Observations of several characteristics of aeolian sand movement in the Taklimakan Desert

Abstract

With both sides of the Taklimakan Desert highway line as the study area, three typical aeolian sand landforms, i.e. complex dune ridge, barchan dune and flat sand land, were selected as sand beds for the observation, analysis and research of the characteristics of aeolian sand movement such as aeolian sand stream structure, sand transport intensity, etc. in the Taklimakan Desert. The results show that there is a linear relation between the height and the log of sand transport rate over transverse dune chain, longitudinal dune ridge and flat sand land, i.e. the sand transport percentage decreases exponentially with increasing height. Sand transport rate within the 10 cm height above the bed surface accounts for 80%-95% of the total sand transport rate of the observed height (40 cm), while the sand transport rate in 20 cm occupies 98% of the total amount. Sand transport rate (g • cm− • min−) differs greatly with respect to different landform types and different topographic positions. Based on the investigation and analysis on aeolian sand landform origin, morphological type and distribution feature, the two typical landform assemblages, complex transverse dune chain-alluvial plain and huge longitudinal dune ridge-interridge lowland in the Taklimakan Desert were divided into several characteristic zones of aeolian sand movement states. From this one can qualitatively judge the types and severities of sand disasters at various topographic positions in the engineering installation region and further put forward concrete schemes and measures to control sand damages.