Dong Guangrong

Processes of the deposition and vicissitude of Mu Us Desert, China since 150 ka B.P.

Abstract“Milanggouwan stratigraphical section” named lately takes down 27 cycles of alternately evolutionary histories of desert depositions in the Mu Us area with the fluviolacustrine facies and palaeosols since 150 ka B. P. Studies show that the sedimentary form was induced by the growth and decline and confrontation each other between the winter monsoon and the summer monsoon of East Asia in the past 150 ka.

Sand drift encroachment in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes District and its control

Analysis on sand drift damages to the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes showed that the actual sand drift hazards in the area are mainly attributed to the gobi wind-sand stream formed by sand coming from the Mingsha Mountain (megadune), while the migration of the megadune and its frontal edge dunes is actually not a major threat to the grottoes. The gobi belt on the cliff top of the Mogao Grottoes is not only a natural sand transport field but also a natural protective screen which prevents the megadune and its frontal edge dunes from advancing towards the grottoes or burying the grottoes. Therefore efforts to protect the Mogao Grottoes should be focussed on halting the gobi wind-sand stream rather than on checking the migration of sand dunes. For this reason, effective sand blockade and stabilization measures should be adopted at the frontal edge of the megadune but no sand retarding works are allowed to be set up in the gobi belt so as to avoid sand accumulation and entering the grottoes.

The causes and developmental trend of desertification in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries in Xizang

The middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries are an important development and construction region in Xizang (Tibet) in recent years, but the fast development of desertification has caused immense damages to its social and economic development, so the study on desertification in this region is significant. The paper studies the causes and development trend of desertification in this region through analysis of natural and human factors as well as their relationship. It can be concluded that desertification in the study area is one process which is accelerated and intensified by human activities on the basis of the slow natural desertification process. It is resulted from the dislocation of irrational and intensive human activities, fragile eco-environment and meagre natural resources, and tends to become more wide and severe.The middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries are an important development and construction region in Xizang (Tibet) in recent years, but the fast development of desertification has caused immense damages to its social and economic development, so the study on desertification in this region is significant. The paper studies the causes and development trend of desertification in this region through analysis of natural and human factors as well as their relationship. It can be concluded that desertification in the study area is one process which is accelerated and intensified by human activities on the basis of the slow natural desertification process. It is resulted from the dislocation of irrational and intensive human activities, fragile eco-environment and meagre natural resources, and tends to become more wide and severe.

Experimental study of surface texture and resonance mechanism of booming sand

The sound-producing mechanism of booming sand has long been a pending problem in the blown sand physics. Based on the earlier researches, the authors collected some silent sand samples from Tengger Desert, Australian Desert, Kuwait Desert, beaches of Hainan Island and Japanese coast as well as the soundless booming sand samples from the Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang to make washing experiments. In the meantime the chemical corrosion experiment of glass micro-spheres, surface coating experiment and SEM examination were also conducted. The experimental results show that the sound production of booming sand seems to have nothing to do with the presence of SiO2 gel on the surface of sand grains and unrelated to the surface chemical composition of sand grains but is related to the resonance cavities formed by porous (pit-like) physical structure resulting from a number of factors such as wind erosion, water erosion, chemical corrosion and SiO2 gel deposition, etc. Its resonance mechanism is similar to that of Hemholz resonance cavity. Under the action of external forces, numerous spherical and sand grains with smooth surface and porous surface are set in motion and rub with each other to produce extremely weak vibration sound and then become audible sound by human ears through the magnification of surface cavity resonance. However the booming sands may lose their resonance mechanism and become silent sand due to the damping action caused by the invasion of finer particles such as dust and clay into surface holes of sand grains. Therefore, clearing away fine pollutants on the quartz grain surface is an effective way to make silent sand emit audible sound.

Present status and cause of land desertification in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin

The Yarlung Zangbo River basin is a spacial zone in the south of Xiang, the types, distribution and causes of desertified lands have special features. The type, area, distribution and damage of desertification land in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin are firstly analysed in detail by using latest investigation information. According to the classification criteria of desertified land types and grades, the desertified land in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin can be divided into three grades and five types: fixed sand (dune) land, semi-bare sand and gravel land, semi-fixed sand (dune) land, base sand and gravel land, and shifting sand (dune) land. The desertified lands in the basin are mainly distributed in the widevalley floor and tributary junction area. The main factors affecting desertification are fragile eco-environment, climate warming and drying and over-exploitation of land resources. The man-made factors leading to desertification in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin are over-cutting and over-grazing, dominated by over-grazing.