Wind erosion occurs in many arid, semiarid and agricultural areas of the
world. It is an environmental process influenced by geological and climatic
variations as well as human activities. In general, wind erosion leads to land
degradation in agricultural areas and has a negative impact on air quality.
Dust emission generated by wind erosion is the largest source of aerosols which
directly or indirectly influence the atmospheric radiation balance and hence
global climatic variations. Strong wind-erosion events, such as severe dust
storms, may threaten human lives and cause substantial economic damage.