Grain size distribution at four developmental stages of crescent dunes in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert,China

Although scientists have performed many studies on crescent (barchan) dunes in the Taklimakan Desert,few studies reported the changes in grain size at different development stages of crescent dunes.In order to evaluate the changing trends of surface sediment grain size with dune development,we investigated the grain size characteristics at four developmental stages (oval sand pile,shield dune,incipient crescent dune and mature crescent dune) of crescent dunes by measuring the morphology of sand dune and observing the near-surface wind regime.The dunes have developed in a wide inter-dune corridor between high compound longitudinal ridges in China's Taklimakan Desert.The surface sediments at four developmental stages of the crescent dunes were primarily composed of fine sands,followed by very fine and medium sands.Mean grain sizes ranged from 2.8 to 3.1 φ,with a unimodal distribution.The sands were moderately well-sorted,their distribution varied from platykurtic to very platykurtic,and symmetrical or skewed towards the fine particles.From oval sand piles through shield and incipient crescent dunes to mature crescent dunes,incipient grain size gradually increased,particles became finer,sorting became better,kurtosis and skewness increased.Grain sizes on the surface layer became coarser upwards from the toe of the windward slope and then became finer towards the bottom of the leeward slope.We found that the coarsest particles at different positions at the four developmental stages were different.The coarsest particles were distributed at the top of the oval sand piles and shield dunes,versus at the middle of the windward slope of the incipient and mature crescent dunes.Correlations between the mean grain size and other grain size parameters showed that as mean grain size became finer,sorting became better and kurtosis became wider,but skewness changed only slightly.In addition,grain size variation in the surface sediments correlated with the movement speed of the dunes in the study area.In the open ground among tall-complex longitudinal ridges in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert where aeolian environment is characterized by comparatively strong wind and unsaturated sand flow,faster dune movement corresponded to coarser grain size.     

简单横向沙丘表面物质组成、气流分布及其在动力学过程中的意义

对简单横向沙丘的形态特征、气流、表面以及被输移的沙物质组成的观测和分析表明 ,沙丘形态特征和表面物质组成的分异是导致沙物质在迎风坡坡脚不能沉积并向下风向输送的主要原因。对沙丘背风坡气流观测表明 ,在沙丘背风坡贴近地面的一定高度气流仍能保持一定的强度 ,其输沙方向与沙丘走向近似于垂直 ,并有相当强的输沙能力 ,但其作用被限制在背风坡范围内 ,这对保持沙丘形态有重要的作用。在野外风沙观测中气流的湍流和波动被忽略 ,平均风速并不能完全反映野外气流的性质。在低 -中强度风沙活动过程中 ,被输送的沙物质的粒度组成与下垫面物质有明显的差异 ,被输送沙物质的平均粒径小于下垫面沙平均粒径 ,输沙过程是一典型的随机过程。特定区域内 ,一定粒径范围内的沙物质不断被堆积而形成沙丘 ,经过一系列的动力学过程 ,最终形成处于动态平衡的区域沙丘地貌分布格局     

沙丘移动速度的观测与计算

在沙漠地区研究沙丘上风沙输运和估算沙丘移动速度对防治沙害有实际意义。文献1,2均给出了计算沙丘移动速度的公式,但必须知道相应的输沙率。由于输沙率和当地风速有关而沿沙丘脊线不同高度处有不同的风速,如何把沙丘上各点的风速与受沙丘扰动的“来流”风速关联起来就成为关键问题。本文对5个不同高度沙丘上的风速和输沙率进行多次观测、在详细分析所得数据的基础上给出了风速之间的关联和计算沙丘移动速度的普遍公式,并与实测结果作了比较。     

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of sandy deposits from Gulang county at the southern margin of the Tengger Desert,China

Aeolian deposits from the deserts in northern China have been used for palaeoenvironmental research to understand aeolian sedimentology and its dynamic connection to past climate conditions. The Tengger Desert in China is sensitive to the waxing and waning of the monsoonal system. In response to past climate change, the southern margin of the Tengger Desert has evolved significantly since the last glacial period. However, previous attempts to date aeolian deposits in this region were mainly based on radiocarbon dating, which has problems when applied to aeolian deposits. Moreover, sedimentary records are limited. Accordingly, past aeolian activity in this desert remains poorly understood. In the present study, we dated sand samples from Gulang county at the southern margin of the Tengger Desert using optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) to understand the history of aeolian activity in this region. Our samples represented well-sorted aeolian sands and sandy loess. Aeolian sands are evidence of dune field buildup and sparse vegetation cover whereas sandy loess is evidence of improved stabilization of sand dunes resulting from ameliorated vegetation cover. Certain samples showed a decline in the equivalent dose(De) values when successive integration intervals were applied, which resulted from unstable OSL signals from non-fast components in the initial part of the decay curve. In order to obtain reliable De estimates, we investigated component-resolved and different background subtraction approaches, and compared the resultant De estimates. We adopted the early background subtraction method to derive De values. Luminescence chronologies and sedimentary records indicated that sand dunes accumulation occurred before 10 ka, and sandy loess developed between 9.5 and 7.6 ka when sand dunes were stabilized as a result of increased effective moisture levels. The transition between sand dune mobilization and stabilization emphasizes the significance of an effective moisture threshold in controlling aeolian activity. Mobilization of sand dunes at ~2.3 ka might be related to an increased aridity during the Late Holocene.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地纵向沙垄的粒度分布特征

塔克拉玛干沙漠东经８４°附近、北纬３９°－４０°之间垄间低地中纵向沙垄的粒度分布特征表现为：平均粒径３．１４５，以极细沙为主，其次为细沙和中沙，三者含量达８０％～９０％以上。两坡下部较细、丘顶较粗。标准高差平均值为０．５９，分选程度中等，两坡中部分选较好，丘顶分选较差。偏度平均值为０．２９，大部分沙样为正偏态，粗组分含量较高。上述粒度特征在沙垄两翼坡面上呈不完全对称分布，并随着不同方向起沙，风的作用呈现一定程度的周期性变化。     

Grain-size characteristics of linear dunes on the northern margin of Qarhan Salt Lake,northwestern China

In order to clarify the formation mechanism of linear dunes on the northern margin of Qarhan Salt Lake, northwestern China, we analyzed the grain-size and sorting parameters of the dune and interdune sands. The surface sands(0–30 mm) from the dune base to the crest of both flanks and interdune corridors were sampled along transects from upwind to downwind through the dune field. The results indicated that the grain-size distribution differed at different positions between and within the dunes. The frequency curve for dune sands mainly showed a bimodal distribution, while the interdune sediments showed a trimodal distribution. The grain size distribution of the linear dunes showed a finer crest pattern, i.e. the crests were composed of sands that were generally finer, better sorted than those of base sands. In addition, at the dune field scale, the dune crest sands were tending to become much finer but sorting became worse along the downwind transects. However, the grain-size parameters of sediments in the interdune corridors showed no clear pattern. The results demonstrated that the grain size and sorting parameters exhibited a systematic change not only at the individual scale but also at the dune field scale. Our results quantitatively estimate the limited role of cohesive sediments on the formation of linear dune under unidirectional wind regime. More attention should be paid to a long-term wind regime observation, internal sedimentary structures and their formation ages.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合纵向沙垄间地沙丘空间分形及稳定性

塔克拉玛干沙漠的大地貌格局是高大复合沙垄和宽广垄间地相间分布,而垄间地是研究简单沙丘发育过程的良好试验场地。基于Google Earth影像,以分形理论为基础,对塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合纵向沙垄区垄间地上覆沙丘在主导风方向上的分形特征进行了分析,结果表明：① 垄间地沙丘形状指数（面积-周长关系）的标度-频度双对数关系非常显著,分形关系客观存在,并且不受统计时所用标度的影响;② 垄间地各类沙丘的分维值存在差异,其中,饼状沙堆和沙片分维值最大（1.337）,新月形沙丘次之（1.170）,简单线性沙丘最小（1.087）;③ 垄间地沙丘分维值的空间差异较大,在1.187~1.656,其分维数：背风坡脚（1.24）＜垄间地中部（1.40）＜迎风坡脚（1.50）,变异系数为0.106;④ 垄间地沙丘稳定性指数与分维值的空间分布相反,即背风坡脚（0.26）＞垄间地中部（0.16）＞迎风坡脚（0.10）;⑤ 垄间地沙丘分维值空间差异主要与沙丘发育程度有关,其中,风信是动力基础,沙源是物质基础。在流动沙漠,沙丘分形维数可以作为反映其风沙环境特征的定量指标。     

Spatial heterogeneity of plant species on the windward slope of active sand dunes in a semi-arid region of China

Species richness and abundance are two important species diversity variables that have attracted particular attention because of their significance in determining present and future species composition conditions.This paper aims to explain the qualitative and quantitative relationships between species diversity pattern and grain size(i.e.size of the sampling unit),and species diversity pattern and sampling area,and to analyze species diversity variability on active sand dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land,northeastern Inner Mongolia,China.A 50 m×50 m sampling plot was selected on the windward slope,where the dominant species was annual herb Agriophyllum squarrosum.Species composition and abundance at five grain sizes were recorded,and the species-area curves were produced for thirteen grain sizes.The range of values for species abundance tended to increase with increasing grain size in the study area,whereas,generally,species richness did not follow this rule because of poor species richness on the windward slope of active sand dunes.However,the homogeneity of species richness increased significantly.With the increase in sampling area,species abundance increased linearly,but richness increased logarithmically.Furthermore,variograms showed that species diversity on the windward slope of active sand dunes was weakly anisotropic and the distribution pattern was random,according to the Moran Coefficient.The results also showed that species richness was low,with a random distribution pattern.This conflicts with the results of previous studies that showed spatial aggregation in lower richness in a sampling area within a community and inferred that the physical processes play a more important role in species diversity than distribution pattern on active sand dunes.Further research into different diversity patterns and mechanisms between active sand dunes and interdune lowlands should be conducted to better understand biodiversity conservation in sand dune fields.     

Spatial heterogeneity for grain size distribution of eolian sand soil on longitudinal dunes in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert

The grain size composition, distribution characteristics and spatial variation of eolian sand soil on distinct positions across two longitudinal dunes and interdune areas were studied by means of conventional grain size analysis and geostatistical methods. In the study, 184 samples of eolian sand soil from the 0-30cm layer were systemically collected and measured from two longitudinal dunes and interdunes in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert. The results show that the dominant grain sizes are fine and very fine sands, and the differences of grain size compositions between the distinct geomorphologic positions are significant. The contents of clay and silt are highest on the interdune areas and lowest on the crests, and higher on the leeward slopes than on the windward slopes. The contents of very fine and fine sands are highest on the windward slopes and lowest on the crests. The contents of medium, coarse and very coarse sands are lowest on the interdune lands, and highest on the crests, and are identical on the two slopes. The coarser sizes (φ1) and mean sizes (Mz) for eolian sand soil all have a varying tendency from fine to coarse sizes with interdune area → leeward slope → windward slope → crest, and the sorting (σ) are poorly to well sorted. The results of geostatistical analysis reveal that φ1, Mz and σ values are moderately to strongly spatially autocorrelated. The values of the spatially correlated ranges are φ1<σ相似文献   

Morphology and formation mechanism of sand shadow dunes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The formation and development of dunes depend on wind-blown sand movement which is affected by the characteristics of sand material, topography, wind regimes and other factors. In this paper, we investigated two sand shadow dune groups in Shigatse and Za’gya Zangbo of Tibet and an individual dune in Da Qaidam of Qinghai, and analyzed their topographies and morphologies, and the physical characteristics of the sand, wind regime and sand transport. Formed under harsh conditions behind hills, these mature sand shadow dunes are hundreds of meters long, have significant ridges and crescent dunes downwind, and have a hill pass on one or both sides. Wind tunnel experiments revealed that the hill gap and wind velocity are important factors in the formation of these dunes. Sand shadow dunes formed only when the gap spacing is two-thirds of the hill height. When wind velocities are 20 m/s, the sand body is divided into two parts. The hill pass allows the transport of sand by wind, creating a "narrow-pipe effect", which causes the transported material to gradually accumulate in the center of the shadow zone. We observed that the following are needed for sand shadow dunes to form:(1) strong winds, sufficient sand, suitable obstacles and a dry climate;(2) one or both sides of the obstacle forming the shadow zone must have a hill pass; and(3) the windward side of the obstacle must have a wide, flat area, providing adequate spacing for wind flow and transport of material and the leeward side must have a sufficiently broad, flat area to allow the release of the transported material. Research results on these newly discovered dunes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau could contribute to the understanding of dune geomorphology.     

毛乌素沙地东南缘不同类型沙丘土壤水分分布特征

通过对横山县境内毛乌素沙地东南缘的实地考察,根据植被类型和植被覆盖度,将沙丘分为裸露流动沙丘、灌木覆盖沙丘、乔木覆盖沙丘,分别在各类沙丘不同地貌部位实施4 m深度钻孔取样,并进行含水量测试和粒度分析,研究沙地土壤含水量变化。结果表明:对于垂直方向0～4m深度的沙地、灌木和乔木覆盖沙丘平均含水量变化为:丘间洼地>迎风坡>背风坡,而裸露流动沙丘平均含水量变化为:丘间洼地>背风坡>迎风坡;不同类型沙丘在各地貌部位不同层段含水量变化差异明显,变化趋势不统一。沙丘的地貌部位相同,地表的植被类型和覆盖度差异是影响沙地土壤含水量的重要因素,测试结果显示,迎风坡含水量为:灌木覆盖沙丘>乔木覆盖沙丘>裸露流动沙丘;背风坡含水量为:灌木覆盖沙丘>裸露流动沙丘>乔木覆盖沙丘;丘间洼地含水量为:灌木覆盖沙丘>乔木覆盖沙丘>裸露流动沙丘。灌木覆盖沙丘土壤含水量变异系数最大,水分含量在不同层位波动较大,裸露流动沙丘和乔木覆盖沙丘含水量波动差异较小。沙丘上生长的灌木和乔木明显地改变了沙丘含水量的变化特征,灌木比乔木对沙丘含水量及其垂向变化的影响更显著。灌木对地表大气中的粉尘有较强的拦截能力,灌木沙丘平均的粉砂和黏土含量高,灌木的覆盖有利于沙地的土壤化进程和保持沙地水分,在沙地绿化过程中,应充分考虑灌木植物的作用。     

Wind regimes and associated sand dune types in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert,China

Wind controls the formation and development of sand dunes. Therefore, understanding the wind regimes is necessary in sand dune research. In this study, we combined the wind data from 2017 to 2019 at four meteorological stations (Cherigele and Wuertabulage stations in the lake basins, and Yikeri and Sumujilin stations on the top of sand dunes) in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert in China, with high resolution Google Earth images to analyze the correlation between the wind energy environments and dune morphology. The results of data analysis indicated that both the wind direction and sand drift intensity exhibited notable spatial and temporal variations. The highest level of wind activity was observed in spring. Northwesterly and northeasterly winds were the dominant in the Badain Jaran Desert. At the Cherigele, Wuertabulage, and Yikeri stations, the drift potential (DP) was below 200.00 vector units (VU). The wind energy environments in most areas could be classified as low-energy environments. The resultant drift direction differed at different stations and in different seasons, but the overall direction was mainly the southeast. The resultant drift potential (RDP)/DP ratio was greater than 0.30 in most parts of the study area, suggesting that the wind regimes mainly exhibited unimodal or bimodal characteristics. Differences between the thermodynamic properties and the unique landscape settings of lakes and sand dunes could alter the local circulation and intensify the complexity of the wind regimes. The wind regimes were weaker in the lake basins than on the top of sand dunes. Transverse dunes were the most dominant types of sand dunes in the study area, and the wind regimes at most stations were consistent with sand dune types. Wind was thus the main dynamic factor affecting the formation of sand dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert BJD. The results of this study are important for understanding the relationship between the wind regimes and aeolian landforms of the dune field in the deserts.     

Coastal environment of the past millennium recorded by a coastal dune in Fujian,China

Coastal dune is a common aeolian geomorphology in a sandy coast,which records the evolution process of the aeolian landscape system and reflects the complex interaction among land surface,atmosphere and ocean.Coast is a sensitive area to global climate change.Restricted by chronology,most previous researches in China focused only on the cause of formation of coastal dunes.In recent years,the development of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating provides a good method and acts as a carrier for coastal dunes to paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental studies.In this study,we selected an aeolian dune at the Anshan archaeological site,Fujian,China as the research object based on field observations.For determining their sedimentary stages and the primary influencing factors,we used the OSL dating method to construct a chronological framework for the aeolian dune.In addition,the sizes of grains were analyzed for identifying factors influencing the winter monsoon during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA) in this area.The results showed that the deposition of the aeolian dune was closely related to variations in the winter monsoon intensity.The changes of the winter monsoon were similar to the tendency of the East Asian winter monsoon,although there were several sub-fluctuations.From an overall perspective,the winter monsoon was strengthened during the MWP (1050–1300) .The results of a power spectrum analysis showed that the intensity of the East Asian winter monsoon is correlated with sunspot activity.     

Effect of sand-fixing vegetation on the hydrological regulation function of sand dunes and its practical significance

Soil water content is a key controlling factor for vegetation restoration in sand dunes. The deep seepage and lateral migration of water in dunes affect the recharge process of deep soil water and groundwater in sand dune ecosystems. To determine the influence of vegetation on the hydrological regulation function of sand dunes, we examined the deep seepage and lateral migration of dune water with different vegetation coverages during the growing season in the Horqin Sandy Land, China. The results showed that the deep seepage and lateral migration of water decreased with the increase in vegetation coverage on the dunes. The accumulated deep seepage water of mobile dunes (vegetation coverage<5%) and dunes with vegetation coverage of 18.03%, 27.12%, and 50.65% accounted for 56.53%, 51.82%, 18.98%, and 0.26%, respectively, of the rainfall in the same period. The accumulated lateral migration of water in these dunes accounted for 12.39%, 6.33%, 2.23%, and 7.61% of the rainfall in the same period. The direction and position of the dune slope affected the soil water deep seepage and lateral migration process. The amounts of deep seepage and lateral migration of water on the windward slope were lower than those on the leeward slope. The amounts of deep seepage and lateral migration of water showed a decreasing trend from the bottom to the middle and to the top of the dune slope. According to the above results, during the construction of sand-control projects in sandy regions, we suggest that a certain area of mobile dunes (>13.75%) should be retained as a water resource reservoir to maintain the water balance of artificial fixed dune ecosystems. These findings provide reliable evidence for the accurate assessment of water resources within the sand dune ecosystem and guide the construction of desertification control projects.     

策勒绿洲-沙漠过渡带不同植被沙丘表面风沙沉积物粒度特征分析研究

通过对策勒绿洲-沙漠过渡带不同植被类型下沙丘表层风沙沉积物粒度分布特征进行研究,探讨不同荒漠植被类型下风沙沉积物的沉积规律。结果表明:胡杨、骆驼刺、柽柳、花花柴灌丛沙堆表层沉积物粒级组成均以极细砂(57.20%-60.37%)为主,其次为极粗粉砂(18.47%-21.34%)和细砂(16.56%-19.03%),骆驼刺灌丛沙堆表面整体风沙沉积物平均粒径最细(84.06μm),胡杨沙堆表面整体沙物质平均粒径最粗(88.88μm)。四种植被沙堆表面沙物质的分选性总体上在中等-较好水平,分选系数介于1.44-2.02之间,胡杨沙堆表层沙物质的偏度值在顶部附近属于极负偏,骆驼刺、柽柳、花花柴灌丛沙堆表面沙物质均为负偏。峰度值介于0.95-1.51之间,胡杨沙堆顶部附近及骆驼刺沙堆表层沙物质主要属于窄峰态,柽柳、花花柴沙堆表面沙物质属于中等峰态。沙物质平均粒径与偏度值呈极显著正相关性(p<0.01),沙物质的分选系数与峰度值呈极显著正相关性,沉积物粒度特征空间差异主要受物源、植被高度、冠型、疏透度等因素影响。     

沙柳方格沙障对库布齐沙漠沙丘粒度分布的影响

为定量探讨沙柳方格沙障对沙粒粒度组成与特征的影响,以流动沙丘(LS)、设障2a沙丘(TS)和设障6a沙丘(SS)为研究对象,在沙丘不同部位、不同土层和障格内不同位置进行取样,分析样品的粒度组成与特征。结果表明:1)随着设障年限的增加,粘粒和粉粒含量增加,细砂含量下降,SS粘粒和粉粒含量与TS和LS的含量差异显著,而TS和LS二者间差异不明显;LS、TS各粒级含量在三个层次间差异均不明显,而SS 0-5cm的粘粒、粉粒以及极细砂粒体积含量较其他2层差异显著。2)SS的频率分布曲线变化幅度小于TS和LS的频率分布曲线变化幅度。各沙丘的平均粒径MZ、分选系数δ、偏度SK、峰度KG的大小顺序均表现为SS相似文献   

Contribution of underlying terrain to sand dunes: evidence from the Qaidam Basin,Northwest China

Underlying terrain strongly influences dune formation. However, the impacts of underlying terrain on the dune formation are poorly studied. In the present research, we focused on dunes that formed in the alluvial fans and dry salt flats in the Qaidam Basin, Northwest China. We quantified the dunes' sediment characteristics on different types of underlying terrain and the terrain's effects on the surface quartz grains by analyzing grain-size distribution, soluble salt contents and grain surface micro-textures. Results showed that barchan dunes were dominated by medium sands with a unimodal frequency distribution, whose peak corresponded to the saltation load. Linear dunes were mainly composed of fine sands with a bimodal frequency distribution, whose main peak represented the saltation load, and whose secondary peak represented the modified saltation or suspension load. Sand was transported from source area by running water (inland rivers) over short distances and by wind over relatively longer distances. Thus, quartz grains had poor roundness and were dominated by sub-angular and angular shapes. Surface micro-textures indicated that dune sands were successively transported by exogenic agents (glaciation, fluviation and wind). Soluble salt contents were low in dunes that developed in the alluvial fans, which represented a low-energy chemical environment, so the grain surface micro-textures mainly resulted from mechanical erosion, with weak micro-textures formed by SiO₂ solution and precipitation. However, soluble salt contents were much higher in dunes that developed in the dry salt flats, which indicated a high-energy chemical environment. Therefore, in addition to micro-structures caused by mechanical erosion, micro-textures formed by SiO₂ solution and precipitation also well developed. Our results improve understanding of the sediment characteristics of dune sands and the effects of underlying terrain on dune development in the Qaidam Basin, China.     

Morphological characteristics and dynamic changes of seif dunes in the eastern margin of the Kumtagh Desert,China

The seif dune field over the gravel desert surface in the eastern margin of the Kumtagh Desert is a valuable experimental site for the observation of dune formation and dynamics. We used high-resolution remote sensing and station observation approaches, combined with wind and grain size data, to study the characteristics of the aeolian environment and the morphologies of and dynamic changes in seif dunes. We observed the ratio of the resultant drift potential (RDP) to the drift potential (DP), which was 0.37, associated with an obtuse bimodal wind regime. The drift potentials in the west-northwest (WNW) and east-northeast (ENE) directions were dominant, and the angle between the two primary DP directions was 135.00°. The dune orientations ranged from 168.75°-213.75°, which were parallel to the resultant drift direction (186.15°). The dune lengths ranged from 51.68 to 1932.11 m with a mean value of 344.91 m. The spacings of the dunes ranged from 32.34 to 319.77 m with a mean value of 93.39 m. The mean grain size of the sediments became finer, and the sorting became better from upwind tail to downwind tip, which indicated that the sediment of the seif dunes in the study region may be transported from northward to southward. The rate of increase in the length, the mean longitudinal migration rate of the dune tail, and the mean longitudinal extension rate of the dune tip (also called elongation rate) were 4.93, 4.63, and 9.55 m/a, respectively. The mean lateral migration vector of the seif dunes was approximately 0.11 m/a towards the west (-0.11 m/a), while the mean amplitude of lateral migration was 0.53 m/a, ignoring the direction of lateral migration. We found that the seif dune field formed first beside seasonal rivers, which can provide sediment, and then expanded downwind.     

Influence of salinity and moisture on the threshold shear velocity of saline sand in the Qarhan Desert,Qaidam Basin of China: A wind tunnel experiment

Determination of the threshold shear velocity is essential for predicting sand transport, dust release and desertification. In this study, a wind tunnel experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of salinity and moisture on the threshold shear velocity of saline sand. Saline sand samples (mean particle size of 164.50-186.08 μm and the total silt, clay and salt content of 0.80%-8.25%) were collected from three saline sand dunes (one barchan dune and two linear dunes) in the Qarhan Desert, Qaidam Basin of China. Original saline sand samples were placed in two experimental trays for wet and dry processing to simulate deliquescence and desiccation, respectively. Surface moisture content ranging from 0.30% to 1.90% was generated by the steam method so that the saline sand can absorb water in a saturated water vapor environment. The motion of sand particles was determined by the observers with a solid laser. The laser sheet (0.80 cm thick), which was emitted by the solid laser, horizontally covered the sand surface and was bound to the sand. Results show that the cohesion of saline sand results from a combination of salt and water. The threshold shear velocity increases exponentially with the increase in crust thickness for the linear sand dunes. There is a positive linear correlation between the original moisture content and relative threshold shear velocity. The threshold shear velocity of dewatered sand is greater than that of wet sand with the same original moisture content. Our results will provide valuable information about the sand transport of highly saline soil in the desert.     

Pattern analysis of a linear dune field on the northern margin of Qarhan Salt Lake,northwestern China

In terms of formation mechanisms of linear dunes,there are open arguments for their widespread distribution and multi-morphological diversities.In order to clarify the formation mechanism of linear dunes of Qarhan Salt Lake,we used pattern analysis method to analyze the statistical characteristics and spatial variation of their pattern parameters.Except at the west-northwest margin,the pattern parameters showed regular spatial variation from the up-middle part towards the downwind end of the dune field.Based on the cumulative probability plots for inter-crest spacing and crest length,we divided the linear dunes into three groups,which corresponding to the three evolution stages of these dunes.The first group comprises erosional relics,with shorter crests,smaller inter-crest spacing and more random dune orientation.The second group comprises dunes whose sand supply is just sufficient to maintain stability and these dunes are approaching the net erosion stage.The crest length and inter-crest spacing of these dunes are much larger than those of the first group,and dune orientation is closer to the resultant drift direction (RDD) .The last group comprises linear dunes that are still undergoing vertical accretion and longitudinal elongation,which follows the RDD of the modern wind regime.The presence of regular spatial variation of pattern parameters and a similar geometry with the vegetated linear dunes suggest that deposition and erosion coexist in the development and evolution of linear dunes of Qarhan Salt Lake,i.e.deposition predominates at the downwind end of linear dunes in the vertical accretion and longitudinal elongation stage,whereas erosion mainly occurs at the upwind end of linear dunes in the degradation stage.Therefore,the formation mechanism of linear dunes in Qarhan Salt Lake can be reasonably explained by the combination of depositional and erosional theories.