Wind dynamic environment and wind-sand erosion and deposition processes on different surfaces along the Dunhuang–Golmud railway,China

The Dunhuang–Golmud railway passes through different deserts in arid areas,especially drifting-sand desert and sandy-gravel Gobi.The near-surface wind environment and wind-sand transport process vary due to different external factors,such as topography,vegetation,and regional climate,resulting in evident spatial differences in surface erosion and deposition.Consequently,the measures for preventing wind-sand hazards will differ.However,the mechanism and control theory of sand damage remain poorly understood.In this study,we used meteorological observation,three-dimensional(3D)laser scanning,and grain-size analysis to compare and evaluate the spatial distribution of wind conditions,sand erosion and deposition patterns,and grain composition in the drifting-sand desert and sandy-gravel Gobi along the Dunhuang–Golmud railway in China.Results show that the annual mean wind speed,the frequency of sand-driving wind,and the drift potential of sandy-gravel Gobi are higher than those of drifting-sand desert,indicating a greater wind strength in the sandy-gravel Gobi,which exhibits spatial heterogeneity in wind conditions.The major sediment components in sandy-gravel Gobi are very fine sand,fine sand,and medium sand,and that in drifting-sand desert are very fine sand and fine sand.We found that the sediment in the sandy-gravel Gobi is coarser than that in the drifting-sand desert based on mean grain size and sediment component.The spatial distributions of sand erosion and deposition in the sandy-gravel Gobi and drifting-sand desert are consistent,with sand deposition mainly on the west side of the railway and sand erosion on the east side of the railway.The area of sand deposition in the drifting-sand desert accounts for 75.83%of the total area,with a mean deposition thickness of 0.032 m;while the area of sand deposition in the sandy-gravel Gobi accounts for 65.31%of the total area,with a mean deposition thickness of 0.028 m,indicating greater deposition amounts in the drifting-sand desert due to the presence of more fine sediment components.However,the sand deposition is more concentrated with a greater thickness on the embankment and track in the sandy-gravel Gobi and is dispersed with a uniform thickness in the drifting-sand desert.The sand deposition on the track of the sandy-gravel Gobi mainly comes from the east side of the railway.The results of this study are helpful in developing the preventive measures and determining appropriate selection and layout measures for sand control.

Relationship of underground water level and climate in Northwest China’s inland basins under the global climate change:Taking the Golmud River Catchment as an example

To identify the response of groundwater level variation to global climate change in Northwest China’s inland basins,the Golmud River Catchment was chosen as a case in this paper.Approaches of time series analysis and correlation analysis were adopted to investigate the variation of groundwater level influenced by global climate change from 1977 to 2017.Results show that the temperature in the Golmud River Catchment rose 0.57℃ every 10 years.It is highly positive correlated with global climate temperature,with a correlation coefficient,0.87.The frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation were both increased.Generally,groundwater levels increased from 1977 to 2017 in all phreatic and confined aquifers and the fluctuation became more violent.Most importantly,extreme precipitation led to the fact that groundwater level rises sharply,which induced city waterlogging.However,no direct evidence shows that normal precipitation triggered groundwater level rise,and the correlation coefficients between precipitation data from Golmud meteorological station located in the Gobi Desert and groundwater level data of five observation wells are 0.13,0.02,−0.11,0.04,and−0.03,respectively.This phenomenon could be explained as that the main recharge source of groundwater is river leakage in the alluvial-pluvial Gobi plain because of the high total head of river water and goodness hydraulic conductivity of the vadose zone.Data analysis shows that glacier melting aggravated because of local temperature increased.As a result,runoff caused groundwater levels to ascend from 1977 to 2017.Correlation coefficients of two groundwater wells observation data and runoff of Golmud River are 0.80 and 0.68.The research results will contribute to handling the negative effects of climate change on groundwater for Northwestern China.

Golmud,the Kunlun Mountains and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

QINGHAI Province, on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is to many people a remote and mysterious place. This reporter recently traveled with the 2002 Qinghai in Focus Photographers Group on their trip from the Qinghai hinterland on the northern part of the plateau to Golmud, the Kunlun Mountains, and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction site.Golmud, Born with the HighwayIt took us 2 hours and 10 minutes to fly the 1,150 kilometer distance from Beijing to Xining, capital city of Qinghai Province. From there we boarded a train that went directly west to Golmud.

对气氡脱气装置改造的几点认识

拆除了格尔木井原气氡脱气装置,针对该井冷水、大流量的实际情况,自行设计、制造了一套新的脱气装置,在其后的气氡观测中取得了良好效果,通过对改造前后氡值的分析,充分认识到了合理的脱气装置的重要性,形成了几点新的看法。

格尔木井地下流体主测项数据可靠性分析

本文介绍了格尔木井的基本情况及所架数字仪器的技术系统构成,对水位、地热、气氡等主测项2003年1月1日—2004年12月31日的数字化资料进行了初步分析,发现地热数据基本稳定;气氡数据由原集气装置的不合理,数据上下波动较大,基本无法使用,经改造后,数据趋于稳定;水位受到调节集气装置出水量的影响,但排除该影响后数据基本可以使用。