Sep 2008, Volume 2 Issue 3
    

  • Select all
  • CHUN Xi, CHEN Fahu, FAN Yuxin, XIA Dunsheng, ZHAO Hui
    Extensive investigations and studies on topography, sedimentary and chronology show new evidence for the formation and evolution of the Ulan Buh desert during early Holocene. Evidence on clay-sand strata and plant roots under interdune lowlands, lake shorelines covered by plenty of Corbicula largillierti and large amounts of dry salt lakes in the central region of the desert prove that many megalakes existed in the hinterland of Ulan Buh desert. Several OSL samples collected from Aeolian sands overlying lacustrine sediments in profiles around Jilantai Salt Lake and interdune lowlands in the southern Ulan Buh desert suggest that the desert began around 7 ka B.P.. The formation of Ulan Buh desert may have resulted from the shrinking of Jilantai megalakes and sands blown from exposed loose sediments.
  • LI Zhizhong, WU Shengli, GE Lin, HE Mudan, WANG Xiaofeng, JIN Jianhui, MA Rong, LIU Jinwei, LI Wanjuan, DALE Janis
    A nabkha is a vegetated sand mound, which is typical of the aeolian landforms found in the Hotan River basin in Xinjiang, China. This paper compares the results of a series of wind tunnel experiments with an on-site field survey of nabkhas in the Hotan River basin of Xinjiang. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted on semi-spherical and conical sand mounds without vegetation or shadow dunes. Field mounds were 40 times as large as the size of the wind tunnel models. In the wind tunnel experiments, five different velocities from 6 to 14 m/s were selected and used to model the wind flow pattern over individual sand mound using clean air without additional sand. Changes in the flow pattern at different wind speeds resulted in changes to the characteristic structure of the nabkha surface. The results of the experiments for the semi-spherical sand mound at all wind velocities show the formation of a vortex at the bottom of the upwind side of the mound that resulted in scouring and deposition of a crescentic dune upwind of the main mound. The top part of the sand mound is strongly eroded. In the field, these dunes exhibited the same scouring and crescentic dune formation and the eroded upper surface was often topped by a layer of peat within the mound suggesting destroyed vegetation due to river channel migration or by possible anthropogenic forces such as fuel gathering, etc. Experiments for the conical mounds exhibit only a small increase in velocity on the upwind side of the mound and no formation of a vortex at the bottom of the upwind side. Instead, a vortex formed on the leeward side of the mound and overall, no change occurred in the shape of the conical mound. In the field, conical mounds have no crescentic dunes on the upwind side and no erosion at the top exposed below peat beds. Therefore, the field and laboratory experiments show that semi-spherical and conical sand mounds respond differently to similar wind conditions with different surface configuration and development of crescent-shaped upwind deposits when using air devoid of additional sediment.
  • LI Zhizhong, WU Shengli, GE Lin, HE Mudan, WANG Xiaofeng, JIN Jianhui, LIU Jinwei, LI Wanjuan, MA Rong, DALE Janis
    This paper examines the results of wind tunnel experiments on models of nabkha, based on those studied in the Hotan River basin. Semi-spherical and conical models of nabkhas were constructed at a ratio of 40:1 in light of the on-site observation. Artificial vegetation of simulated Tamarix spp. was put on top of each model. Parameters of the shape, including height, width, and diameter of vegetated semi-spherical and conical nabkha, were measured in the Hotan River basin. Wind tunnel experiments on the semi-spherical and conical nabkha used clean air devoid of additional sediments at five different wind speeds (6–14 m/s) to study the influence of vegetation on airflow patterns. Results of the experiments indicate that vegetation at the top of the nabkhas enhances the surface roughness of the sand mounds, retards airflow over the sand mounds, reduces airflow energy, eliminates erosional pits occurring on the top surface of non-vegetated sand mounds and enhances the range of influence of the vortex that forms on the leeward slope. Vegetation changes the airflow pattern upwind and downwind of the sand mound and reduces the transport of sand away from the nabkha. This entrapment of sediment by the vegetation plays an important role in sustaining the nabkha landscape of the study area. The existence of vegetation makes fine materials in wind-sand flow to possibly deposit, and promotes nabkha formation. The imitative flow patterns of different morphological nabkhas have also been verified by on-site observation in the river basin.
  • LI Xiangying, Shangguan Donghui, LIU Shiyin, LU Aigang
    Glaciers, formed by snowfall and characterized by movement and size, are the most sensitive indicators to climate change. The ice formation of glaciers (the processes, mechanisms and results of transformation from snow to ice) can indicate the growth condition, the formation process and the physical characteristics of glaciers. Its spatial variation can also reflect glacier change, and further reveal climate change. Studies on ice formation of glaciers in China were initiated in 1962, when Xie and others studied the ice formation of Glacier No.1 at the Urumqi River head, Tianshan Mountain. Other researchers followed suit and did studies on ice formation of glaciers in Qilian Mountain. As time goes by, the concept of ice formation came into being in China. This paper reviews the development history of glacier zones, and the studies of ice formation of glaciers in China since the 1960s. These studies mainly focus on Qilian Mountain, Tianshan Mountain, Altay Mountain, and the western Kunlun Mountain, Himalaya Mountain, the southeastern Tibetan and Hengduan Mountains. The paper also discusses the significance of ice formation studies, the limitation and deficiency of previous studies, and the prospects and suggestions for future studies.