Grain size and geochemical study of the surface deposits of the sand dunes in the Mu Us desert, northern China

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1009-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Liu ◽  
Heling Jin ◽  
Liangying Sun ◽  
Zhong Sun ◽  
Caixia Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Mu Us Desert ◽  
Geochemical Study

scholarly journals Holocene Environmental Changes Inferred From an Aeolian-Palaeosol-Lacustrine Profile in the Mu Us Desert, Northern China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaokang Liu ◽  
Ruijie Lu ◽  
Zhiyong Ding ◽  
Zhiqiang Lyu ◽  
Yijing Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Magnetic Susceptibility ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Lacustrine Sediments ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Mu Us Desert ◽  
Average Grain Size

An excavated profile of aeolian-palaeosol-lacustrine sediments (the Wapianliang profile), located at the southeastern part of the Mu Us Desert, Northern China, was studied to reconstruct regional Holocene environmental changes. A chronology was established based on three AMS 14C and two OSL dates, and variations in the lithology and grain size, magnetic susceptibility, soil micromorphology, and chemical elements were used to explore the regional depositional environments during the Holocene. The results showed that since around 14 ka BP, this region had experienced seven alternations of wetting and drying. A shallow lake, which was identified by celadon lacustrine sediments with sporadic freshwater gastropod fossils, occurred in this area from around 13.0 ka BP to 9.9 ka BP. There existed two obvious intervals of soil formation, inferred from the environmental proxies of the palaeosol/sandy palaeosol layers, with relatively fine average grain-size, high magnetic susceptibility value, remarkable pedogenesis features, and strong chemical weathering, in particular, a well-developed palaeosol layer dating from the middle Holocene (8.6 ka BP to 4.2 ka BP). A weakly-developed palaeosol layer (from around 1.2 ka BP) at the upper part of the profile is possibly an indication of the Medieval Warm Period. This implies a forest steppe environment at both of these sedimentary stages. After 0.9 ka BP, a desert environment returned, analogous to before around 13.0 ± 1.4 ka BP, between 9.9 ± 1.1 ka BP to 8.6 ka BP, and between 4.2 ka BP to 1.6 ka BP, indicating the aggravation of aeolian activity and the expansion of mobile sand dunes. The variations in sedimentary environments were mainly triggered by changes in the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM).

Quartz OSL dating of sand dunes of Late Pleistocene in the Mu Us Desert in northern China

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 102-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong He ◽  
Jie Zhou ◽  
ZhongPing Lai ◽  
LinHai Yang ◽  
JianMin Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Osl Dating ◽  
Mu Us Desert

scholarly journals Integrated Geological, Hydrogeological, and Geophysical Investigations of a Barchan Sand Dune in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 682
Author(s):  
Mohammed Benaafi ◽  
Sherif M. Hanafy ◽  
Abdullatif Al-Shuhail ◽  
Ammar El-Husseiny ◽  
Jack Dvorkin
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Sand Dune ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Homogeneous Medium ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Electrical Resistivity Survey ◽  
Dune Crest

In arid countries such as Saudi Arabia, aeolian sand often covers a large area of the country. Understanding the variations of sand properties in dunes, including grain size, sorting, mineral composition and water content, can be important for groundwater recharge, environmental, and construction applications. Earlier studies examined properties of sand dunes by collecting samples from the surface. This study aims to investigate variations of sand properties within a Barchan sand dune in the coastal area of Saudi Arabia, by collecting samples and measurements from two vertically drilled boreholes up to the ground water level; one drilled in the dune crest and another one in the limb. Representative samples were collected and analyzed for their texture parameters, water content, and mineralogy. Electrical resistivity survey data was also acquired to map water content variation in the dune limb, and for comparison with well bore data. The reported results show no vertical variations in grain size or sorting in the dune crest. In contrast, the upper 0.5 m of the dune limb shows a relatively poorer sorting than found in deeper parts of the dune. Laterally, no variations in minerology were observed between crest and limb sands while grain size tended to be slightly coarser in the dune limb compared to the crest. Regarding the water content, it was found to vary vertically, probably due to previous cycles of rainfall infiltration through the sand body. Such observed variation in water content is consistent with the measured resistivity profile which could clearly identify the water table and areas with higher water content. This study concludes that beyond the upper 0.5 m, the Barchan sand dune body can be treated as a homogeneous medium in terms of mineralogy and sorting while grain size increases slightly toward the limb side.

Sand dunes as potential sources of dust in northern China

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 760-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Sweeney ◽  
HuaYu Lu ◽  
MengChun Cui ◽  
Joseph A. Mason ◽  
Han Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Potential Sources

Distribution of sand dunes and sand shifts along the southern fringe of the Mu Us Desert since the Ming Dynasty

2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (22) ◽  
pp. 3128-3138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Deng ◽  
ShiGuang Shu ◽  
YuQin Song ◽  
FuLai Xing
Keyword(s):  
Ming Dynasty ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Mu Us Desert ◽  
Southern Fringe ◽  
The Ming Dynasty
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