surface temperature, mid-tropospheric relative humidity, surface to middle tropospheric equivalent potential temperature gradient, inverse of wind shear and vertical wind velocity at 200 hPa level are evaluated as the most suitable predictors through principal component analysis. Various neural network models with different architectures have been trained with the data from 1990 to 2012 to select the best forecast model. The prediction skill of the intelligent models is evaluated by different accuracy measures. The results show that the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model with five input layers, one hidden layer with four nodes and one output layer is the best model for forecasting PD with minimum prediction error of 0.14 at 36 h lead time, whereas the MLP model with five input layers, one hidden layer with five nodes and one output layer is found to be the best model for forecasting MSWS with minimum prediction error of 0.19 at 48 h (h) lead time. The results are well validated with the observations from 2013 to 2018. The forecast skill of MLP model is compared with multiple linear regression model and existing operational and numerical weather prediction models.

Sea-water-level prediction via combined wavelet decomposition, neuro-fuzzy and neural networks using SLA and wind information

Sea-water-level (SWL) prediction significantly impacts human lives and maritime activities in coastal regions, particularly at offshore locations with shallow water levels. Long-term SWL forecasts, which are conventionally obtained via harmonic analysis, become ineffective when nonperiodic meteorological events predominate. Artificial intelligence combined with other data-processing methods can effectively forecast highly nonlinear and nonstationary inflow patterns by recognizing historical relationships between input and output. These techniques are considerably useful in time-series data predictions. This paper reports the development of a hybrid model to realize accurate multihour SWL forecasting by combining an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) with wavelet decomposition while using sea-level anomaly (SLA) and wind-shear-velocity components as inputs. Numerous wavelet-ANFIS (WANFIS) models have been tested using different inputs to assess their applicability as alternatives to the artificial neural network (ANN), wavelet ANN (WANN), and ANFIS models. Different error definitions have been used to evaluate results, which indicate that integrated wavelet-decomposition and ANFIS models improve the accuracy of SWL prediction and that the inputs of SLA and wind-shear velocity exhibit superior prediction capability compared to conventional SWL-only models.

Supercooled drizzle development in response to semi-coherent vertical velocity fluctuations within an orographic-layer cloud

Abstract. Observations of supercooled liquid water are nearly ubiquitous within wintertime orographic-layer clouds over the Intermountain West; however, observations of regions containing supercooled drizzle drops (SCDDs) are much rarer and the factors controlling SCDD development and location less well understood. As part of the Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime clouds – the Idaho Experiment (SNOWIE) and its goal of improving understanding of natural cloud structure, this study examines the role of fine-scale (sub-kilometer) vertical velocity fluctuations on the microphysical evolution and location of SCDDs within the observed mixed-phase, wintertime orographic clouds from one research flight in SNOWIE. For the case examined, SCDDs developed in an elevated, postfrontal-layer cloud with cold cloud tops (T<-30 ∘C) and low number concentrations of both ice (less than 0.5 L−1) and cloud droplets (less than 30 cm−3). Regions of supercooled drizzle at flight level extended more than a kilometer along the mean wind direction and were first located at and below layers of semi-coherent vertical velocity fluctuations (SCVVFs) embedded within the cloud and subsequently below cloud top. The microphysical development of SCDDs in this environment is catalogued using size and mass distributions derived from in situ probe measurements. Regions corresponding to hydrometeor growth are determined from radar reflectivity profiles retrieved from an airborne W-band cloud radar. Analysis suggests that SCVVF layers are associated with local SCDD development in response to the kinematic perturbation pattern. This drizzle development and subsequent growth by collision–coalescence is inferred from vertical reflectivity enhancements (−20 dBZ km−1), with drizzle production confirmed by in situ measurements within one of these SCVVF layers. The SCDD production and growth occurs embedded within cloud over shallow (km or less) layers before transitioning to drizzle production at cloud top further downwind, indicating that wind shear and resultant vertical velocity fluctuations may act to enhance or speed up SCDD development compared to classic cloud top broadening mechanisms in orographic (or similarly sheared) cloud environment(s).

CFD simulation of the wind field over a terrain with sand fences: Critical spacing for the wind shear velocity

Abstract Sand fences are often erected to reduce wind speed, prevent aeolian soil focus our investigation on the behaviour of the near-surface wind shear velocity, which is defined here using a simple model based on wind speed values at height 20 % of the fence height. Our simulations reveal novel insights about the three-dimensional structure of the turbulent wind flow between fences that are important for developing a theoretical description of this flow. We find that the area of soil associated with values of near-surface wind shear velocity that are below the minimal threshold for sand transport has two regimes, depending on the spacing L x between the fences. When L x is smaller than a critical value L xc , the wake zones associated with each fence are inter-connected (regime A), while these wake zones appear separated from each other (regime B) when L x exceeds this critical value of spacing. The system undergoes a second order phase transition at L x = L xc , with the cross-wind width of the protected zone scaling with 1 - L x / L xc β in regime A, with β ≈ 0.32 . Moreover, we also perform a comparative investigation of arrays of constant and multiple fence heights on the basis of the two-dimensional shear velocity field obtained from our simulations. Our findings have implication for a better understanding of aeolian transport in the presence of sand fences, as well as to develop optimization strategies for measures to protect soils from wind erosion.

Real World and Tropical Cyclone World. Part II: Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclone Formation to Uniform and Meridionally Varying Sea Surface Temperatures under Aquaplanet Conditions

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the response of simulated tropical cyclone formation to specific climate conditions, using an idealized aquaplanet framework of an ~40-km-horizontal-resolution atmospheric general circulation model. Two sets of idealized model experiments have been performed, one with a set of uniformly distributed constant global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and another in which varying meridional SST gradients are imposed. The results show that the strongest relationship between climate and tropical cyclone formation is with vertical static stability: increased static stability is strongly associated with decreased tropical cyclone formation. Vertical wind shear and midtropospheric vertical velocity also appear to be related to tropical cyclone formation, although below a threshold value of wind shear there appears to be little relationship. The relationship of tropical cyclone formation with maximum potential intensity and mean sea surface temperature is weak and not monotonic. These simulations strongly suggest that vertical static stability should be part of any climate theory of tropical cyclone formation.

Effects of Wind Velocity and Nebkha Geometry on Shadow Dune Formation

AbstractFlow dynamics and sand deposition processes over nebkhas were investigated using computational fluid dynamics simulations, wind tunnel experiments, and field measurements. The computational fluid dynamics simulations showed that nebkha width affects both the elongation and broadening of the wind shadows. The length of the wind shadows decreased as the wind shear velocity increased, following a power function, irrespective of the width and height of the nebkha. There are some uncertainties about the effect of the aspect ratio of the nebkha on the formation of wind shadows as a result of the omission of the transport of sand in the simulations. It is suggested that the length of wind shadows is dependent on the absolute values of nebkha width and height rather than the nebkha aspect ratio. Although the numerical results were consistent with the results of the wind tunnel experiments, the wind tunnel experiments showed that the height of the nebkha had a negative effect on the elongation of the shadow dunes. The sedimentary structures revealed by ground‐penetrating radar surveys of the dunes in the Taitema Dry Lake, in the eastern Taklimakan Desert, China, showed that the formation of shadow dunes can be divided into three phases. Shadow dunes are initially controlled by horizontal separation flow and then elongate following the same growth mechanisms as linear dunes, eventually breaking up into isolated barchans or short, temporary linear dunes. However, the formation of shadow dunes does not necessarily call for the three phases depending on the local wind regime and sediment supply.

Reinvestigation of the scaling law of the windblown sand launch velocity with a wind tunnel experiment

Windblown sand transport is a leading factor in the geophysical evolution of arid and semi-arid regions. The evolution speed is usually indicated by the sand transport rate that is a function of launch velocity of sand particle, which has been investigated by the experimental measurement and numerical simulation. However, the obtained results in literatures are inconsistent. Some researchers have discovered a relation between average launch velocity and wind shear velocity, while some other researchers have suggested that average launch velocity is independent of wind shear velocity. The inconsistence of launch velocity leads to a controversy in the scaling law of the sand transport rate in the windblown case. On the contrary, in subaqueous case, the scaling law of the sand transport rate has been widely accepted as a cubic function of fluid shear velocity. In order to explain the debates surrounding the windblown case and the difference between windblown and subaquatic cases, this study reinvestigates the scaling law of the vertical launch velocity of windblown transported sand particles by using a dimensional analysis in consideration of the compatibility of the characteristic time of sand particle motion and that of air flow. Then a wind tunnel experiment is conducted to confirm the revisited scaling law, where the sand particle motion pictures are recorded by a high-speed camera and then the launch velocity is solved by the particle tracking velocimetry. By incorporating the results of dimensional analysis and wind tunnel experiment, it can be concluded that, the ratio of saltons number to reptons number determines the scaling law of sand particle launch velocity and that of sand transport rate, and using this ratio is able to explain the discrepancies among the classical models of steady sand transport. Moreover, the resulting scaling law can explain the sand sieving phenomenon: a greater fraction of large grains is observed as the distance to the wind tunnel entrance becomes larger.

Large Effects of Particle Size Heterogeneity on Dynamic Saltation Threshold

Reliably predicting the geomorphology and climate of planetary bodies requires knowledge of the dynamic threshold wind shear velocity below which saltation transport ceases. Here we measure this threshold in a wind tunnel for four well‐sorted and two poorly sorted sand beds by visual means and by a method that exploits a regime shift in the behavior of the surface roughness caused by momentum transfer from the wind to the saltating particles. For our poorly sorted sands, we find that these measurement methods yield different threshold values because, at the smaller visual threshold, relatively coarse particles do not participate in saltation. We further find that both methods yield threshold values that are much larger (60–250%) for our poorly sorted sands than for our well‐sorted sands with similar median particle diameter. In particular, even a rescaling of the dynamic saltation threshold based on the 90th percentile particle diameter rather than the median diameter cannot fully capture this difference, suggesting that relatively very coarse particles have a considerable control on the dynamic threshold. Similar findings were previously reported for water‐driven sediment transport. Our findings have important implications for quantitative predictions of saltation transport‐related geophysical processes, such as dust aerosol emission.

Projected Future Changes of Tropical Cyclone Activity over the Western North and South Pacific in a 20-km-Mesh Regional Climate Model

AbstractA high-resolution regional atmospheric model is employed to project the late twenty-first-century changes of tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific (WP) and southwest Pacific (SP). The model realistically reproduces the basic features of the TC climatology in the present-day simulation. Future projections under the representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP45) and 8.5 (RCP85) scenarios are investigated. The results show no significant change of TC genesis frequency (TCGF) in the WP by RCP45 due to the cancellation of the reduction over the western part and the increase over the eastern part together with a considerable decrease of TCGF by RCP85 due to the excessive TCGF reduction in the western part. The TCGF over the SP consistently decreases from RCP45 to RCP85. Despite the fact that the simulated maximum surface wind speeds are below 52 m s−1, the change with more strong TCs and fewer weak TCs is robust. The future changes in the TC genesis locations and translational speeds modulate the TC lifetime and frequency of occurrence. The TC genesis potential index (GPI) is used to evaluate the projected TCGF changes. The results show that low-level vorticity and midtropospheric vertical velocity largely contribute to the reduction of GPI in the western part of the WP, while vertical wind shear and midtropospheric vertical velocity mainly contribute to the decrease of GPI over the SP. The weakening of the monsoon trough is found to be responsible for the decreases of GPI and TCGF over the western part of the WP.

Wind-invariant saltation heights imply linear scaling of aeolian saltation flux with shear stress.

Wind-driven sand transport generates atmospheric dust, forms dunes, and sculpts landscapes. However, it remains unclear how the flux of particles in aeolian saltation-the wind-driven transport of sand in hopping trajectories-scales with wind speed, largely because models do not agree on how particle speeds and trajectories change with wind shear velocity. We present comprehensive measurements, from three new field sites and three published studies, showing that characteristic saltation layer heights remain approximately constant with shear velocity, in agreement with recent wind tunnel studies. These results support the assumption of constant particle speeds in recent models predicting linear scaling of saltation flux with shear stress. In contrast, our results refute widely used older models that assume that particle speed increases with shear velocity, thereby predicting nonlinear 3/2 stress-flux scaling. This conclusion is further supported by direct field measurements of saltation flux versus shear stress. Our results thus argue for adoption of linear saltation flux laws and constant saltation trajectories for modeling saltation-driven aeolian processes on Earth, Mars, and other planetary surfaces.