How does turbulence help wind pick up sand?

In the context of sand dune geology, wind must reach a specific threshold velocity near the surface to initiate the movement of sand grains, with the required speed depending on the size of the particles.1

Turbulence plays a critical role in this process because wind does not always blow at a constant, average speed. Within the air, turbulence creates eddies—small, swirling pockets of air—where instantaneous wind speeds can rise significantly above the average velocity. These localized bursts of higher speed allow the wind to exceed the necessary threshold to pick up sand grains even when the overall average wind speed might otherwise be insufficient. Once this movement is initiated, it can be maintained by winds blowing at lower speeds.1