Blown sand motion within the sand-control system in the southern section of the Taklimakan Desert Highway

Abstract

Although scientists have performed many studies in the Taklimakan Desert, few of them have reported the blown sand motion along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert Highway, which differs significantly from the northern region in terms of aeolian sand geomorphology and formation environment. Based on the field observation data of airflow and aeolian sand transport, continuous monitoring data of erosional and depositional processes between 14 April 2009 and 9 April 2011 and data of surface sand grains from the classical section along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert Highway, this paper reported the blown sand motion within the sand-control system of the highway. The main results are as follows: 1) The existing sand-control system is highly effective in preventing and controlling desertification. Wind velocities within the sand-control system were approximately 33%–100% of those for the same height above the mobile sand surface. Aeolian sand fluxes were approximately 0–31.21% of those of the mobile sand surface. Sand grains inside the system, with a mean diameter of 2.89 φ, were finer than those (2.15 φ) outside the system. In addition, wind velocities basically followed a logarithmic law, but the airflow along the classical section was mainly determined by topography and vegetation. 2) There were obvious erosional and depositional phenomena above the surface within the sand-control system, and these phenomena have very consistent patterns for all observation points in the two observed years. The total thicknesses of erosion and deposition ranged from 0.30 to 14.60 cm, with a mean value of 3.67 cm. In contrast, the deposition thicknesses were 1.90–22.10 cm, with a mean value of 7.59 cm, and the erosion thicknesses were 3.51–15.10 cm, with a mean value of 8.75 cm. The results will aid our understanding of blown sand within the sand-control system and provide a strong foundation for optimizing the sand-control system.