Spatiotemporal distribution of global wind erosion over the past four decades

Abstract

Wind erosion is a critical environmental issue that degrades land and air quality, affecting global ecosystems, agriculture, and human health. Yet, on the global scale, the long-term spatial variability and controlling factors of wind erosion remain highly uncertain. Here, we develop a high-resolution spatiotemporal dataset of global wind erosion from 1980 to 2020 using the Revised Wind Erosion Equation model, integrated with comprehensive meteorological, terrestrial ecology, and soil datasets. Our analysis indicates that wind erosion annually impacted 359 ± 25 petagrams of soils worldwide during this period. Approximately 70% of this erosion occurred in just ten countries, predominantly in Africa and the Middle East. Due to higher erosion intensities, pasturelands, accounting for 28% of all non-barren land use types, disproportionately contributed to 70% of the erosion in these areas. Furthermore, our analysis highlights an upward trend in global wind erosion over the past four decades, with affected areas expanding worldwide. Although our study reinforces that changing wind speeds and a drier climate are central factors impacting global wind erosion, we find that increasing erosion intensities in pasturelands may also exacerbate erosion in North Africa, South America, and East Asia. This has broad implications for soil erosion issues that impact food productivity, human health, and ecosystem stability. This research provides insights for developing wind erosion warnings and targeted mitigation strategies, supporting global efforts to combat environmental degradation and promote sustainable development.