Impact of utility-scale solar photovoltaic array on the aeolian sediment transport in Hobq Desert, China

Deserts are ideal places to develop ground-mounted large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) powerstation. Unfortunately, solar energy production, operation, and maintenance are affected bygeomorphological changes caused by surface erosion that may occur after the construction of the solar PVpower station. In order to avoid damage to a solar PV power station in sandy areas, it is necessary toinvestigate the characteristics of wind-sand movement under the interference of solar PV array. The studywas undertaken by measuring sediment transport of different wind directions above shifting dunes andthree observation sites around the PV panels in the Hobq Desert, China. The results showed that the twoparameterexponential function provides better fit for the measured flux density profiles to the near-surfaceof solar PV array. However, the saltation height of sand particles changes with the intersection anglebetween the solar PV array and wind direction exceed 45°. The sediment transport rate above shifting duneswas always the greatest, while that around the test PV panels varied accordingly to the wind direction.Moreover, the aeolian sediment transport on the solar PV array was significantly affected by wind direction.The value of sand inhibition rate ranged from 35.46% to 88.51% at different wind directions. When theintersection angle exceeds 45°, the mean value of sediment transport rate above the solar PV array reducesto 82.58% compared with the shifting dunes. The results of our study expand our understanding of theformation and evolution of aeolian geomorphology at the solar PV footprint. This will facilitate the designand control engineering plans for solar PV array in sandy areas that operate according to the wind regime.

Filling of dolines with aeolian sediments in the high-mountain karst of the Dinarides(Mt.Durmitor,Montenegro)

Filling of dolines with aeolian sediments,one of the less frequently described ways in which they are filled,is analysed in the present study on an example of a doline in the high-mountain karst of the Dinarides.There is a series of deep dolines on a broad ridge(about 2450 m a.s.l.)on Mt.Durmitor(Montenegro)in the southeastern part of the Dinarides.The accumulation of very fine-grained sand that almost completely fills one of the dolines was analysed.More than 99% of the accumulation was found to be composed of well-sorted quartz grains with an average size of 89μm and no vertical differences in granulometric or textural characteristics.With respect to mineral composition,the accumulation differs significantly from that prevalent in this part of the Dinarides,in which different kinds of carbonate rocks are dominant.The conducted analyses indicated an aeolian origin of the sediments.Significant aridification that began in the Middle Holocene made the area of North Africa a source of sediments that were transported by the aeolian process to neighbouring regions.Geomorphological-sedimentological research on Mt.Durmitor and earlier investigations of the wider Mediterranean region indicate that dolines in highmountain karst can be filled with aeolian sediments.The sediments originated from territory of the northern Sahara,and the filling occurred in the Late Holocene,at the close of the African humid period.The present study shows that apart from the influence of local factors,regional geomorphological processes such as aeolian transport can also exert significant influence on the filling of dolines.It also indicates a high intensity and strongly expressed dynamics of aeolian sediment transport from the territory of Africa to this part of Southern Europe.

Effects of an oasis protective system on aeolian sediment deposition:a case study from Gelintan oasis,southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert,China

Desert-oasis ecotones are boundary areas between oases and desert ecosystems.Large efforts to control sediment and stabilize these boundaries depend on understanding sedimentary processes,especially aeolian transport and deposition.Previous studies on aeolian sediment deposition have focused primarily on a single land surface type or a single engineering approach.Few studies have considered deposition in a multi-layer oasis protective system.A complete oasis protective system consists of an outer bare sand area,a sand barrier zone,a shrub and herbaceous plant zone,and a farmland shelter zone.This study used sedimentary analysis to quantify grain-size characteristics in samples from the four land surfaces under different types of weather conditions in the Gelintan oasis of the Tengger Desert,the fourth largest desert in China.The results showed that aeolian sediment deposition decreased from the outer bare sand area through the oasis protective system and into the interior.The four land surface types showed significant differences in deposition volume(P<0.05).Deposited sediment showed gradual decrease in dominant grain-size from sand to silt,but sediment deposited during dust weather contained a larger coarse-grained fraction.From the outer desert to the inner oasis,transport mechanisms shifted from saltation(sand)to suspension(silt and smaller)in non-dust weather.During dust weather,deposition primarily occurs from near-surface aeolian sand transport with saltation.Sediment sorting decreased from exterior to interior zones of the protective system while skewness and kurtosis showed no significant change(P<0.05).These results can help inform strategies for stabilizing and protecting desert-oasis ecotones in this region and other localities.

Re-evaluating the vertical mass-flux profiles of aeolian sediment at the southern fringe of the Taklimakan Desert, China

Reliable estimation of the mass-flux profiles of aeolian sediment is essential for predicting sediment transport rates accurately and designing measures to cope with wind-erosion. Vertical mass-flux profiles from seventeen wind-erosion events were re-evaluated using five typical models based on observed data obtained from a smooth bare field at the southern fringe of the Taklimakan Desert, China. The results showed that the exponential-function model and the logarithmic-function model exhibited the poorest fit between observed and predicted mass-flux profiles. The power-function model and the modified power-function model improved the fit to field data to an equivalent extent, while the five-parameter combined-function model with a scale constant（σ） of 0.00001 m（different from the σ value proposed by Fryear, which represented the height above which 50% of the total mass flux occurred） was verified as the best for describing the vertical aeolian sediment mass-flux profiles using goodness of fit（R2） and the Akaike Information Criterion（AIC） values to evaluate model performance. According to relationships among model parameters, the modified power model played a prominent explanatory role in describing the vertical profiles of the observed data, whereas the exponential model played a coordinating role. In addition, it was found that the vertical profiles could not be extrapolated using the five selected models or easily estimated using an efficient model without field observations by a near-surface sampler at 0 to 0.05 m.

Climate change inferred from aeolian sediments in a lake shore environment in the central Tibetan Plateau during recent centuries

Studies of the past climate variation on the Tibetan Plateau(TP) are currently limited in number and low in density and temporal resolution. We investigated the climate condition from about 400 years before present(B.P.) in the central TP at the shore of Co(means "lake") Nag using aeolian sediments. A 2.7-m sand profile with 57 sediment samples and six optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) samples were studied through grain-size analysis, geochemical elements and parameters, and depositional rate estimation. A previous assumption was verified that sand deposition at the shore of Lake Co Nag originated from hills to the east. Two significant wet periods between 90–140 and about 380 years B.P. were indicated by the variation of element profiles and sediment depositional rates. Aeolian activity is sensitive to variations from different seasonal changing patterns of climate factors in the study area, and aeolian sediments respond differently to climate conditions during the cold little ice age(LIA) and the warm 20 th century. Present day dry seasons of winter and spring might be much warmer and drier compared to seasons of 400 years ago although summer precipitation has increased, resulting in significantly more aeolian activity and higher depositional rate(about 6 times compared to 380–240 years ago) of sandy sediments. Aeolian problems like blown-sand deposition and desertification may be worse in a projected warming future in the central TP as well as other cold and high altitude regions. Our results suggest an agreement with environmental evolution during the little ice age and the 20 th century in a broader scale on the TP.

Estimation of the quantity of aeolian saltation sediments blown into the Yellow River from the Ulanbuh Desert,China

The Ulanbuh Desert borders the upper reach of the Yellow River. Every year, a mass of aeolian sand is blown into the Yellow River by the prevailing wind and the coarse aeolian sand results in serious silting in the Yellow River. To estimate the quantity of aeolian sediments from the Ulanbuh Desert blown into the Yellow River, we simulated the saltation processes of aeolian sediments in the Ulanbuh Desert. Then we used a saltation submodel of the IWEMS （integrated Wind-Erosion Modeling System） and its accompanying RS （Remote Sensing） and GIS （Geographic Information System） modules to estimate the quantity of saltation sediments blown into the Yellow River from the Ulanbuh Desert. We calibrated the saltation submodel by the synchronous observation to wind ve- locity and saltation sediments on several points with different vegetation cover. The vegetation cover, frontal area of vegetation, roughness length, and threshold friction velocity in various regions of the Ulanbuh Desert were obtained using NDVI （Normalized Difference Vegetation Index） data, measured sand-particle sizes, and empirical relation- ships among vegetation cover, sand-particle diameters, and wind velocity. Using these variables along with the observed wind velocities and saltation sediments for the observed points, the saltation model was validated. The model results were shown to be satisfactory （RMSE less than 0.05 and IRel less than 17%）. In this study, a subdaily wind-velocity program, WlNDGEN, was developed using this model to simulate hourly wind velocities around the Ulanbuh Desert. By incorporating simulated hourly wind-velocity and wind-direction data, the quantity of saltation sediments blown into the Yellow River was calculated with the saltation submodel. The annual quantity of aeolian sediments blown into the Yellow River from the Ulanbuh Desert was 5.56x106 t from 2001 to 2010, most of which occurred in spring （from March to May）; for example, 6.54x10~ tons of aeolian sand were blown into the Yellow River on 25 April, 2010. However, in summer and winter, the saltation process occasionally occurred. This research has supplied some references to prevent blown sand hazards and silting in the Yellow River.

North Atlantic Abrupt Climate Signals during the Last Glacial Period in Central Asia：Evidences from Aeolian Loess Sediments

Objective Climate fluctuations over suborbital or millennial timescale display significant instability during the last glacial period,which are often superimposed upon the orbital periodicity.They triggered some abrupt climate events,

Geochemical-geomorphological Evidence for the Provenance of Aeolian Sands and Sedimentary Environments in the Hunshandake Sandy Land, Eastern Inner Mongolia, China

Identifying the provenance of aeolian sediments in the Hunshandake Sandy Land is of great importance for understanding the formation of the dune fields in the mid-latitudes and for deciphering information about desert＇s responses to global change. By determining the major and trace elements concentrations of aeolian sands in three grain size fractions from the central and western parts of the Hunshandake Sandy Land, we systematically study the provenance and the depositional history of aeolian sands in this desert environment. Our results show that aeolian sands from the Hunshandake Sandy Land are enriched in SiO2 and are depleted in many other elements compared to those of the Upper Continent Crust （UCC）. Variations of the immobile elements ratios like Zr/Hf, La/Yb, Th/Nb, La/Nb, LaN/YbN, GdN/YbN are relatively large in the coarse and medium fractions but minor in the fine fractions. Eu anomalies are quite different in the coarse fractions, but mostly positive in the medium fractions and all negative in the fine fractions. Decreasing tendency of Zr concentrations from the west to the east in the Hunshandake Sandy Land is evident in the coarse sands but rather weak in the fine grain size fractions. Our geochemical data indicate that the sources for the coarse and medium fractions of aeolian sands are diverse, influenced by local geology and geomorphology, while the fine sand fractions are more homogenous due to intensive mixture mainly by aeolian processes. Various ratios of immobile elements suggest that these sands should be sourced primarily from the surrounding mountains by fluvial/alluvial processes rather than from any remote territories. Aeolian sands with Ce negative anomalies are widely distributed in the Hunshandake Sandy Land, indicating that aquatic environments have occurred extensively prior to the occurrence of the dune field.

Aeolian component records in lacustrine sediments and its atmospheric circulation significance for evolution of Qarhan salt lake,NE Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

1 Introduction The Qarhan Playa of Qaidam Basin is located at the northeastern QinghaiTibetan Plateau(QTP),in which thick lacustrine and evaporate sediments deposited since the late Pleistocene(Chen et al.,1985,1986).As surrounded by capacious Gobi and yardang fields and suffered strong westerly-northwesterly wind,abundant aeolian materials were trapped in these sediment sequences in the

Grain-size Characteristics of Sediment in Daniugou Peatland in Changbai Mountains,Northeast China:Implications for Atmospheric Dust Deposition

The grain-size distribution characteristics and grain-size parameters of sediment in two vertical sections of Daniugou peatland in the Changbai Mountains were systematically investigated.A comparative analysis of the sediment granularity using a discriminative function with Hongyuan peat,red clay,loess-paleosol,fluvial deposit as well as lacustrine deposit was also conducted.It turns out that the vertical section of Daniugou peat ash is primarily constituted by clay and silt particles,and the content of sand is relatively small.Grain-size frequency curves generally show a single-peak modality while a bimodal pattern is detected in the upper layer.The grain-size component and peak pattern of grain-size frequency curves also illustrate that peat ash materials were transported to the peatland by long-range aeolian dust during the deposition process,while there existed short-distance dust influence in peat deposition of the upper layer.Comparisons of grain-size parameters and the discriminative Y-value of Daniugou peat ash with those of typical aeolian sediments show close similarities,suggesting the possibility that atmospheric dust transport processes were involved in the accumulation of peat again.Moreover,the variations of grain-size distribution suggest the local environmental deterioration which is just the driving force of local dust elevation.Grain-size analysis of peatland sediment is demonstrated to be one effective method to extract information about regional and global environmental evolution,and more attention should be paid to current local ecological environment and to seeking a balance between economic development and environmental protection in Northeast China.

Grain size-dependent geochemical evidence reveals provenance and implications of aeolian sands,Dinggye region,southern Tibet

Identifying geochemical characteristics of aeolian sands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)is essential for understanding the relationship between earth surface processes and paleoclimatic fluctuations in the region.Here,we present new geochemical data which provides insight to the sedimentary environment of aeolian sands in the Dinggye region,southern Tibet.We sampled aeolian dune sands in a variety of settings,and determined grain size and concentration of major oxides and trace elements in the fine and coarse fractions.Results show that aeolian sediments are dominated by fine and medium sands,with a single-peaked frequency curve and a 3-stage probability cumulative curve.The fine and coarse fractions exhibit considerable heterogeneity in elemental concentrations and ratios and upper continental crust-normalized(UCC)distribution.The geochemical evidence indicates that wind dynamic sorting is responsible for the differentiation between fine and coarse fractions in different types of aeolian sand,rather than sediment provenance.Additionally,fine-fraction sediments are well dispersed and can be differentiated from the coarse fraction,suggesting that they contain more environmental information.Multidimensional scale(MDS)and principal component analysis(PCA)of commonly used tracer elements show that flood plain sediments are the sand source for mobile dunes and nebkhas,and lakeshore sediments are the sand source for climbing sand sheets.

Late Pleistocene aeolian activity in Haitan Island, Southeast China: Insights from optically stimulated luminescence dating of coastal dunes on marine terraces

The 'Old Red Sand' is a type of semicemented medium-fine sandy sediment that is red(10R_4/8) or brown red(2.5YR_4/8) in colour and is found in late Quaternary deposits. The sediments have distinctive characteristics and are a critical archive for understanding climatic changes in the coastal areas of East Asia. The ages of the late Quaternary aeolian sand dunes from Haitan Island in the coastal area of South China are still in debate. In this study, three sets of marine terraces were identified in the northern region of Haitan Island. Aeolian dune sands are well preserved on the top of these terraces. Quartz Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating and the distribution of the formation ages demonstrated that the palaeo-dunes are deposits from the middle-late period of the Late Pleistocene(Q_3^(2-3)). The period may be divided into three stages, 100-90 ka, 70-60 ka, and 40-20 ka, in which the palaeo-dunes of the first two stages are more widespread and were formed separately during a low-sea level period of the Marine Isotope Stages 5 b and 4. Several depositional palaeo-flood event records were preserved during the last stage due to the increasing gradient of mountain gullies formed during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Origin and Distribution of Heavy Minerals in the Surficial and Subsurficial Sediments of the Alluvial Nile River Terraces

Origin and distribution of the heavy minerals of surficial and subsurficial sediments has been investigated in the alluvial Nile River terraces, Khartoum North, Sudan. Heavy mineral assemblages in the very fine sand fraction (0.063 - 0.125 mm) of 10 sediment samples were identified using petrography microscope. Results of descriptive statistical parameters revealed that most sediments samples belonged within very poorly sorted to extremely poorly sorted, strongly negative skewed to strongly positive skewed and mesokurtic to very leptokurtic. The quartz was the dominant in the opaque minerals in all sediments. The non-opaque heavy minerals were dominant by zircon, tourmaline, rutile, garnet, sillimanite, and andalusite. Results revealed that the ultrastable minerals (zircon, tourmaline and rutile) were found in all sediments with range from (2% - 47.36%, 2.08% - 29% and 3% - 24.99%), respectively. Garnet, sillimanite and andalusite were also found with range from (5% - 67%, 1% - 9.09% and 1% - 50%), respectively. Heavy mineral assemblage indentifies sources that are not bounded to the local origin. The proportion and presence of heavy minerals from outside source rocks indicated relatively strong reworking of zircon sand from the outer-shelf to inner-shelf as well relatively long distance of transport. Fluvial and Aeolian sediments were the dominant environments in the investigated area. We conclude that most heavy minerals in the study area are originally derived from gneisses and schist metamorphic rocks and some igneous rocks of the Ethiopian plateau.

Rare-earth element geochemistry reveals the provenance of sediments on the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep

The hadal zone represents one of the last great frontiers in modern marine science,and deciphering the provenance of sediment that is supplied to these trench settings remains a largely unanswered question.Here,we examine the mineralogical and geochemical composition of a sediment core(core CD-1)that was recovered from the southwestern margin of the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench.Major element abundances and rare-earth element patterns from these sediments require inputs from both terrigenous dust and locally sourced volcanic debris.We exploit a two-endmember mixing model to demonstrate that locally sourced volcanic material dominates the sediment supply to the Challenger Deep(averaging^72%).The remainder,however,is supplied by aeolian dust(averaging^28%),which is consistent with adjacent studies that utilized Sr-Nd isotopic data.Building on a growing database,we strengthen our understanding of Asian aeolian dust input into the northwestern Pacific,which ultimately improves our appreciation of sedimentation in,and around,the hadal zone.

巴丹吉林-腾格里沙漠间沉积物粒度和磨圆度的空间分异

为探索巴丹吉林沙漠与腾格里沙漠交界处风沙口的沉积物分异特征,沿风沙口主风向走向(NW-SE)对沙丘表层沉积物取样,并进行粒度和磨圆度分析。结果表明,(1)沙丘表层沉积物中砂含量占比最高,细沙和粗砂含量次之;迎风坡顶部中砂占比最多,迎风坡中部细砂占比最多,背风坡底粗砂占比最多。(2)沿主风向从风沙口至腾格里沙漠腹地的平均粒径和中值粒径呈波动增大趋势;分选系数呈波动降低的趋势;偏度值在正负偏度值之间波动。(3)沉积物石英砂的磨圆度次圆占比最高;迎风坡顶部沙样的磨圆度最好,背风坡底的磨圆度最差。

晚全新世毛乌素沙地东南缘沉积物粒度特征及其指示的环境变化

地处我国东亚季风边缘区的毛乌素沙地,因其对气候变化响应敏感而成为研究古气候环境变迁的理想场所。利用毛乌素沙地东南缘厚273 cm的沉积地层,通过分析沉积物粒度端元特征和环境指示意义,并结合光释光(OSL)测年结果和磁化率指标,重建了研究区2.6 ka B.P.以来的环境变化过程。结果表明:①剖面沉积物的粒度组成以粗粉砂、极细砂和细砂为主,其中细砂最多,平均体积分数为57.29%;粉砂层细砂体积分数明显低于砂层,粗粉砂和极细砂显著增多;沉积物粒度频率分布曲线多呈现典型的风成沉积物特点,峰高且窄,分选性较好。②剖面沉积物粒度可分离为3个端元组分,端元EM1是最细的粒度端元组分,指示了短时间的强尘暴活动,端元EM2和EM3是在不同风动力条件下跃移搬运的亚组分,端元EM3指示了当地风沙活动的强弱。③研究区晚全新世环境变化过程可分为3个阶段。2.6 ka B.P.之前,冬季风较强,气候冷干;2.6 ka B.P.之后到近百年,冬季风减弱,气候趋于暖湿;近百年以来,风沙活动增强,人类活动影响较大。

波浪—海滩—沙丘相互作用研究进展

基于Web of Science数据库搜索关键词“波浪—海滩—沙丘相互作用”,筛分出与主题紧密相关的文献近百篇并对其梳理与分析,将研究阶段与理论模式进行划分,厘清当前研究存在的问题与机遇。结果发现,波浪—海滩—沙丘相互作用研究自1980s以来经历了理论提出、区域拓展、深入研究3个发展阶段。理论模式从单一的概念模式发展为不同尺度概念下的相互作用理论模式,研究方法从单一的野外测绘和海图测深资料发展到野外实地观测、室内风洞试验、3S技术与数值模拟相结合的综合研究方法;研究区域,从澳大利亚东南部海岸扩展到欧洲、北美洲、南美洲和亚洲等地海岸。同时,波浪—海滩—沙丘相互作用研究中也存在一些尚未解决的问题:针对不同区域的海岸沙丘动力地貌系统难以总结出一个具有普适应的理论模式;微观尺度内,已有的理论内容难以完全的揭示波浪、潮汐水动力与碎波带/海滩和风动力与海滩—沙丘地貌之间的复杂相互作用机理;中观尺度内,整个碎波带、海滩与沙丘系统对风暴的响应与反馈机理还需要进一步观测与深入研究,且建立事件尺度内的动力与地貌响应过程和中期地貌形态变化之间的联系还需要更长时期的实地观测与模型改进;宏观尺度内,海平面抬升引起海岸变化的预测模型需要多时空的实地观测数据支持与验证。未来可结合历史资料、实地观测数据、高分辨率遥感影像数据,综合分析各环境要素与碎波带、海滩、沙丘地形地貌之间的动力过程与形态响应关系,采用数值模拟技术揭示不同时空尺度的波浪—海滩—沙丘相互作用关系机理,进一步完善波浪—海滩—沙丘相互作用理论内容。

海滩养护影响下的海岸风沙作用研究进展

海滩养护已经成为全球基于自然(nature-based)海岸防护的主要手段,并得到广泛应用。随着全球强风区海岸海滩养护工程数量的增加,海滩养护对海岸风沙过程产生的一系列影响逐渐得到重视。海滩养护工程形成了新的海滩地貌形态,扩大了海滩风区、增加了风沙物源、提高了滩面高程、改变了滩面沉积物,海滩地貌和沉积物组分变化引起了风沙运动过程的变化,与自然海滩风沙过程相比,有其独特的过程和特征,已经成为海岸风沙研究的热点之一。本文从海滩养护影响下的风沙环境变化、风沙活动变化以及养护海滩对沙丘的影响等3个方面梳理了国内外研究进展,提出养护海滩风沙研究存在区域不平衡以及风沙过程的综合性影响和定量化研究不足等问题,并结合我国海滩养护未来的发展趋势,从强风区养护海滩风沙运动规律、养护海滩风沙环境全要素的综合影响和风沙作用变化的模型评估等方面展望了我国养护海滩风沙研究的未来发展方向。

末次间冰期-冰期旋回黄土环境敏感粒度组分的提取及意义

采用粒级-标准偏差方法对黄土高原西部、河西走廊及河南西部等6个剖面末次间冰期-冰期旋回的黄土-古土壤粒度进行了系统分析,提取了对环境变化敏感的粒度组分。各剖面的环境敏感粒度组分主要分为粗细两个组分,并显示出一定的区域性差异和不同的沉积学意义。敏感组分主要受物源和沉积后成壤作用的影响:冰沟和罗家湾剖面可能受源区的影响更大而使敏感组分偏粗,暖和湾和扣马剖面可能由于后期风化的影响较大而使敏感组分偏细。对扣马剖面末次冰期旋回堆积的L1和S1的粒级-标准偏差分析表明,L1的敏感组分与全剖面相似;而S1的敏感组分与全剖面存在较大差异,可能与成壤作用有关。

新疆伊犁河谷晚全新世风沙沉积粒度旋回与气候变化

对新疆伊犁河谷可克达拉剖面(TKP)晚全新世沉积粒度参数及其气候意义分析结果表明:总体为植被较好、输沙势较弱的沉积环境。可以划分为5个气候变化阶段:3.71～3.06kaB.P.风力由强到弱,气候暖由干到凉湿;3.06～2.78kaB.P.风力很强、气候暖干;2.78～2.10kaB.P.风力较弱,气候湿润;2.10～0.5kaB.P.前期风力振荡频繁,气候较湿润;后期风力减弱、气候冷湿、成壤作用较强;0.50kaB.P.以来,以相对冷湿为主,最近100a来风力加强、气候趋于暖干。各阶段起止与全球气候变化基本一致,但受西风环流传递北高纬大西洋区域气候变化的影响,各气候期水热组合呈现典型西风带模式特征。