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Desert channel erosion, accretion characteristics and their implications for aeolian–fluvial interactions: a case study in a desert watershed in the Ordos Plateau, China

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Abstract

The significance of aeolian–fluvial interactions in controlling the geomorphology of the landscape in semi-arid desert dune fields has long been appreciated, but limited field data are available to examine how these modern aeolian–fluvial processes interact with the desert channel. In this study, based on desert channel changes and flash flood monitoring during a field survey, we characterize the responses of the desert channel to interactions between fluvial and aeolian processes in an ephemeral desert river in the ten kongduis region in the Hobq Desert in the Ordos Plateau (China). We find that the desert channel is the key place for interactions between aeolian and fluvial processes and has a significant impact on erosion and sediment yield. The pattern of aeolian–fluvial interactions in this area is that aeolian processes can move dunes and narrow the channels in the dry season, but storm floods can cause hyper-erosion of dune-covered banks and widen the channels, which are characterized by hyper-concentration flows during the flood season. Based on the cross-sections, the results show that the channel cross-section accretion area in the dry season was 0.4 times and 0.2 times the channel erosion area in the flood seasons of 2011 and 2012, respectively, of which the left bank accretion area in the dry season was 0.3 times and 0.1 times the left bank erosion in the flood seasons of 2011 and 2012, respectively. In the flood season, the dune-covered left bank erosion and sediment yield were 3.5 times those of the right bank on average. For channel lateral movement, the channel narrowing width caused by aeolian dune accretion in the dry season was 1/6 of the channel widening induced by storm-flood erosion in the flood season. Therefore, aeolian–fluvial interactions control the landform and landscape evolution in this desert area.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC0402401), Jiangsu Province High-level Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent Introduction Program, Doctor of Innovative and Entrepreneurial (NO. (2020)31015), the opening Fund of Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Chinese Academy of Sciences (KLDD-2017-001). We thank springer nature research editing service group (https://authorservices.springernature.cn/) for editing the language of this manuscript.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO. 320th Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China

    Xiaopeng Jia, Haibing Wang & Yongshan Li

  2. College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, NO. 29 Ordos East Street, Hohhot, 010011, Inner Mongolia, China

    Haibing Wang

  3. School of Urban and Planning, Yancheng Teachers University, NO. 2 Xiwangdadao South Road, Yancheng, 224002, Jiangsu, China

    Yongshan Li

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  1. Xiaopeng Jia
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Jia, X., Wang, H. & Li, Y. Desert channel erosion, accretion characteristics and their implications for aeolian–fluvial interactions: a case study in a desert watershed in the Ordos Plateau, China. Environ Earth Sci 80, 371 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09656-w

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