The Junggar Basin, located in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, is a vast sedimentary basin. The region's geological composition and climate change have attracted great attention from scientists, especially in the past few hundred thousand years, when it showed dramatic changes from wet to dry. This article will delve into the reasons behind this undoubted change to prompt readers to think about global climate change.
The Junggar Basin is surrounded by the Tarbagatai Mountains in Kazakhstan, the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, and the Tianshan Mountains in the south, forming a closed ecosystem. The geology here is mainly sedimentary rock, with rich oil, coal and mineral resources. The geological history of the basin can be traced back to the Paleozoic Era. With the changes in the earth's crust, the evolution of the environment here has resulted in today's dry climate.
During the Mesozoic Era, the climate of the Junggar Basin switched between humid and dry, which was closely related to global climate change and crustal movement. The long Yangtze River's climatic influence gradually faded, and the basin's water area also shrank:
"As the current ocean area shrinks, the waters in the basin become more saline."
The geological structure of the Junggar Basin is mainly composed of six parts, and the development of each part is closely related to climate change. In particular, with the rise of the Tianshan Mountains, the rainfall pattern in the region has also changed significantly:
“The uplift of the Tianshan Mountains has intensified the rain shadow effect, making the climate in the basin increasingly drier.”
In just the last few centuries, human activities have further affected the ecological environment and climate of the Junggar Basin. For example, large-scale agriculture and resource extraction disrupt the natural water cycle and contribute to climate change.
In addition to climate change, the Junggar Basin is also famous for its rich geological resources. The oil and coal reserves here are among the highest in China. Rock layers deposited in different historical periods, especially deep-sea sediments during the carboniferous period, played a key role in the formation of these resources.
Faced with the challenges of climate change, ecological restoration and resource management in the Junggar Basin have become urgent issues that need to be addressed. Scientists are working to understand past climate patterns in order to provide a basis for modeling future climate behavior and thus facilitate the development of various response strategies.
The setting of the Junggar Basin from humid to dry not only reflects the changes in the natural environment, but also reflects the far-reaching impact that human activities may bring. In the face of the challenge of global climate change, how do you think people should act to protect and restore this mysterious land?