Near-surface aeolian sand transport is a very complex process which involves the problems of multiple scales, nonlinearity and randomness, so it has always been a focus of the study in wind-blown sand physics. This paper reviews the recent development of optical measurement techniques in wind tunnel experiments, including laser velocity measurement, high-speed photography, and other novel systems. Their properties and applicabilities are briefly analyzed. Finally, some existing problems and future issues in wind tunnel experiment of aeolian sand transport based on the optical measurement are discussed.

aeolian sand transport  /  wind tunnel experiment  /  optical measurement  /  laser velocity measurement  /  high-speed photography