کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
4685434 1635491 2011 9 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Formation of the highest sand dunes on Earth
موضوعات مرتبط
مهندسی و علوم پایه علوم زمین و سیارات فرآیندهای سطح زمین
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Formation of the highest sand dunes on Earth
چکیده انگلیسی

Characterization of dune morphology has historically been based on relationships between dune forms and wind regimes with dune height shown to be sensitive to atmospheric boundary layer depth, sand availability and sediment properties. While these parameters have been used in numerical simulations to model the occurrences of some types of dunes, they cannot alone explain the great diversity in form and size seen on Earth and on other solar system bodies. Here we present results from our studies of dune formation in the Badain Jaran Desert in western China, where Earth's tallest dunes occur. We measured the variability of the dune morphology in this desert on the basis of LANDSAT ETM+ data, and we detected the bedrock landforms beneath the aeolian sands by applying gravity methods. Wind records from stations at the periphery of the desert and SRTM topographical data were examined also to augment the interpretation. Our studies demonstrate that in addition to average wind parameters, dune height is highly sensitive to local geology, subsurface characteristics, and topography, and interactions between changing climate conditions and aeolian and fluvial processes. These additional factors need to be considered in the interpretation and simulation of dunes on Earth. We anticipate that analysis of anomalous dune heights like those seen in the Badain Jaran may also provide critical information on subsurface characteristics and environmental conditions on Earth and on other planetary bodies.


► Discovers the mysteries of the occurrence of the tallest dunes on Earth.
► Uses research methods in geology, geophysics, climatology, remote sensing and GIS.
► Shows dune landscape facing degradation due to the increase of human impact.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Geomorphology - Volume 135, Issues 1–2, 1 December 2011, Pages 108–116
نویسندگان
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