Gravel bodies in the Kumtagh Desert and their geomorphological implications

Abstract

Although developed in predominantly arid environments, desert geomorphology sometimes bears information about past environmental change. China’s Kumtagh Desert has only recently been studied by researchers. These investigations revealed the existence of several unique features compared with other Chinese deserts, including gravel bodies distributed in the northern part of the desert. This paper summarizes the results of previous research in the region, as well as information obtained from remote sensing and field investigations, then discusses the geological background, underlying Quaternary geomorphology, and the types, development stages, and geomorphological implications of the desert’s gravel bodies. Four main types of gravel bodies and four developmental stages were identified. It is suggested that the great elevation difference between the Altyn Tagh Mountains and the Kumtagh Desert caused by uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau constitutes the overall background for the development of gravel bodies, but subsequent climatic events were the direct causes of their evolution. The gravel bodies resulted from alluvial deposits on loose fine sediments mainly of aeolian origin that were subsequently subjected to wind erosion. Erosion cycles then progressively scattered these gravels to form gravel sheets. The gravel bodies have three main geomorphological implications: they record anomalous ancient climate events after the dune field formed and have little influence on the development of nearby seif dunes in the northeast, demonstrate that the Altyn Tagh Mountains are the main sediment source for the Kumtagh Desert, and suggest that the evolution of the environment and geomorphology of the Kumtagh Desert have been influenced by neotectonic movements.