Quantitative analysis on the dynamic characteristics of megadunes around the Crescent Moon Spring, China

• 来源期刊: 干旱区科学(英文版)
• 学科: 地球科学
• 关键词: Dunhuang city Crescent Moon Spring pyramid dunes dynamic characteristics erosion and deposition
• 年，卷（期）: 2014,（3）
• 页码范围: 255-263
• 页数: 9页
• 分类号: P931.3
• 语种: 中文

摘要

The Crescent Moon Spring is a precious natural heritage. However, the dynamic characteristics of megadunes around the Crescent Moon Spring are not well known. This paper quantitatively studied the character- istics and changes of megadunes around the Crescent Moon Spring by interpreting aerial photographs taken in 1985 and 2004 and analysing the dune crestlines and the wind data collected from 2011 to 2012. Results revealed that pyramid dunes were formed by a complex wind regime. The Crescent Moon Spring was not buried by shifting sands because of the stable wind regime and relative stability of pyramid dunes. The crestlines of the dunes around the spring moved northward between 1985 and 2004. The south-facing slip faces were also exposed to wind ero- sion, whereas the other faces were under deposition, thus indicating that the southerly wind was relatively en- hanced. Limiting the scale of tall windbreaks and architectures in the Dunhuang oasis at the north of the spring was necessary to maintain the dynamic equilibrium of the wind regime and sand transport.