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Nebkha (coppice dune) formation and significance to environmental change reconstructions in arid and semiarid areas

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Abstract

Environments in arid and semiarid regions are extremely sensitive to climate changes. High wind activity in these regions has resulted in an extensively developed arid geomorphology, but past environmental changes are poorly understood because of the absence of relatively high-resolution proxies. The accumulation characteristics of nebkhas, which have developed extensively in these regions, can be used as a method of reconstructing environmental changes. Here we summarized recent advances in research on the formation, development, and sediment characteristics of nebkhas and their significance to environmental changes in arid and semiarid regions. Based on the studies of our colleagues, we suggested that research on nebkha formation can provide distinct clues about environmental changes in arid and semiarid regions; however, continued studies are needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Lili Lang, Xunming Wang & Ting Hua

  2. College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Eerdun Hasi

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  1. Lili Lang
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  2. Xunming Wang
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Correspondence to Xunming Wang.

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Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41071008

Author: Lang Lili (1985–), Ph.D Candidate, specialized in environmental change in arid areas.

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Lang, L., Wang, X., Hasi, E. et al. Nebkha (coppice dune) formation and significance to environmental change reconstructions in arid and semiarid areas. J. Geogr. Sci. 23, 344–358 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-013-1014-x

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