Ancient and modern cold-climate aeolian sand deposition: A review

Although partly active aeolian sand sheets and dunes cover large areas in the zones of (dis)continuous permafrost, little precise information is available about the influence of cold-climate conditions on modern aeolian processes. This means that palaeoenvironmental reconstructions in the stabilised, mainly Late Pleistocene dune fields and cover sand regions in the ‘sand belts’ of the European Lowlands and the Northern Great Plains of the USA and Canada, are necessarily still based on ancient evidence. Cold-climate wind deposits are typically derived from areas of abundant sediment supply like unvegetated flood plains, glacial outwash plains, till plains and lake shores. The common parabolic and transverse dune forms resemble those observed in temperate regions. Although a variety of periglacial features has been identified in Late Pleistocene dune and cover sands none of them indicate that permafrost is crucial to aeolian activity. Specific structures in aeolian strata permit tentative interpretation of the moisture content of depositional sand surfaces, the nature of annual sedimentation cycles and the processes by which strata were deposited and/or contorted. But surprisingly little is known about the role of vegetation in the process of sand accumulation. Dunes are most informative with respect to reconstructions of past wind regimes, which offer important data for verification of palaeoclimatic simulations.     

大型海底、海岸和沙漠沙丘的形态和迁移特征

海底、海岸和沙漠沙丘的迁移与其波高、波长等形态参数有关。对一些代表性大型沙丘的分析表明,海底、海岸和沙漠沙丘的形态特征存在着较大的差异,在相同波长条件下,海底沙丘波高最小,海岸沙丘波高次之,沙漠沙丘波高最大。其原因主要是流体厚度的差异,其次是物质供给条件的不同:浅海地区的水深限制了沙丘向上生长,而陆地气流厚度较大,给沙丘的向上生长提供了较大的空间;沙漠环境的沉积物供给远大于海岸环境,因而导致沙丘高度的差异。沙丘形态参数经常偏离统计的波长 波高曲线,数值实验结果显示,这与推移质输运率有关。推移质输运率的沿程变化可以使形态参数系统性地偏离波长 波高曲线;推移质输运率的沿程突变可使沙丘迁移受阻,造成沉积物的垂向堆积,形成超高的沙丘。由于大型沙丘的迁移特征受控于推移质输运率和沙丘高度,因此可以通过波高设计来计算迁移距离 历时曲线,进而控制沙丘迁移动态。文中给出了一个获取迁移距离 历时曲线的算例。设计波高可通过人工篱笆、隔挡墙、沟渠、表面护层等措施而实现。     

On the existence of characteristic shapes for desert dunes

The existence of an angle of repose for sand implies that, in any given wind regime, there is at least one configuration of sand dunes which will not be altered by that wind regime. The existence of implies that the land forms constitute a convex compact subset of a Banach space, and the result then follows from Shauder's theorem.     

从冰前风沙地貌初看普若岗日冰原的形成演变

野外实地考察和室内样品分析表明,位于普若岗日冰原西侧冰川前缘带的大片风沙地貌,直接发育在冰碛之上,并以冰碛为主要物质来源,与冰川运动和冰原环境具有密切的联系,是相关冰川和冰原形成演化过程的良好反映与记录.结合沙丘沉积序列中的沉积构造测量、粒度分析及腐殖质夹层的¹⁴C测年等结果,初步得出:普若岗日冰原至少形成于18kaBP;冰原降水可能主要来自西风降水;18kaBP以来,冰原在总体上处于收缩过程,在约108kaBP来,冰原西缘的零平衡线的年均水平退缩速率约为088～102m·a^-1,铅直升高速率约为24～32mm·a^-1。     

海岸沙丘表面现代风成沙地球化学元素分异的典型研究--以河北昌黎黄金海岸横向沙脊为例

在我国海岸沙丘主要分布地区河北昌黎黄金海岸选取代表性的海岸横向沙脊为研究对象,对其典型断面上沙丘表面不同部位的21种地球化学元素的含量进行了比较分析。结果表明,Co、Zr和Mg三种元素在海岸沙脊表面不同部位的含量差异明显且与海滩沙相比含量差异较大,Cr、Pb、Ti、Nb、As、Mn、Zn和Ba等8种元素的含量差异程度中等,但Y、Ca、Fe、Na、Al、Sr、P、K、Rb和Si等10种元素的差异并不明显,而11种差异程度中等以上元素在海岸横向沙脊迎风坡脚、迎风坡、脊顶、背风坡、背风坡脚等部位的含量变化特征并不一致,呈现出不同的分异模式,其主要原因是受沉积环境、化学元素性质、粒度特征及营力的影响等。     

The response of subaqueous dunes to floods in sand and gravel bed reaches of the Dutch Rhine

Abstract The branches of the River Rhine in the Netherlands, characterized by a sand–gravel bed in the upstream part and a sand bed in the downstream part of the river system, show migrating dunes, especially during floods. In the last 20 years, these dunes have been studied extensively. High-resolution echo-sounding measurements of these dunes, made with single and multibeam equipment, were analysed for three different sections of the Rhine river system during several floods. This analysis was done to quantify the growth, decay and migration rates of the dunes during floods. In addition, the migrating dunes were used to calculate bedload transport rates with dune tracking. The results of dune growth and decay and migration rate are shown to be very different for the various sections during the various floods, and these differences are related to differences in grain size of the bed and to differences in the distribution of discharge over the main channel and the floodplain. The relations are used to show that the growth and migration rate of dunes, and the calculated bedload transport rates during the rising stage of a flood wave can be predicted from the mobility of the bed material with simple power relations.     

科尔沁沙漠区风积沙动力压实特性研究

沙漠区修筑公路,优质路基填料匮乏。依据就近原则,选用沙漠区储量丰富的风积沙作为路基填料,分析其矿物成分、化学成分、酸碱度、含盐量与级配特征。进一步探究不同试验方法（击实试验、振动台法、表面振动压实仪法）与试验控制条件下,风积沙干密度受因素控制的变化规律与压实特征。风积沙击实曲线与振动压实曲线均呈现“振实-振松-再振实”造成的“多峰”特征, 振动法所得干密度一般优于对应含水率条件下击实试验所得干密度。振动台法在风积沙含水率接近饱和时振动的效果最好,风积沙的干密度最大,表面振动压实仪法3层填料的振动压实效果明显好于1层填料方式,进而可用于施工指导。     

基于碎屑锆石特征的雅鲁藏布江山南宽谷风成沙丘物源示踪

雅鲁藏布江河谷（尤其是"一江两河"区域）风沙化较为严重,制约了当地社会经济的可持续发展,追踪河谷风沙来源对当地风沙治理意义重大。本研究聚焦于拉萨贡嘎机场附近的山南宽谷风沙地貌,采集2个河沙、3个风成沙丘和1个坡积物样品,以及引用前人研究的2个河沙样品。基于碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄及微量元素地球化学特征,进行沙源示踪研究,旨在为当地风沙治理提供科学依据。对360颗锆石进行LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年,获得322个谐和年龄。分析结果表明,河沙、风成沙丘及坡积物样品碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄分布特征高度相似,主要峰值与冈底斯岩浆弧新生代的两期岩浆活动一一对应;非矩阵多维标度统计技术（MDS）分析也证实了样品与冈底斯岩浆弧有良好的亲缘性;地球化学判别图解显示锆石具有亏损轻稀土元素、富集重稀土元素、明显正Ce异常和明显负Eu异常的特征,亦指示其岩浆成因,表明冈底斯岩浆弧为沙丘、河沙与坡积物中碎屑锆石的主要来源。依据不同类型样品碎屑锆石年龄对比以及锆石年龄相似程度对比,结果发现：1）雅鲁藏布江地区风沙地貌主要是由于枯水季河床水位下降,导致河岸和河漫滩出露地表,就地起沙吹扬到山坡上所形成;2）研究区河沙并非主要从上游搬运而来,更多是拉萨河搬运汇入的泥沙。依据沙源分析结果,欲解决河谷风沙化问题,首要应在河岸和河漫滩种植适宜当地气候的耐旱植物固定河床上的泥沙,这是最直接有效的手段。     

The aeolian sedimentation record of the Thar desert

A review of the aeolian sedimentary record of the Thar desert is presented. This includes a regional survey of the major dune forms, their genesis and their relationship to climate and other regional landforms. A key aspect of this work is the chronometry of the dunes using luminescence methods. Luminescence dating of sand has enabled quantification of the duration of the phases of sand aggradation and quiescence, time scales of dune migration and the dating of pedogenic carbonates. We demonstrate that the conventional wisdom of synchronicity of dune aggradation with glacial epoch is not true in the context of Thar sands and here only a short durationwindow of opportunity existed for dune aggradation. Luminescence ages further suggest that this window occurred during a transitional climatic regime from glacial to interglacial about 4–10 ka after the glacial epoch. Other inferences included are that:

Unique Aeolian Bedforms of Mars: Transverse Aeolian Ridges

Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs) are among the unique aeolian bedforms of Mars, which witnessed a series of investigation for the last two decades thanks to the high-resolution remote sensing data. This paper summarized the understanding with respect to distribution, morphology, sedimentology, formation hypotheses and formation time of TARs. It is suggested that TARs are a kind of aeolian bedforms with meter-scale height and decameter-scale wavelength. TARs are primarily distributed in the equator and low-latitude regions, being rare in high and mid-latitude regions, and more popular in the south hemisphere than in the north hemisphere. Higher albedo and symmetric cross-sections are the most outstanding features of TARs, being analogous to the megaripples and reversing dunes on the Earth. The grain-size distribution of TARs’ sediments is generally bimodal, with granule cover and low thermal inertia. Three formation hypotheses were proposed for TARs: Megaripple hypothesis, reversing dune hypothesis and dust induration hypothesis, with more evidences supporting the megaripple hypothesis. Similar to dunes, TARs are geologically recent morphology on Mars, but generally predate dunes, formed in the last few million years so that most TARs are indurated or lithified and are immobile. However, contemporary mobileTARs are also developed in some regions. The unique features of TARs make them the mostenigmatic aeolian bedforms of Mars. It is proposed that high-resolution information on TARs sedimentology and integrated regional surveying should be listed in the priorities of future Mars exploration with respect to TARs study.     

Geochemical-geomorphological Evidence for the Provenance of Aeolian Sands and Sedimentary Environments in the Hunshandake Sandy Land, Eastern Inner Mongolia, China

Identifying the provenance of aeolian sediments in the Hunshandake Sandy Land is of great importance for understanding the formation of the dune fields in the mid-latitudes and for deciphering information about desert’s responses to global change. By determining the major and trace elements concentrations of aeolian sands in three grain size fractions from the central and western parts of the Hunshandake Sandy Land, we systematically study the provenance and the depositional history of aeolian sands in this desert environment. Our results show that aeolian sands from the Hunshandake Sandy Land are enriched in SiO2 and are depleted in many other elements compared to those of the Upper Continent Crust (UCC). Variations of the immobile elements ratios like Zr/Hf, La/Yb, Th/Nb, La/Nb,LaN/YbN , GdN/YbN are relatively large in the coarse and medium fractions but minor in the fine fractions. Eu anomalies are quite different in the coarse fractions, but mostly positive in the medium fractions and all negative in the fine fractions. Decreasing tendency of Zr concentrations from the west to the east in the Hunshandake Sandy Land is evident in the coarse sands but rather weak in the fine grain size fractions. Our geochemical data indicate that the sources for the coarse and medium fractions of aeolian sands are diverse, influenced by local geology and geomorphology, while the fine sand fractions are more homogenous due to intensive mixture mainly by aeolian processes. Various ratios of immobile elements suggest that these sands should be sourced primarily from the surrounding mountains by fluvial/alluvial processes rather than from any remote territories. Aeolian sands with Ce negative anomalies are widely distributed in the Hunshandake Sandy Land, indicating that aquatic environments have occurred extensively prior to the occurrence of the dune field.     

Last millennium development and dynamics of vegetated linear dunes inferred from ground‐penetrating radar and optically stimulated luminescence ages

Using ground‐penetrating radar, optically stimulated luminescence dating, particle‐size distribution and morphological analysis, the study of the construction phases of a vegetated linear dune in the arid north‐western Negev dunefield of Israel during the last millennium improves current knowledge about vegetated linear dunes that developed in the late Pleistocene. Vertical accretion in rapid pulses forming horizontally bedded units along the axis of vegetated linear dunes, regardless of their age, was found to be characteristic of vegetated linear dunes. The combination of the unique topographic feature of a longitudinal 5 m step‐like fall in dune crest elevation with the substantial narrowing of dune width constitutes a distinct morphological marker for interpreting local dune growth and stabilization of the last, albeit localized, dune mobilization episode at ca 0·5 ka. Evidence for lateral dune migration was not observed. Where local sediment supply exists, short episodes of powerful winds within the Holocene (with recurrence intervals separated by hundreds of years) can lead to the construction of vegetated linear dunes. The spatially constrained extent of such young dunes in the north‐western Negev may be due to limited sand availability because most of the Negev dunes were stable during the Holocene. These findings imply that vegetated linear dune construction can occur in glacial and interglacial (including Holocene) environments in semi‐arid to arid climates if certain conditions are met. In times of increased wind power during the Anthropocene, a period characterized by simultaneous rises in the human impact on the landscape and in climate variability (i.e. drought), local growth of vegetated linear dunes can be expected. This study demonstrates that ground‐penetrating radar is a reliable tool for interpreting the shallow internal structure of young vegetated linear dunes.     

Niveo-aeolian sand deposition in subarctic dunes,eastern coast of Hudson Bay,Québec,Canada

Aeolian sand transport during winter and the snow-free season was assessed quantitatively by direct year-round field measurements along transects on the lee side of parabolic dunes in subarctic Québec. In 1987–1988, niveo-aeolian deposition was more important than aeolian sedimentation in three of the four study sites, and contributed > 75% of the total annual accumulation in exposed sites and < 25% in protected forest sites. The maximum depth of interstratified snow and sand deposits (3.5 m) was recorded in March. Semi-permanent snow lenses may persist longer than 2 years in the aeolian sediments. After dissipation of snow, 22 cm of sand (as a maximum) accumulated on the slipface of the most active dunes, whereas only minor sand accumulation occurred in distant areas from active sand erosion. Wind-driven sand was dispersed over 7.4 km² in the Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik area. The acumulation of snow and sand during the snow season, together with spring thaw and collapse of the niveo-aeolian deposit, caused different types of injuries to trees, especially in 1985 and 1987 when a maximum of torn branches was recorded over the last 10 year period.     

A field study of turbulence and sediment dynamics over subaqueous dunes with flow separation

This study examines flow, turbulence and sand suspension over large dunes in Canoe Pass, a distributary channel of the Fraser River delta, Canada. Dune morphology is characterized by a symmetrical shape and steep leeside slopes over 30°. Velocity was measured with an electromagnetic current meter and suspended sand concentration with four optical backscatter (OBS) probes. The general patterns of time-averaged velocity and sand suspension are consistent with previous studies, including an increase in mean velocity and decrease in turbulence intensity and sand concentration with height above the bed, reversed flow with high turbulence intensity and high sand concentrations in the leeside flow separation zone and an increase in near-bed velocity and sand concentration along the stoss side of the dune. Frequency spectra of near-bed velocity and OBS records from leeside separation zones are composed of two distinct frequencies, providing field confirmation of scale relations based on flume experiments. The low-frequency spectral signal probably results from wake flapping and the high-frequency signal from vortex shedding. The wake-flapping frequency predominates outside the separation zone and is linked to turbulent structures that suspend sand. Predictions from a depth-scale Strouhal Law show good agreement with measured wake-flapping frequencies. Cross-correlations of OBS records reveal that turbulent sand suspension structures advect downstream at 23–25° above the horizontal. These advection angles are similar to coherent flow structures measured in flumes and to sand suspension structures visualized over large dunes in the field.     

青藏高原的隆升：青藏高原的岩石圈结构和构造地貌

笔者回顾青藏高原隆升研究的历史，剖析各种隆升动力学模式，依据着青藏高原岩石圈组成的构的强烈不均一性和、三分性”，“对称性”构造地貌格局，提出了青藏高原隆升是印度地块和塔里木一可拉善地块双向不均一俯冲和青藏腹地深层热隆扩展联合作用的结果，俯冲是高原隆升的重要机制，而热隆扩展是高原隆升的直接原因。     

Development of Tectonic Geomorphology Study Promoted by New Methods in China: A Viewpoint from Reviewing the Tian Shan Researches

Tectonic Geomorphology is an important branch of Geomorphology. Now the scope of tectonic geomorphology study has covered the interactions between tectonics, climate, surface processes and the influence on geomorphic evolution. The study of tectonic geomorphology in China started at the beginning of the 20th century, developed gradually in the 1950s, and entered a rapid development stage in the new century. Based on the long-term development, the study of tectonic geomorphology in China has formed a relatively complete theoretical and methodological system, and now presents a trend of the continuous intersection and integration with other adjacent disciplines. Now, several books on tectonic geomorphology have been published. The representative book abroad is Tectonic Geomorphology which was edited by Burbank D. W. and Anderson R. S., and was first published in 2001 and reprinted in 2012. In China, the first book on tectonic geomorphology is Active Tectonic Geomorphology which was edited by Yang Jingchun and Li Youli and was first published in 2011.In recent years, the tectonic geomorphology study has been absorbing and integrating the new ideas and new methods of other disciplines, significantly promoting the development of tectonic geomorphology. At the 2019 China Geographic Congress & the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese Geographical Society, the authors organized the session "Theory, Method and Application of Tectonic Geomorphology", aiming to present the recent progresses of tectonic geomorphology study in China. Later, invited by the editorial office, the authors organized the special column with the same name in the journal Advances in Earth Science. The contents of this column mainly dealt with the classical theoretical problems of geomorphology (the evolution and the controlling mechanism of river terrace, planation surface, and alluvial fan), new methods (such as K-feldspar thermoluminescence thermochronology, detrital zircon U-Pb chronology), and models and numerical simulation of tectonic geomorphology evolution. Because of the limited number of the articles, it was impossible for this column to comprehensively present the recent progresses in the study of tectonic geomorphology in China. Therefore, this paper first briefly reviewed the history of the development of tectonic geomorphology in China and the basic trend of tectonic geomorphology. The authors started the study of neotectonics and tectonic geomorphology in the Tian Shan range and its foreland basins about 15 years ago (exactly in 2002). The main aim of this paper was to explore the contributions of the interdisciplinary and new methods to the development of tectonic geomorphology study, by reviewing the main achievements in the tectonic geomorphology study conducted in the Tian Shan and its foreland basins during the past 20 years. These achievements include the history of uplift and exhumation during the Cenozoic times, the chronology and genesis of the late Cenozoic terrigenous sedimentary sequences in the foreland basins, the characteristics of the late Quaternary active tectonic deformation in the foreland and intermontane basins, the late Quaternary river geomorphology (geomorphic framework, chronology, and cause of formation), and erosion rates of the catchment basins. At the end of this paper, it was pointed out that, two aspects may need more attention in the future tectonic geomorphology study, i.e. the comparative study at different time scales and the better constraint of the formation age of river terrace.     

全新世以来腾格里沙漠风沙活动地质记录与模拟数据综合研究

自晚更新世以来,地处干旱与半干旱过渡区的腾格里沙漠,在亚洲季风的作用下,经历了几度流沙出现、扩大和固定、半固定乃至弱成壤的沙漠正、逆交替变化过程。东亚季风在时空尺度上的强弱变化通常被解释为驱动腾格里沙漠环境变化的主要原因。用于重建古环境和风沙活动的变化多依赖于腾格里沙漠边缘区域的黄土、湖泊、孢粉和冲洪积物,然而涉及到沙漠腹地的古环境记录较少,并且不同地点的沉积剖面所记录的地质信息具有区域局限性。本研究在腾格里沙漠西南边缘至腹地采取4个典型风沙沉积序列,共采集97个沉积样品和11个风沙沉积物光释光年代数据,并收集整理了约14 ka以来已发表的69个风沙沉积物光释光年龄数据以及137个古土壤、湖相沉积物和钙质根管的¹⁴C年龄数据;另外,为了减少沉积序列在解读和重建沙漠环境演变的或然性,运用TraCE-21 ka古气候模拟数据分别计算了14 ka以来腾格里沙漠地区地表有效湿度和沙丘活化指数的变化趋势,以及春冬和夏秋季节沙丘活化指数对全年平均值的贡献量,综合探讨了全新世以来腾格里沙漠近地表风沙活动历史以及驱动因素。结果表明：1）早全新世时期（11.7~8.0 ka）,较粗的平均粒径和偏多的风沙年代数据表明该时期风沙活动较强;模拟数据结果显示该时期风沙活动呈现减弱趋势,这主要是由于减弱的东亚冬季风引起的近地表风速下降所导致的,从而发生大量的风沙堆积;2）中全新世时期（8~3 ka）,较高的低频磁化率和较多的¹⁴C年代数据指示该时期古土壤发育,地表湿润条件转好,风沙活动较弱。模拟数据结果表明该时期地表有效湿度较高,风沙活动处于较低水平,这主要是由于增强的东亚夏季风带来了大量的降水,促使地表有效湿度较高,沙丘逐渐被植被固定;3）晚全新世以来（3~0 ka）,较粗的平均粒径和风沙年代数据增多表明风沙活动再次活跃。模拟数据结果显示该时期风沙活动呈现增加趋势,表明东亚夏季风减弱和腾格里沙漠的气候干旱导致沙漠地表有效湿度逐渐下降,植被退化,固定沙丘再度活化。

     

Age of the Vindhyan Supergroup: A review of recent findings

The Vindhyan Supergroup of India is one of the largest and thickest sedimentary successions of the world. Deposited in an intra-cratonic basin, it is composed mostly of shallow marine deposits. It is believed to have recorded a substantial portion of Proterozoic time and therefore, likely to contain valuable information on the evolution of the atmosphere, climate, and life on our planet. It also contains some of the most disputed fossils of earliest animal life. Despite their importance, the absolute age of these rocks had remained unknown until recently. In this work I evaluate all the recent chronological information and discuss their implications. From the present findings it appears that the issues surrounding the age of the Lower Vindhyans in the Son valley are now resolved, whereas problems with the age of the Upper Vindhyans and that with the stratigraphic correlations remain to be answered.