Pattern analysis of simple transverse dunes in China’s Qaidam Basin, north of the Kunlun Mountains

Abstract

Aeolian dune-field patterns represent the spatial distribution of various combinations of landforms formed by the wind, and are self-organizing geomorphic features of the landscape. To explore how the desert landscape evolves, we selected a region with shifting sands in China’s Qaidam Basin, north of the Kunlun Mountains, which developed in the late Holocene. Using the method of geomorphic pattern analysis, we calculated dune-field pattern parameters in the study area and analyzed their spatial distribution. We found that the sandy land had a range of dune types that formed diverse spatial combinations, and the geomorphic patterns reflected the characteristics of a relatively early stage in the evolution of the dune field. The patterns at a given location were related to the distance from the sediment source area. By analyzing boundary conditions in this region, we developed a conceptual model of the pattern of geomorphic evolution of simple transverse dunes. This model provides insights into the geomorphic evolution process in the study region.