Abstract
Aeolian dune-field patterns represent the spatial distribution of various combinations of landforms formed by the wind, and are self-organizing geomorphic features of the landscape. To explore how the desert landscape evolves, we selected a region with shifting sands in China’s Qaidam Basin, north of the Kunlun Mountains, which developed in the late Holocene. Using the method of geomorphic pattern analysis, we calculated dune-field pattern parameters in the study area and analyzed their spatial distribution. We found that the sandy land had a range of dune types that formed diverse spatial combinations, and the geomorphic patterns reflected the characteristics of a relatively early stage in the evolution of the dune field. The patterns at a given location were related to the distance from the sediment source area. By analyzing boundary conditions in this region, we developed a conceptual model of the pattern of geomorphic evolution of simple transverse dunes. This model provides insights into the geomorphic evolution process in the study region.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the China National Science Foundation (41171010, 41130533, and 41301003). We greatly appreciate the constructive comments from the anonymous reviewers.
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Li, C., Dong, Z., Cui, X. et al. Pattern analysis of simple transverse dunes in China’s Qaidam Basin, north of the Kunlun Mountains. Environ Earth Sci 75, 729 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5610-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5610-9