Formation and ecological response of sand patches in the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway,China

The development of bare patches typically signifies a process of ecosystem degradation.Within the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway,the extensive emergence of bare sand patches poses a threat to both stability and sustainability.However,there is limited knowledge regarding the morphology,dynamic changes,and ecological responses associated with these sand patches.Therefore,we analyzed the formation and development process of sand patches within the protection system and its effects on herbaceous vegetation growth and soil nutrients through field observation,survey,and indoor analysis methods.The results showed that sand patch development can be divided into three stages,i.e.,formation,expansion,and stabilization,which correspond to the initial,actively developing,and semi-fixed sand patches,respectively.The average dimensions of all sand patch erosional areas were found to be 7.72 m in length,3.91 m in width,and 0.32 m in depth.The actively developing sand patches were the largest,and the initial sand patches were the smallest.Throughout the stage of formation and expansion,the herbaceous community composition changed,and the plant density decreased by more than 50.95%.Moreover,the coverage and height of herbaceous plants decreased in the erosional area and slightly increased in the depositional lobe;and the fine particles and nutrients of soils in the erosional area and depositional lobe showed a decreasing trend.In the stabilization phases of sand patches,the area from the inlet to the bottom of sand patches becomes initially covered with crusts.Vegetation and 0-2 cm surface soil condition improved in the erosional area,but this improvement was not yet evident in the depositional lobe.Factors such as disturbance,climate change,and surface resistance to erosion exert notable influences on the formation and dynamics of sand patches.The results can provide evidence for the future treatment of sand patches and the management of the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway.

Trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services in Yutian County along the Keriya River Basin,Northwest China

The Keriya River Basin is located in an extremely arid climate zone on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin of Northwest China,exhibiting typical mountain-oasis-desert distribution characteristics.In recent decades,climate change and human activities have exerted significant impacts on the service functions of watershed ecosystems.However,the trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services(ESs)have not been thoroughly examined.This study aims to reveal the spatiotemporal changes in ESs within the Keriya River Basin from 1995 to 2020 as well as the trade-offs and synergies between ESs.Leveraging the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(InVEST)and Revised Wind Erosion Equation(RWEQ)using land use/land cover(LULC),climate,vegetation,soil,and hydrological data,we quantified the spatiotemporal changes in the five principal ESs(carbon storage,water yield,food production,wind and sand prevention,and habitat quality)of the watershed from 1995 to 2020.Spearman correlation coefficients were used to analyze the trade-offs and synergies between ES pairs.The findings reveal that water yield,carbon storage,and habitat quality exhibited relatively high levels in the upstream,while food production and wind and sand prevention dominated the midstream and downstream,respectively.Furthermore,carbon storage,food production,wind and sand prevention,and habitat quality demonstrated an increase at the watershed scale while water yield exhibited a decline from 1995 to 2020.Specifically,carbon storage,wind and sand prevention,and habitat quality presented an upward trend in the upstream but downward trend in the midstream and downstream.Food production in the midstream showed a continuously increasing trend during the study period.Trade-off relationships were identified between water yield and wind and sand prevention,water yield and carbon storage,food production and water yield,and habitat quality and wind and sand prevention.Prominent temporal and spatial synergistic relationships were observed between different ESs,notably between carbon storage and habitat quality,carbon storage and food production,food production and wind and sand prevention,and food production and habitat quality.Water resources emerged as a decisive factor for the sustainable development of the basin,thus highlighting the intricate trade-offs and synergies between water yield and the other four services,particularly the relationship with food production,which warrants further attention.This research is of great significance for the protection and sustainable development of river basins in arid areas.

Effect of Lightweight Aggregates Incorporation on the Mechanical Properties and Shrinkage Compensation of a Cement-Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag-Phosphogypsum Ternary System

Shrinkage-induced cracking is a common issue in concrete structures,where the formation of cracks not only affects the aesthetic appearance of concrete but also potentially reduces its durability and strength.In this study,the effect of ceramsite sand addition on the properties of a ternary system of cement-ground granulated blast furnace slag(GGBFS)-phosphogypsum(PG)is investigated.In particular,the fluidity,rheology,hydration heat,compressive strength,autogenous shrinkage,and drying shrinkage of the considered mortar specimens are analyzed.The results indicate that an increase in PG content leads to a decrease in fluidity,higher viscosity,lower exothermic peak,and lower compressive strength.However,the shrinkage of the mortar specimens is effectively compensated.The incorporation of internal curing water from ceramsite sand improves fluidity,decreases both yield stress and viscosity,enhances the degree of hydration,and induces mortar expansion.However,the inferior mechanical properties of the ceramsite sand generally produce a decrease in the compressive strength.

Data-driven casting defect prediction model for sand casting based on random forest classification algorithm

The complex sand-casting process combined with the interactions between process parameters makes it difficult to control the casting quality,resulting in a high scrap rate.A strategy based on a data-driven model was proposed to reduce casting defects and improve production efficiency,which includes the random forest(RF)classification model,the feature importance analysis,and the process parameters optimization with Monte Carlo simulation.The collected data includes four types of defects and corresponding process parameters were used to construct the RF model.Classification results show a recall rate above 90% for all categories.The Gini Index was used to assess the importance of the process parameters in the formation of various defects in the RF model.Finally,the classification model was applied to different production conditions for quality prediction.In the case of process parameters optimization for gas porosity defects,this model serves as an experimental process in the Monte Carlo method to estimate a better temperature distribution.The prediction model,when applied to the factory,greatly improved the efficiency of defect detection.Results show that the scrap rate decreased from 10.16% to 6.68%.

Numerical simulation on sand sedimentation and erosion characteristics around HDPE sheet sand barrier under different wind angles

For the safety of railroad operations,sand barriers are utilized to mitigate wind-sand disaster effects.These disasters,characterized by multi-directional wind patterns,result in diverse angles among the barriers.In this study,using numerical simulations,we examined the behavior of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)sheet sand barriers under different wind angles,focusing on flow field distribution,windproof efficiency,and sedimentation erosion dynamics.This study discovered that at a steady wind speed,airflow velocity varies as the angle between the airflow and the HDPE barrier changes.Specifically,a 90°angle results in the widest low-speed airflow area on the barrier’s downwind side.If the airflow is not perpendicular to the barrier,it prompts a lateral airflow movement which decreases as the angle expands.The windproof efficiency correlates directly with this angle but inversely with the wind’s speed.Notably,with a wind angle of 90°,wind speed drops by 81%.The minimum wind speed is found at 5.1H(the sand barrier height)on the barrier’s downwind side.As the angle grows,the barrier’s windproof efficiency improves,extending its protective reach.Sedimentation is most prominent on the barrier’s downwind side,as the wind angle shifts from 30°to 90°,the sand sedimentation area on the barrier’s downwind side enlarges by 14.8H.As the angle grows,sedimentation intensifies,eventually overtakes the forward erosion and enlarges the sedimentation area.

Flow field, sedimentation, and erosion characteristics around folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence: Numerical simulation study

Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy areas. The wind and sand flow in the region is notably bi-directional. To shield railroads from sand, a unique sand fence made of folded linear high-density polyethylene(HDPE) is used, aligning with the principle that the dominant wind direction is perpendicular to the fence. This study employed field observations and numerical simulations to investigate the effectiveness of these HDPE sand fences in altering flow field distribution and offering protection. It also explored how these fences affect the deposition and erosion of sand particles. Findings revealed a significant reduction in wind speed near the fence corner;the minimum horizontal wind speed on the leeward side of the first sand fence(LSF) decreased dramatically from 3 m/s to 0.64 m/s. The vortex area on the LSF markedly impacted horizontal wind speeds. Within the LSF, sand deposition was a primary occurrence. As wind speeds increased, the deposition zone shrank, whereas the positive erosion zone expanded. Close to the folded corners of the HDPE sand fence, there was a notable shift from the positive erosion zone to a deposition zone. Field tests and numerical simulations confirmed the high windproof efficiency(WE) and sand resistance efficiency(SE) in the HDPE sand fence. Folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence can effectively slow down the incoming flow and reduce the sand content, thus achieving good wind and sand protection. This study provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and improvement of wind and sand protection systems in railroad engineering.

A gated recurrent unit model to predict Poisson’s ratio using deep learning

Static Poisson’s ratio(vs)is crucial for determining geomechanical properties in petroleum applications,namely sand production.Some models have been used to predict vs;however,the published models were limited to specific data ranges with an average absolute percentage relative error(AAPRE)of more than 10%.The published gated recurrent unit(GRU)models do not consider trend analysis to show physical behaviors.In this study,we aim to develop a GRU model using trend analysis and three inputs for predicting n s based on a broad range of data,n s(value of 0.1627-0.4492),bulk formation density(RHOB)(0.315-2.994 g/mL),compressional time(DTc)(44.43-186.9 μs/ft),and shear time(DTs)(72.9-341.2μ s/ft).The GRU model was evaluated using different approaches,including statistical error an-alyses.The GRU model showed the proper trends,and the model data ranges were wider than previous ones.The GRU model has the largest correlation coefficient(R)of 0.967 and the lowest AAPRE,average percent relative error(APRE),root mean square error(RMSE),and standard deviation(SD)of 3.228%,1.054%,4.389,and 0.013,respectively,compared to other models.The GRU model has a high accuracy for the different datasets:training,validation,testing,and the whole datasets with R and AAPRE values were 0.981 and 2.601%,0.966 and 3.274%,0.967 and 3.228%,and 0.977 and 2.861%,respectively.The group error analyses of all inputs show that the GRU model has less than 5% AAPRE for all input ranges,which is superior to other models that have different AAPRE values of more than 10% at various ranges of inputs.

Study on the clogging mechanism of punching screen in sand control by the punching structure parameters

As an independent sand control unit or a common protective shell of a high-quality screen,the punching screen is the outermost sand retaining unit of the sand control pipe which is used in geothermal well or oil and gas well.However,most screens only consider the influence of the internal sand retaining medium parameters in the sand control performance design while ignoring the influence of the plugging of the punching screen on the overall sand retaining performance of the screen.To explore the clogging mechanism of the punching screen,this paper established the clogging mechanism calculation model of a single punching screen sand control unit by using the computational fluid mechanics-discrete element method(CFD-DEM)combined method.According to the combined motion of particles and fluids,the influence of the internal flow state on particle motion and accumulation was analyzed.The results showed that(1)the clogging process of the punching sand control unit is divided into three stages:initial clogging,aggravation of clogging and stability of clogging.In the initial stage of blockage,coarse particles form a loose bridge structure,and blockage often occurs preferentially at the streamline gathering place below chamfering inside the sand control unit.In the stage of blockage intensification,the particle mass develops into a relatively complete sand bridge,which develops from both ends of the opening to the center of the opening.In the stable plugging stage,the sand deposits show a“fan shape”and form a“V-shaped”gully inside the punching slot element.(2)Under a certain reservoir particle-size distribution,The slit length and opening height have a large influence on the permeability and blockage rate,while the slit width size has little influence on the permeability and blockage rate.The microscopic clogging mechanism and its law of the punching screen prevention unit are proposed in this study,which has some field guidance significance for the design of punching screen and sand prevention selection.

Protective benefits of HDPE board sand fences in an environment with variable wind directions on Gobi surfaces:wind tunnel study

The Golmud-Korla Railway in the Gobi area faces operational challenges due to sand hazards,caused by strong and variable winds.This study addresses these challenges by conducting wind tunnel tests to evaluate the protective benefits of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)board sand fences,focusing on their orientation relative to various wind directions(referred to as'wind angle').This study found that the size of the low-velocity zone on the leeward side of the sand fences(LSF)expanded with an increase in the wind angle(WA).At 1H(the height of the sand fence)and 2H positions on the LSF,the wind speed profiles(WSP)exhibited a segmented logarithmic growth,constrained by Z=H at varying WAs.The efficacy of the sand fence in obstructing airflow escalated as WA increased.The size of the WA has a significant impact on the protective efficiency of HDPE board sand fences.Furthermore,compared to typical sandy surfaces,the rate of sand transport across the Gobi surface diminishes more slowly with height,attributed to the gravel's rebound effect.This phenomenon allows some sand particles to bypass the fences,rendering them less effective at blocking wind and trapping sand than in sandy environments.This paper offers scientific evidence supporting the practical use and enhancement of HDPE board sand fences in varied wind conditions.

Sand control mechanism of radial well filled with phase change material in hydrate reservoir

Radial well filled with phase change material has been proposed as a novel sand control method for hydrate exploitation.In order to reveal the sand control mechanism,CFD-DEM coupling method is applied to simulate the migration,settlement,and blockage processes of sand particles in the radial well.The obtained results indicate that three scenarios have been recognized for sand particles passing through sand control medium,based on the diameter ratio of sand control medium to sand particle(D_(d)):fully passing(D_(d)=8.75-22.5),partially passing and partially blocked(D_(d)=3.18-5.63),and completely blocked(D_(d)=2.18-3.21).After being captured by the sand control medium,sand particles can block pores,which increases fluid flow resistance and causes a certain pressure difference in the radial well.The pressure in the radial well should be lower than the hydrate phase equilibrium pressure during sand control design,for the purpose of promoting hydrate decomposition,and sand capture.The length of the radial well should be optimized based on the reservoir pore pressure,production pressure difference,bottom hole pressure,and the pressure gradient in the radial well.It should be noticed that the sand control medium leads to a decrease in permeability after sand particles captured.Even the permeability is reduced to several hundred millidarcy,it is still sufficient to ensure the effective flow of gas and water after hydrate decomposition.Increasing fluid velocity reduces the blocking capacity of the sand control medium,mainly because of deterioration in bridging between sand particles.

Distribution, health and ecological risk assessments of trace elements in Nigerian oil sands

The Nigerian oil sands represent the largest oil sand deposit in Africa, yet there is little published information on the distribution and potential health and ecological risks of trace elements in the oil resource. In the present study, we investigated the distribution pattern of 18trace elements(including biophile and chalcophile elements) as well as the estimated risks associated with exposure to these elements. The results of the study indicated that Fe was the most abundant element, with a mean concentration of 22,131 mg/kg while Br had the lowest mean concentration of 48 mg/kg. The high occurrence of Fe and Ti suggested a possible occurrence of ilmenite(Fe TiO_(3)) in the oil sands. Source apportionment using positive matrix factorization showed that the possible sources of detected elements in the oil sands were geogenic, metal production, and crustal. The contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, modified degree of contamination, pollution load index, and Nemerow pollution index indicated that the oil sands are heavily polluted by the elements. Health risk assessment showed that children were relatively more susceptible to the potentially toxic elements in the oil sands principally via ingestion exposure route(HQ > 1E-04). Cancer risks from inhalation are unlikely due to CR < 1E-06 but ingestion and dermal contact pose severe risks(CR > 1E-04). The high concentrations of the elements pose serious threats due to the potential for atmospheric transport, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability.

Particle size characterization and sources of sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes

Sediment constitutes the fundamental basis for forming and evolving aeolian geomorphology.The characteristics of sediment particle size offer insights into the development and evolution of sandy terrain,making their study critical to understanding aeolian geomorphology and sand control.In this study,we combined high-density collection of surface sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes and GIS spatial analysis to analyze the particle size parameters and changes in the spatial distribution of surface sediments in this region.In addition,we used an end-member analysis to identify the potential sources of the sediments.The results showed that surface sediments in the Uzhumqin sand dunes had distinct spatial distributions.Medium and coarse grain sands dominated the sediments in the dunes,and the mean grain size and the sorting coefficient generally increased along the prevailing wind direction,with high values in individual areas related to factors such as material sources and vegetation cover.Skewness was strongly influenced by factors such as landform change and human activity,and spatial variability became more complex.Kurtosis and the soil fractal dimension showed generally decreasing trends along the prevailing wind direction.With dune fixation,the contents of clay and powder particles in the soil increased;the mean particle size,the sorting coefficient,and the fractal dimension of the soil gradually increased,and the skewness and kurtosis gradually decreased.The end-member analysis results indicated the existence of five end-members(EM)in the dune sediments.EM 1 was a mixed component of wind-deposited fine sands and nearby fluvial sediments.EM 2 was the main component of sediments in the study area and was the result of sorting lake sediments by wind action and by the local topography.EM 3 may be a product of river flood deposition.EM 4 and EM 5 had coarser grain sizes.EM 4 was a lake-phase sediment product influenced by topographic and vegetation cover factors,and EM 5 was primarily a river and lake sediment product modified by weathering.The sediment particle size results from the study area indicate that the sediment in the sandy region is generally coarse due to multiple factors,including topography,climate,hydrology,and human activity.Sandy material in the study area originated from nearby,with very little sand being transported from long distances.

Impact of Reservoir Heterogeneity on Bitumen Content in the Mackay River Oil Sands,Athabasca(Canada)

The Lower Cretaceous Manville Group of Upper Mc Murray Formation is one of the main bitumen reservoirs in Athabasca.In this study,the relationship between reservoirs heterogeneity and bitumen geochemical characteristics were analyzed through core and microscopic observation,lab analysis,petrophysics and logging data.Based on the sedimentology framework,the formation environment of high-quality oil sand reservoirs and their significance for development were discussed.The results indicate that four types lithofacies were recognized in the Upper Mc Murray Formation based on their depositional characteristics.Each lithofacies reservoirs has unique physical properties,and is subject to varying degrees of degradation,resulting in diversity of bitumen content and geochemical composition.The tidal bar(TB)or tidal channel(TC)facies reservoir have excellent physical properties,which are evaluated as gas or water intervals due to strong degradation.The reservoir of sand bar(SB)facies was evaluated as oil intervals,due to its poor physical properties and weak degradation.The reservoir of mixed flat(MF)facies is composed of sand intercalated with laminated shale,which is evaluated as poor oil intervals due to its poor connectivity.The shale content in oil sand reservoir is very important for the reservoir physical properties and bitumen degradation degree.In the context of regional biodegradation,oil sand reservoirs with good physical properties will suffer from strong degradation,while oil sand reservoirs with relatively poor physical properties are more conducive to the bitumen preservation.

Research,application and development of inorganic binder for casting process

Inorganic binder used in casting process has the advantages of low odor,labor-friendly conditions,and relatively low cost,which is one of the main development directions for casting molding materials in the future.However,compared to organic binders(such as resin binders),inorganic binders exhibit lower bonding strength and are more sensitive to environmental humidity.This sensitivity poses challenges,particularly in the reclamation of used sand,thus limiting their broader application.In this paper,the research and application status of inorganic binders(mainly silicate inorganic binders)and their curing methods are summarized.In addition,the research and application of phosphate inorganic binders and 3D printing inorganic binders that are being developed are introduced.Meanwhile,a detailed comparative analysis is conducted on the challenging issue of“reclamation for used sand”in the application of inorganic binders.Finally,the development direction of inorganic binders is clarified.

Effect of fractures on mechanical behavior of sand powder 3D printing rock analogue under triaxial compression

In practical engineering applications,rock mass are often found to be subjected to a triaxial stress state.Concurrently,defects like joints and fractures have a notable impact on the mechanical behavior of rock mass.Such defects are identified as crucial contributors to the failure and instability of the surrounding rock,subsequently impacting the engineering stability.The study aimed to investigate the impact of fracture geometry and confining pressure on the deformation,failure characteristics,and strength of specimens using sand powder 3D printing technology and conventional triaxial compression tests.The results indicate that the number of fractures present considerably influences the peak strength,axial peak strain and elastic modulus of the specimens.Confining pressure is an important factor affecting the failure pattern of the specimen,under which the specimen is more prone to shear failure,but the initiation,expansion and penetration processes of secondary cracks in different fracture specimens are different.This study confirmed the feasibility of using sand powder 3D printing specimens as soft rock analogs for triaxial compression research.The insights from this research are deemed essential for a deeper understanding of the mechanical behavior of fractured surrounding rocks when under triaxial stress state.

Liquefaction and post-liquefaction behaviors of sands affected by immersion-induced degradation of crushed mudstone

A series of undrained triaxial tests was conducted to investigate the effect of crushed mudstone with the immersion-induced degradation on the liquefaction and post-liquefaction properties,and the undrained shearing behavior without precedent cyclic-loading histories of sands containing crushed mudstone.The tested materials with a main particle diameter of 2-0.85 mm were prepared by mixing sands and crushed mudstone to reach the prescribed mudstone content defined by dry mass ranging from 0% to 50%.The mixtures were subjected to immersion under a certain stress level and were subsequently tested.In addition,one-dimensional compression tests were also supplementally performed to visually observe the immersion-induced degradation of crushed mudstone.The test results mainly showed that: (1) the liquefaction resistance,the post-liquefaction undrained strength,and the undrained strength without a precedent cyclic-loading history decreased significantly with increasing mudstone content,M c ,up to 20%;(2) even a small amount of crushed mudstone affected these strengths;(3) the above-mentioned large reductions in the strengths were attributed to the immersion-induced degradation of crushed mudstone;(4) at M_(c) >20%,the liquefaction resistance increased while the significant increase in the undrained static strengths with and without precedent cyclic-loading histories was not observed;and (5) the increase in the liquefaction resistance at M_(c) >20% may have been attributed to both the gradual increase in the plasticity and the formation of the soil aggregates among deteriorated crushed mudstone,while the increase in the specimen density did not play an important role in such behavior.

An Investigation into the Compressive Strength,Permeability and Microstructure of Quartzite-Rock-Sand Mortar

River sand is an essential component used as a fine aggregate in mortar and concrete.Due to unrestrained exploitation,river sand resources are gradually being exhausted.This requires alternative solutions.This study deals with the properties of cement mortar containing different levels of manufactured sand(MS)based on quartzite,used to replace river sand.The river sand was replaced at 20%,40%,60%and 80%with MS(by weight or volume).The mechanical properties,transfer properties,and microstructure were examined and compared to a control group to study the impact of the replacement level.The results indicate that the compressive strength can be improved by increasing such a level.The strength was improved by 35.1%and 45.5%over that of the control mortar at replacement levels of 60%and 80%,respectively.Although there was a weak link between porosity and gas permeability in the mortars with manufactured sand,the gas permeability decreased with growing the replacement level.The microstructure of the MS mortar was denser,and the cement paste had fewer microcracks with increasing the replacement level.

Bearing capacity of circular footings on multi-layered sand-waste tire shreds reinforced with geogrids

The presence of waste tires poses an environmental challenge as they occupy a significant amount of land and are expensive to dispose in landfills.However,reusing waste tires can address this issue when waste tires are used in geotechnical applications.To determine the viability of this approach,laboratoryscale tests were conducted to investigate load-bearing capacity of circular footings on sand-tire shred(STS)mixtures with shredded waste tire contents of 5%e15%by weight and three different widths of shreds.The investigation focused on analyzing the thickness of layers composed of STS mixtures,the soil cap,and the impact of geogrids on bearing capacity.The results indicate that a specific mixture of sand and tire shreds provides the highest footing-bearing capacity.In addition,the optimal shred content and size were found to be 10%by weight and 2 cm×10 cm,respectively.Furthermore,for a given tire shred width,a particular length provides the largest bearing capacity.The results agree well with that of previous research conducted by the first author and his colleagues in direct shear and California bearing ratio(CBR)tests.The primary finding of this research is that the use of two-layered STS mixtures reinforced by geogrids significantly enhances the bearing capacity.

Experimental study on workability and permeability of sandy soils conditioned with thickened foam

Water spewing and muck plugging often occur during earth pressure balance(EPB)shield machines tunnelling in water-rich sandy strata,even though the conventional foam has been employed to condition sandy soils.In this study,a novel thickened foaming agent suitable for EPB shield tunnelling in water-rich sandy strata is developed.In contrast to conventional foam-conditioned sands,the thickened foam-conditioned sand has a low permeability due to the consistent filling of soil pores with the thickened foam,and the initial permeability coefficient decreases by approximately two orders of magnitude.It also exhibits a suitable workability,which is attributed to the enhanced capability of the thickened foam to condition sandy soils.In addition,the effect of concentration on the stability of the foam is explained by the Gibbs-Marangoni effect,and conditioning mechanisms for the thickened foam on sands are discussed from the evolution of foam bubbles.

Utilizing sediment grain size characteristics to assess the effectiveness of clay–sand barriers in reducing aeolian erosion in Minqin desert area,China

The clay–sand barriers in Minqin desert area,China,represent a pioneering windbreak and sand fixation project with a venerable history of 60 a.However,studies on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of clay–sand barriers against aeolian erosion,particularly from the perspective of surface sediment grain size,are limited and thus insufficient to ascertain the protective impact of these barriers on regional aeolian activities.This study focused on the surface sediments(topsoil of 0–3 cm depth)of clay–sand barriers in Minqin desert area to explain their erosion resistance from the perspective of surface sediment grain size.In March 2023,six clay–sand barrier sampling plots with clay–sand barriers of different deployment durations(1,5,10,20,40,and 60 a)were selected as experimental plots,and one control sampling plot was set in an adjacent mobile sandy area without sand barriers.Surface sediment samples were collected from the topsoil of each sampling plot in the study area in April 2023 and sediment grain size characteristics were analyzed.Results indicated a predominance of fine and medium sands in the surface sediments of the study area.The deployment of clay–sand barriers cultivated a fine quality in grain size composition of the regional surface sediments,increasing the average contents of very fine sand,silt,and clay by 30.82%,417.38%,and 381.52%,respectively.This trend became markedly pronounced a decade after the deployment of clay–sand barriers.The effectiveness of clay–sand barriers in erosion resistance was manifested through reduced wind velocity,the interception of sand flow,and the promotion of fine surface sediment particles.Coarser particles such as medium,coarse,and very coarse sands predominantly accumulated on the external side of the barriers,while finer particles such as fine and very fine sands concentrated in the upwind(northwest)region of the barriers.By contrast,the contents of finest particles such as silt and clay were higher in the downwind(southeast)region of the sampling plots.For the study area,the deployment of clay–sand barriers remains one of the most cost-effective engineering solutions for aeolian erosion control,with sediment grain size parameters serving as quantitative indicators for the assessment of these barriers in combating desertification.The results of this study provide a theoretical foundation for the construction of windbreak and sand fixation systems and the optimization of artificial sand control projects in arid desert areas.