Deserts In Northwestern China Research Articles

Taklimakan dust aerosol radiative heating derived from CALIPSO observations using the Fu-Liou radiation model with CERES constraints

Abstract. The dust aerosol radiative forcing and heating rate over the Taklimakan Desert in Northwestern China in July 2006 are estimated using the Fu-Liou radiative transfer model along with satellite observations. The vertical distributions of the dust aerosol extinction coefficient are derived from the CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) lidar measurements. The CERES (Cloud and the Earth's Energy Budget Scanner) measurements of reflected solar radiation are used to constrain the dust aerosol type in the radiative transfer model, which determines the dust aerosol single-scattering albedo and asymmetry factor as well as the aerosol optical properties' spectral dependencies. We find that the dust aerosols have a significant impact on the radiative energy budget over the Taklimakan desert. In the atmospheres containing light, moderate and heavy dust layers, the dust aerosols heat the atmosphere (daily mean) by up to 1, 2, and 3 K day−1, respectively. The maximum daily mean radiative heating rate reaches 5.5 K day−1 at 5 km on 29 July. The averaged daily mean net radiative effect of the dust are 44.4, −41.9, and 86.3 W m−2, respectively, at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), surface, and in the atmosphere. Among these effects about two thirds of the warming effect at the TOA is related to the longwave radiation, while about 90% of the atmospheric warming is contributed by the solar radiation. At the surface, about one third of the dust solar radiative cooling effect is compensated by its longwave warming effect. The large modifications of radiative energy budget by the dust aerosols over Taklimakan Desert should have important implications for the atmospheric circulation and regional climate, topics for future investigations.

Comparative study of nitrogenase activity in different types of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert, Northwestern China

Biological soil crusts cover large areas of the Gurbantunggut Desert in northwestern China where they make a significant contribution to soil stability and fertility. The aim of this study was to quantify the potential nitrogen-fixing activity (NA) of different types of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The results suggest that NA (nmol C 2H 4 m −2 h −1) for each type of crusts was highly variable. Seasonal variation was also important, with all three types of crusts responding in a similar way to changes in environmental conditions. From March to May, NA was relatively low for all crust types. During this season, NA was 2.26 × 10 3 for cyanobacterial crust followed by lichen crust (6.54 × 10 2) and moss crust (6.38 × 10 2). From June to October, all crust types reached their highest level of NA, especially lichen crust and moss crust ( p < 0.01). The NA of cyanobacterial crust (9.81 × 10 3) was higher than that of lichen crust (9.06 × 10 3) and moss crust (2.03 × 10 3). From November to February, when temperatures were consistently low (<0 °C), NA was at its lowest level, especially in cyanobacterial crust (4.18 × 10 2) and moss crust (5.43 × 10 2) ( p < 0.01). Our results indicate that species composition is critical when estimating N inputs in desert ecosystems. In addition, all three types of crusts generally responded in a similar way to environmental conditions. The presence of N fixation activity in all crusts may contribute to the maintenance of fertility in sparsely vegetated areas and provide surrounding vascular plant with fixed nitrogen.

The variation of morphological features and mineralogical components of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert of Northwestern China

Increasingly complex life forms were found in older biological soil crusts in the Gurbantaunggut Desert in Northwestern China. These crusts may play a critical role in mineral erosion and desert soil formation by modifying the weathering environment and ultimately affecting mineralogical variance. To test this hypothesis, variations in the morphological features and mineralogical components of successional biological soil crusts at 1 cm were studied by optical microscopy, SEM and grain size analysis. Concentrations of erosion-resistant minerals decreased with crust succession, while minerals susceptible to weathering increased with crust development. Neogenetic minerals were found in late stage crusts, but not in early stage crusts. Silt and clay concentrations were highest in early formation crusts and soil mean particle size decreased with crust succession. Cyanobacteria, lichen and moss were shown to erode and etch rocks, and secondary minerals produced by weathering were localized with the living organisms. Thus, more developed crusts appeared to contribute to greater mineral weathering and may be a major cause of mineralogical variance seen in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The greater activity and complexity of older crusts, as well as their improved moisture condition may function to accelerate mineral weathering. Therefore, protection and recovery of biological crusts is vital for desert soil formation.

Ecohydrological Factors Affecting Nitrate Concentrations in a Phreatic Desert Aquifer in Northwestern China

Aerobic conditions in desert aquifers commonly allow high nitrate (NO3-) concentrations in recharge to persist for long periods of time, an important consideration for N-cycling and water quality. In this study, stable isotopes of NO3- (delta15N(NO3) and delta18O(NO3)) were used to trace NO3- cycling processes which affect concentrations in groundwater and unsaturated zone moisture in the arid Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China. Most groundwater NO3- appears to be depleted relative to Cl- in rainfall concentrated by evapotranspiration, indicating net N losses. Unsaturated zone NO3- is generally higher than groundwater NO3- in terms of both concentration (up to 15 476 microM, corresponding to 3.6 mg NO3(-)-N per kg sediment) and ratios with Cl-. Isotopic data indicate that the NO3- derives primarily from nitrification, with a minor direct contribution of atmospheric NO3- inferred for some samples, particularly in the unsaturated zone. Localized denitrification in the saturated zone is suggested by isotopic and geochemical indicators in some areas. Anthropogenic inputs appear to be minimal, and variability is attributed to environmental factors. In comparison to other arid regions, the sparseness of vegetation in the study area appears to play an important role in moderating unsaturated zone NO3- accumulation by allowing solute flushing and deterring extensive N2 fixation.

Diets of little owls and long-eared owls in Northwestern China

Abstract We compared diets of little owls (Athene noctua) and long-eared owls (Asio otus) in the Minqin Desert in northwestern China. Based on prey numbers, little owls fed mainly on mammals (51.0%) and beetles (46.9%), whereas long-eared owl fed almost exclusively on mammals (96.4%). Based on biomass, both species fed mainly on mammals. Mus musculus, Cricetulus barabensis and Meriones meridianus were the three most common mammals taken by both species. Seasonal variation was found in the diets of both species. Food niche breadth was 3.4 for little owls vs 2.9 for long-eared owls. Dietary overlap between the two species was 49.6%, but varied from 4.0% in April to 96% in January. Dietary overlap of mammals was 97.9%, indicating that both owls fed on similar rodent assemblages. Mean mass of prey was 25.8 ± 22.7 g for long-eared owls and 15.5 ± 22.7 g for little owls. The mean length of tibias of mammals in pellets also indicted that, on average, long-eared owls (18.1 ± 5.6 mm) took larger prey than little owls (16.2 ± 4.7 mm).

Mineral magnetic variation of the Jingbian loess/paleosol sequence in the northern Loess Plateau of China: Implications for Quaternary development of Asian aridification and cooling

A high-resolution mineral magnetic investigation has been carried out on the Jingbian loess/paleosol sequence at the northern extremity of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Results show that the magnetic assemblage is dominated by large pseudo-single domain and multidomain-like magnetite with associated maghemite and hematite. Variations in the ratios of SIRM100mT/SIRM, SIRM100mT/SIRM30mT and SIRM100mT/SIRM60mT (SIRM is the saturation isothermal remanent magnetization; SIRMnmT represents the residual SIRM after an n mT alternating field demagnetization) have been used to document regional paleoclimate change in the Asian interior by correlating the mineral magnetic record with the composite δ18O record in deep-sea sediments. The long-term up-section decreasing trend in those ratios in both loess and paleosol units has been attributed to a long-term decrease in the relative contributions of eolian hematite during glacial extrema and of pedogenic hematite during interglacial extrema, respectively, which reveals a long-term decreasing trend in chemical weathering intensity in both glacial-stage source region (the Gobi and deserts in northwestern China) and interglacial-stage depositional area (the Loess Plateau region). We further relate this long-timescale variation to long-term increasing aridification and cooling, during both glacial extrema in the dust source region and interglacial extrema in the depositional area, over the Quaternary period. Changes in those ratios are most likely due to Quaternary aridification and cooling driven by ongoing global cooling, expansion of the Arctic ice-sheet, and progressive uplift of the Himalayan–Tibetan complex during this period.

Extension of drylands in northern China around 250 kaBP linked with the uplift of the southeast margin of Tibetan Plateau

Study on two loess sections, one located at Wuwei near the Tengger Desert in northwestern China, another located near Ganzi at the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau in southwest China, reveals a coeval drying step occurred at ∼250 kaBP. It is expressed by the increase in eolian grain-size at Wuwei, and by a drastic extension of C4 plants and a decrease of loess chemical weathering intensity at Ganzi. Examination of the available eolian data indicates that the event has also been clearly documented in the loess sections near the deserts in northern China, and in the eolian records from the North Pacific. On the contrary, the signal is rather weak for the central and southern Loess Plateau regions as well as for Central Asia, where the climates are influenced by the southeast Asian monsoon and the westerlies, respectively. Since the climate at Ganzi is under strong control of the southwest Asian monsoon, we interpret this drying step as a result of decreased influence of the southwest summer monsoon. This decrease in monsoon moisture is attributable to the uplift of the Hengduan Mountains, the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau at ∼ 250 ka ago.

Late Holocene loess deposits and dust accumulation in the alpine meadow belt of the Wutai Shan, China

Greyish-yellow to light-brownish silty deposits in the alpine meadow belt of the Wutai Shan (Central China) were originally transported by wind, but are modified to some degree by local reworking and syn-depositional weathering. However, they are generally defined as loess deposits. Radiocarbon dates of wood fragments and charcoal prove that the loessic surficial sediment cover accumulated in the late Holocene. A lowering of the timberline, caused by a climatic deterioration since the Holocene Optimum, as well as the formation and maintainance of the dense alpine meadow vegetation, has probably favoured the accumulation of dust. Additional factors might have been the alternation between possible dust source areas in the deserts of northwestern China and the downwind accumulation area in the topographic mountain barrier of the Wutai Shan.

Landscape evolution and palaeoclimate in the deserts of northwestern China, with a special reference to Badain Jaran and Taklamakan

A comparative study of geomorphologic landscapes in the Badain Jaran Desert and Taklamakan Desert was made on the basis of field investigations, thermoluminiscence and radiocarbon dating as well as analysis of sand grain texture. The sand seas of the Badain Jaran Desert differ greatly from that of the Taklamakan Desert in terms of dune morphology, interdune relief, dune stratigraphy and sand sources. The thermoluminiscence ages of the dunes suggest that the basic configuration of the megadunes in the Badain Jaran Desert has not changed at least since Middle Holocene. There were periods of more humid environment during the last glaciation and Holocene in both deserts, but events of higher precipitation in the Badain Jaran Desert were more frequent than in the Taklamakan. In both desert areas, aeolian processes have been intensified during the last 2000 a.

Soil water and temperature patterns in an arid desert dune sand

Under arid natural conditions, soil water content governs and limits the number and size of perennial plant species. Thus, plant-available soil water is the main constraint for sustainable control of desert encroachment. To evaluate possibilities for re-vegetation of bare sand surfaces, soil water and temperature patterns for typical sand dunes in a desert climate were investigated. Bare and vegetated soil transects were selected for observation of soil water content and temperature. The investigated soil transects covered crest-to-crest spacings (about 60 m horizontally and 15 m vertically) in a shifting sand dune area. Observations were made at Shapotou field research station bordering the Tengger Desert in Northwestern China. The paper presents two-dimensional properties of soil water content (0.1–3.0 m depth) and temperature (0–1.0 m depth) before and after rainfall. Rainfall (15–22 mm) affected soil water distribution down to 1.5–2.0 m and temperature distribution down to 1.0 m. Soil water appeared to be transported through the apparently highly pervious and homogeneous sand along the dune slopes. High water contents and, thus, infiltration occurred mainly at the non-sloping parts, i.e. the dune crests and bottoms. Rainfall changed the temperature patterns from a mainly horizontally layered appearance before the rainfall to increasingly vertically shaped patterns.

Turbulent characteristics and bulk transfer coefficients over the desert in the HEIFE area

Observations of surface-layer turbulence and turbulent fluxes were made over a desert in northwestern China as a part of HEIFE (HEIhe river Field Experiment). These show that the normalized variations of the vertical wind component and of the air temperature obey Monin-Obukhov similarity well, especially in free convective conditions. However, the variations of specific humidity do not obey Monin-Obukhov similarity. Mean bulk transfer coefficients of sensible heat and momentum flux are obtained as functions of stability over a wide stability range from the observed data of turbulent fluxes and mast profiles. However, the bulk transfer coefficient for water vapor could not be obtained because of the large scatter of the data. In free convective conditions, the sensible heat flux was found to be approximately proportional to the 1.4 power of temperature difference between the surface and 20m. The bulk transfer coefficient of sensible heat is also obtained as a function of the bulk Richardson number for practical convenience.