Gobi Research Articles

Mass-Extinction Conversion Factor (MECF) over the Gobi Desert by a Tethered-balloon-based OPC and a Ceilometer

Mass-Extinction Conversion Factor (MECF) over the Gobi Desert by a Tethered-balloon-based OPC and a Ceilometer

What's in a Hearth? Preliminary Findings from the Margal Hunter-Gatherer Habitation in the Eastern Mongolian Gobi Desert

abstract: Today's image of people inhabiting the vast steppe landscapes of Mongolia is inseparably linked to mobile animal herding. Indeed, archaeologists have confirmed that human-animal communities comprised of human herders and domestic livestock roamed across Mongolia's grassland environment and utilized semi-arid to arid regions such as the Gobi steppe desert for thousands of years. However, it is much rarer to catch a glimpse of the time before the advent of pastoralism in this part of the world. During the Neolithic (ca. 6000–1800 b.c.), the Gobi was much less of a desert than it is today. Sparsely scattered archaeological sites testify to the presence of hunter-gatherer groups that successfully exploited rich wetland environments. As a result of the pedestrian survey carried out by the Dornod Mongol Survey in the greater region of Delgerkhaan Uul, we discovered in situ remains of a Neolithic habitation site. Excavations at the Margal site uncovered a stratified hearth and a lithic assemblage embedded in a habitation layer and accompanied by a few faunal bone fragments. Our finds correspond with the Oasis 2 stage (ca. 6000–3000 b.c.) of the scheme established by Janz and colleagues dividing the Mongolian Neolithic into phases based on habitation, as well as subsistence patterns and technology. However, some typical Oasis 2 markers such as pottery and grinding tools are missing from the small assemblage uncovered from test excavations in 2017 and 2018. Margal likely belonged to a regional network of extended hunter-gatherer occupation relying on wild plant and faunal resources. The site represents the first of its kind in the region and has potential to shed light on hunter-gatherer subsistence and habitation decisions. In concert with adjacent archaeological surface scatters and contextualized in the supraregional network of hunter-gatherer habitation, it will contribute to refining current models of lifeways and transformations in Mongolian prehistory.

What’s in a Hearth?: Preliminary Findings from the Margal Hunter-gatherer Habitation in the Eastern Mongolian Gobi Desert

Today’s image of people inhabiting the vast steppe landscapes of Mongolia is inseparably linked to mobile animal herding. Indeed, archaeologists have confirmed that human-animal communities comprised of human herders and domestic livestock roamed across Mongolia’s grassland environment and utilized semiarid to arid regions such as the Gobi steppe desert for thousands of years. However, it is much rarer to catch a glimpse of the time before the advent of pastoralism in this part of the world. During the Neolithic (ca. 6000 – 1800 B.C.), the Gobi was much less of a desert than it is today. Sparsely scattered archaeological sites testify to the presence of hunter-gatherer groups that successfully exploited rich wetland environments. As a result of the pedestrian survey carried out by the Dornod-Mongol-Survey in the greater region of Delgerkhaan Uul, we discovered in situ remains of a Neolithic habitation site. Excavations at the Margal site uncovered a stratified hearth and a lithic assemblage embedded in a habitation layer and accompanied by a few faunal bone fragments. Our finds correspond with the Oasis 2 stage (ca. 6000 – 3000 B.C.) of the scheme established by Janz and colleagues dividing the Mongolian Neolithic into phases based on habitation and subsistence patterns and technology. However, some typical Oasis 2 markers such as pottery and grinding tools are missing from the small assemblage uncovered from test excavations in 2017 and 2018. Margal likely belonged to a regional network of extended hunter-gatherer occupation relying on wild plant and faunal resources. The site represents the first of its kind in the region and has potential to shed light on hunter-gatherer subsistence and habitation decisions. In concert with adjacent archaeological surface scatters and contextualized in the supraregional network of hunter gather habitation, it will contribute to refining current models of lifeways and transformations in Mongolian prehistory.

Skull of a dromaeosaurid Shri devi from the Upper Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert suggests convergence to the North American forms

Skull of a dromaeosaurid Shri devi from the Upper Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert suggests convergence to the North American forms

Diversity of macromycetes in the black poplar forests of the Ural river valley

Research works devoted to the identification of species composition of the mycobiota of the Ural River valley within the West Kazakhstan region (WKR) were carried out in the forest communities of the region from 2019 to 2021. On the basis of field studies, a mycological description of black poplar (Populus nigra) forests, which are the main forest-forming species of the studied territory, was carried out for the first time. Also, there was carried out a geobotanical description of the main black poplar communities. The study area is located within two botanical and geographical regions such as in the Eurasian steppe and Saharo - Gobi desert zones, the Holarctic kingdom, on the border of the Boreal and Ancient Mediterranean subkingdoms. Throughout the floodplain along the Ural River poplar forests are the dominant species. When studying the diversity of macromycetes in the biota of cap fungi of black poplar forests, there were registered 42 species of macromycetes belonging to 32 genera and 19 families, 7 orders of the class Agaricomycetes. Ecological-trophic analysis showed a predominance of xylotrophs (18 species, 42,9 %) and humus saprotrophs (13 species, 31 %) over mycorrhizal (11 species, 26,1 %).) According to the results of the study, it can be assumed that the species composition of macromycetes is significantly influenced by the geographical position of the region, the geomorphological structure of the Ural River, as well as the soil-climatic and hydrological conditions of the region. The taxonomic composition of macromycetes collected and identified in the study area is presented for the first time for this area.

The Danzanravjaa museum in the Mongolian Gobi: An ancient exhibition temple revived as a modern museum?

The Danzanravjaa museum in the Mongolian Gobi: An ancient exhibition temple revived as a modern museum?

Chemo-physical properties of camel (camelus bactrianus) urine in the Gobi Desert

Camels with two humps /Camelus bactrenus/ are distributed in small numbers across Central Asia, and can particularly be found in the Mongol mountains of the Gobi and in the provinces of southern China. We carried out research to study the physical and chemical properties of urine of two-humped camels /Camelus bactrenus/ adapted to the Gobi Desert region of Mongolia. In our research, copper in the urine of Umnugovi province camels was not detected, but the copper content detected in the urine of 10 camels from Dornogovi province was similar to that of one-humped Arabian camels. The concentration of zinc in the urine of some camels was 7 to 8 times greater than that of Arabic camels. Mонгол тэмээний шээсний физик, хими шинж чанарыг судалсан дүн Хоёр бөхт тэмээ нь төв Ази, тэр дундаа Монголын говь, Хятад улсын өмнөд муж нутгаар цөөн тоогоор тархсан байдаг. Бид Монголын говь цөлийн бүсэд дасан зохицсон хоёр бөхт тэмээний шээсний физик, хими шинж чанарыг судлах зорилгоор судалгааны ажлыг гүйцэтгэв. Бидний судалгаагаар Өмнөговь аймгийн тэмээний шээсэн дэх зэсийн агууламж илэрсэнгүй, харин Дорноговь аймгийн 10 тэмээний шээсэн дэх зэсийн агууламж Арабын нэг бөхт тэмээтэй ойролцоо байсан. Зарим тэмээний шээсэн дэх цайрын агууламж Арабын нэг бөхт тэмээнээс 7-8 дахин өндөр байлаа. Түлхүүр үг: Тэмээ, шээс, өнгө, өтгөн, нягт

Mapping land degradation and sand and dust generation hotspots by spatiotemporal data fusion analysis: A case‐study in the southern Gobi (Mongolia)

AbstractThe ongoing desertification and aeolian erosion processes in the southern Gobi Desert are ranked as one of the most significant global environmental disasters. In this study, we analyzed the decadal progress of eolian erosion in the southern Gobi Desert and traced key factors controlling intensified land degradation (LD) and sand and dust (SD) generation employing satellite data and climatic variables. Columnar dust mass density from climatic data re‐analyses as a major SD tracer was combined with the Mann–Kendall (MK) method and the empirical orthogonal function processor. Validation was performed by using ground data sets and field evidence from reference locations. The results revealed that (1) LD/SD patterns and hotspots in the Gobi Desert are significantly controlled by the distribution and trend of precipitation; (2) climatic conditions in the Mongolian Gobi Desert have shifted towards an unfavourable direction with respect to the LD/SD occurrence; (3) surface conditions in southeastern Mongolia have somehow decoupled from the weather factors and the transition zone between the desert and the vegetated terrain has gradually expanded probably due to anthropogenic activities. The correlation analyses between all candidate driving factors of LD/SD indicated that a major control mechanism of spatiotemporal migration of LD/SD in the southern Gobi Desert is the change in precipitation, whereas anthropogenic activity holds a secondary control. The results obtained can be used to prioritize intervention zones in the frame of land use planning processes aimed at adapting to climate change and mitigating LD and SD generation in source areas.

The characteristics and parameterizations of the surface albedo of a utility-scale photovoltaic plant in the Gobi Desert

The characteristics and parameterizations of the surface albedo of a utility-scale photovoltaic plant in the Gobi Desert

The Influence of Calcium on the Growth, Morphology and Gene Regulation in Gemmatimonas phototrophica.

The bacterium Gemmatimonas phototrophica AP64 isolated from a freshwater lake in the western Gobi Desert represents the first phototrophic member of the bacterial phylum Gemmatimonadota. This strain was originally cultured on agar plates because it did not grow in liquid medium. In contrast, the closely related species G. groenlandica TET16 grows both on solid and in liquid media. Here, we show that the growth of G. phototrophica in liquid medium can be induced by supplementing the medium with 20 mg CaCl2 L-1. When grown at a lower concentration of calcium (2 mg CaCl2 L-1) in the liquid medium, the growth was significantly delayed, cells were elongated and lacked flagella. The elevated requirement for calcium is relatively specific as it can be partially substituted by strontium, but not by magnesium. The transcriptome analysis documented that several groups of genes involved in flagella biosynthesis and transport of transition metals were co-activated after amendment of 20 mg CaCl2 L-1 to the medium. The presented results document that G. phototrophica requires a higher concentration of calcium for its metabolism and growth compared to other Gemmatimonas species.

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Precipitation over the Mongolian Plateau during 1976–2017

Located in the interior of Eurasia, the Mongolian Plateau (MP) is extremely sensitive to global warming and become a critical area for studying precipitation patterns. Based on the monthly data of 135 meteorological stations during 1976–2017, we analyze the spatiotemporal change in precipitation and discuss its response to atmospheric circulation. The results show that: (1) Precipitation shows increasing trends in spring, autumn, and winter, but a decreasing trend at a rate of 5.3 mm/decade in summer. The annual precipitation also shows an overall slight decreasing trend. (2) The spatial distribution is uneven, the annual precipitation in the northern Great Khingan Mountains is more, but it gradually decreases at the rate of 10–30 mm/decade, showing a trend of “wet gets dry”; while there is less in the southwest Gobi Desert region, but it gradually increases with the rate of 10–20 mm/decade, showing a trend of “dry gets wet”. (3) Over decades, the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and westerly circulation show a seesaw change in MP. Affected by the weakening of the EASM, the area of arid regions has gradually expanded. The results also demonstrate that the EASM has a higher impact on the annual precipitation change pattern, particularly in the southeastern MP. The conclusion indicated that the variation in the position and orientation between EASM and the westerly circulation may be an explanation for the spatiotemporal precipitation pattern, providing a new viewpoint to the question of circulation mechanisms behind climate change in MP in recent 40 years.

Field observations of dust transport rates in Gobi deserts

Field observations of dust transport rates in Gobi deserts

Insights on the distribution and environmental implications of the radio-isotope 235U in surface soils and glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau

Atom ratio between 235U and 238U is often used as an indicator of U contamination as the isotopic signature of products generated by the nuclear and military industry significantly vary from the natural isotopic ratio of U. In this study, surface soils and glaciers samples were collected in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its surrounding areas and analyzed for U isotopic composition. Results show that the 235U/238U atom ratios in the surface soils of the TP ranges from 0.007122 to 0.007615, with an average value of 0.007378 ± 0.00011; while in the snow/ice dust from high-altitude glaciers it ranges from 0.007254 to 0.007687, with an average value of 0.007345 ± 0.000128. These ratios are slightly higher than the typical crustal value, indicating that the TP was affected by an anthropogenic input of 235U, especially in its northeast and southwest sectors. The variability of our results suggests that the spatial distribution of this contamination is not uniform, pointing to differences in the potential sources and transmission paths of radioactive particles. Combining the knowledge of past tests and activities conducted in the geographic areas around the TP with the knowledge of prevailing winds, we hypothesize that the observed 235U contamination in the TP surface soils and glaciers may have originated mainly from the previous nuclear related activities in surrounding areas (e.g., north Gobi Desert and South Asia). In addition, the horizontal and vertical wind field around the Tibetan Plateau, as well as the atmospheric aerosol optical thickness data also demonstrated the possible transport paths of the radionuclides, that is, originated from in northern Gobi desert and South Asia and reached the TP crossing the Himalayas.

A new Early Paleogene fossil mammal locality in the central-eastern Nemegt Basin, Gobi Desert, Mongolia, and notes on mammalian biostratigraphy

AbstractWe report new, fossiliferous Paleogene Naran Bulak Formation localities from the central-eastern part of the Nemegt Basin of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Early Paleogene localities have been identified previously only in the western half of the Nemegt Basin. The new localities, near the town of Daus, are also noteworthy for their geographical proximity to Ukhaa Tolgod, a Late Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation locality known for its numerous dinosaur, mammal, and lizard fossils. The Daus section consists of the Zhigden, Naran, and Bumban members of the Naran Bulak Formation at three localities, and mammal and ostracode fossils were discovered in the Naran Member. Noteworthy discoveries are a dentary of the pantodont Archaeolambda cf. A. planicanina, postcrania of Pantolambdodon, a skull of the gliroid Gomphos, and a partial skull with a worn and damaged dentition provisionally identified as an arctostylopid. Biostratigraphy has been the primary means of dating Paleogene Asian faunas, however, the local fauna from the new localities does not fit easily with established patterns. The Naran Member and Archaeolambda planicanina and the arctostylopid Palaeostylops typically have been allied with the Gashatan Asian Land Mammal Age (ALMA) and attributed to the latest Paleocene. By contrast, Gomphos repeatedly has been found in the Bumban Member and assigned a Bumbanian ALMA, which has been considered as the earliest Eocene. Pantolambdodon has been reported from middle Eocene Arshatan and Irdinmanhan ALMA beds. The co-occurrence of these taxa in Naran Member beds complicates the temporal interpretation of the new localities and the reliability of broader biostratigraphic patterns.

Preserving the Gobi: Identifying potential UNESCO world heritage in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert, Asia’s largest desert, covers roughly 1,300,000 square kilometers across southern Mongolia and northern China. One of the world’s most iconic deserts, the Gobi is a functioning, healthy ecosystem home to spectacular landscapes that support an impressive variety of biological diversity, including many rare and endangered species. Human activity in the Gobi has existed for at least 5,000 years and several culturally and historically significant archeological sites have been documented in the region; the Gobi continues to support an ancient and enduring nomadic lifestyle. Prehistoric traces of ancient life are also widespread, making the Gobi a hotspot for fossil discoveries. Despite a wealth of natural and cultural heritage the Gobi Desert in Mongolia lacks any recognition as UNESCO World Heritage. This article explores the natural and cultural heritage of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and using UNESCO’s framework for “Outstanding Universal Value,” identifies several sites with exceptional geological, ecological, and ethnological features that we believe meet the criteria for World Heritage status. In the face of looming threats from human interference and climate change, increased recognition and appreciation of Gobi Desert landscapes is crucial to ensure the long-term protection of these irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.

Tempo-Spatial Distributions and Transport Characteristics of Two Dust Events over Northern China in March 2021

The Taklamakan Desert and the Gobi Desert in East Asia constitute the second-largest sources of dust in the world. In particular, dust originating from the Gobi Desert is more susceptible to long-range transport, with consequent impacts in downwind Asian countries and the Northwest Pacific region. Two intensive dust events (the 3·15 dust event and the 3·28 dust event) were experienced in North China in March 2021. The 3·15 dust process was rated as the most intensive dust process in China in the past 10 years. In this study, by using a combination of spaceborne remote sensing datasets from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites, ground-based columnar observations of aerosol optical parameters, meteorological reanalysis data, and backward trajectory simulations of air masses, the transport pathways and the three-dimensional structure characteristics of dust aerosols during the transport of the two dust events in March 2021 were cross-validated. The results of the study indicated that the two dust events were induced by the Mongolian cyclone. Due to the different configurations of the ground meteorological system conditions, a backflow process occurred during the 3·15 dust event transmission process. After passing over North China and the Bohai Sea, the direction of transport of the dust plume was reversed. The wind deflected from northwest to northeast, and the dust reached the eastern coastal areas of China and was finally deposited on land. The 3·28 dust event exhibited aerosol stratification in the transport path, the higher pure dust layer reached up to 9 km height, and the lower layer underwent aerosol mixing and became a polluted dust aerosol. This study implies that the investigation of dust aerosol transport and the deposition processes, the impact on the ocean, and the impact of marine aerosols on land also needs to be taken into consideration; the integration of advanced satellites and ground-based remote sensing data, the meteorological reanalysis data and the backward trajectories simulation, which complemented and verified each other, can enhance the ability to delineate the transport pathways and the three-dimensional structural characteristics of dust events.

Experimental Characterization and Mathematical Modelling of Natural Drying of Apricots at Low Temperatures

To mitigate reduced apricot fruit quality due to mildew, browning and sand dust from natural drying under low temperatures and humidity, we determined the characteristics of three different methods of drying (via hanging) and further established their mathematical models. Various comparative analyses of natural drying by laying apricots in an area of the Gobi Desert, subjecting them to ventilated drying in an air-drying house, and hanging them on trees were conducted. The least and most efficient methods were hanging on trees (302 h) and laying them in an area of the Gobi Desert (>192 h), respectively. The loss rate and the total sugar content were 5.26% and 70.16%, and up to 18.31% and 68.54% for fruits dried by ventilated drying in an air-drying house and those hung on trees, respectively. Fruits dried by ventilated drying in an air-drying house showed the least loss and the best comprehensive quality. Using experimental data from assessments of the drying methods, mathematical models were constructed and fitted to drying mathematical models of seven kinds of porous media. The Wang and Singh model had the best fitting degree, an error value of less than 0.05, and the regression that most accurately explained the drying mathematical model for apricots under natural conditions.

Patterns of organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in soil particle-size fractions along an aridity gradient in Northern China’s deserts

Clay and silt fractions (<53 μm in particle size) play a critical role in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and are used to characterize SOC storage in terrestrial ecosystems. However, there is unclarity about SOC content and stock in soil particle-size fractions in deserts where the soil is immature. In this study, we investigated the composition of soil particles and the stocks of SOC and N in two particle-size fractions of 0–53 μm and 0–100 μm at the top (0–30 cm) and deeper (30–50 cm) layers along an aridity gradient. The very fine sand (53–100 μm in particle size) was the major component of bulk soil. The C and N stocks in the top 50 cm of soil decreased linearly with increasing aridity, from 63.5 MgC ha−1 to 4.1 MgC ha−1 and from 4.6 MgN ha−1 to 0.8 MgN ha−1, respectively. Organic C content in two soil particle-size fractions and their contribution to bulk SOC decreased linearly with increasing aridity. Organic C content in < 100 μm soil particle-size fraction accounted for 57.8 %-99.2 % of bulk SOC, and it was only 0.6 %-24.2 % in the < 53 μm fraction. SOC stock was estimated by < 100 μm soil particle-size fractions compared with clay and silt (<53 μm). Organic C content in two soil particle-size fractions was higher in the alpine and steppe deserts than in the Gobi and sandy deserts; it was significantly higher at 0–30 cm than at 30–50 cm for all deserts. Vegetation cover was the first predictor for the organic C content in two soil particle-size fractions and their contribution to bulk SOC, addressing the direct contribution of plant-derived C inputs to soil particle-size fraction. Our study provides strong empirical evidence that organic C and N in deserts are better estimated by soil particles < 100 μm rather than clay and silt-sized fraction (<53 μm in particle size).

Estimating the Age of Poorly Dated Fossil Specimens and Deposits Using a Total-Evidence Approach and the Fossilized Birth-Death Process.

Bayesian total-evidence approaches under the fossilized birth-death model enable biologists to combine fossil and extant data while accounting for uncertainty in the ages of fossil specimens, in an integrative phylogenetic analysis. Fossil age uncertainty is a key feature of the fossil record as many empirical data sets may contain a mix of precisely dated and poorly dated fossil specimens or deposits. In this study, we explore whether reliable age estimates for fossil specimens can be obtained from Bayesian total-evidence phylogenetic analyses under the fossilized birth-death model. Through simulations based on the example of the Baltic amber deposit, we show that estimates of fossil ages obtained through such an analysis are accurate, particularly when the proportion of poorly dated specimens remains low and the majority of fossil specimens have precise dates. We confirm our results using an empirical data set of living and fossil penguins by artificially increasing the age uncertainty around some fossil specimens and showing that the resulting age estimates overlap with the recorded age ranges. Our results are applicable to many empirical data sets where classical methods of establishing fossil ages have failed, such as the Baltic amber and the Gobi Desert deposits. [Bayesian phylogenetic inference; fossil age estimates; fossilized birth-death; Lagerstätte; total-evidence.].

Humidification of Central Asia and equatorward shifts of westerly winds since the late Pliocene

The production, transport, and deposition of mineral dust exert major influences on climate change and Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Furthermore, their imprint, as recorded in pelagic sediments, provides an avenue for determining past changes in terrestrial aridity and atmospheric circulation patterns in response to global climate change. Here, by examining geochemical and magnetic data obtained from a ferromanganese crust in the western Pacific Ocean, we investigate the eolian dust source-region conditions and dust transport mechanisms from the Asian interior to the Pacific Ocean since the Pliocene. We identify a gradual provenance change in the dust source regions, from a dominant Gobi Desert source during the early Pliocene to a mixed Gobi-Taklimakan Desert source during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene, alongside increasing chemical weathering in those source areas. Climate model simulations suggest that these changes were related to an equatorward shift of the westerly jet and humidification of Central Asia during the gradual transition from a warm Pliocene climate to the cool Pleistocene.