This data set contains a summary of the potential sediment transport by wind for 32 locations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta along with two stations in the Northwest Territories. A summary figure, referred to as a "sand rose", indicates the resultant capacity of wind to transport loose sand-sized particles for each location as follows:

RDD (Resultant Drift Direction): expresses the net directional trend of sand drift. This is depicted as a red arrow.

DP (Drift Potential): a measure of the energy of surface winds in terms of sand movement. Measured in vector units (VU).

RDP (Resultant Drift Potential): expresses, in vector units, the net sand transport potential when winds from various directions interact.

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These sand roses are useful summaries of the present-day sediment transport characteristics of wind, and have been used extensively by eolian geomorphologists to compare to dune forms in desert, coastal and semi-arid environments worldwide. The sand roses shown here are being compared by GSC scientists to sand dune orientations from active and stabilized dunes in the Prairie Provinces. Differences in the patterns of dunes and sand roses may indicated changes in past wind circulation patterns.

The summaries were derived from the Principal Station Data (PSD) reports, published between 1983 and 1985 by the Canadian Climate Program, Atmospheric Environment Service of Environment Canada. These reports contain summaries of hourly weather observations, climate normals and extremes for Canada principal climate stations. Wind data from these reports were used to derive the summaries of wind regimes, in accordance with the methods outlined by Fryberger and Dean (1979). To simplify the calculations and data presentation, a Fortran-based program entitled "Sand Rose" written by the US Geological Survey was utilized to derive the monthly and annual summaries of wind regimes.

This data set is part of a project investigating drought and climate change on the Canadian Prairies. One of the objectives of this project is to provide spatial and chronologic reconstructions of droughts and related surface winds on the prairies as recorded from eolian deposits. The purpose of the project is to evaluate future extremes in the context of climate change by identifying the extent of past and present extremes along with related atmospheric circulation patterns.

Clicking on any site will reveal the annual net-sediment transport potential related to that site. For additional information concerning eolian processes in western Canada, please contact: Stephen Wolfe

Reference: Fryberger, S.G. and Dean, G. 1979. Dune forms and wind regimes. In: A Study of Global Sand Seas. E.D. Mckee (Ed). Geological Survey Professional Paper 1052, p. 137-169.