Effects of an oasis protective system on aeolian sediment deposition:a case study from Gelintan oasis,southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert,China

Desert-oasis ecotones are boundary areas between oases and desert ecosystems.Large efforts to control sediment and stabilize these boundaries depend on understanding sedimentary processes,especially aeolian transport and deposition.Previous studies on aeolian sediment deposition have focused primarily on a single land surface type or a single engineering approach.Few studies have considered deposition in a multi-layer oasis protective system.A complete oasis protective system consists of an outer bare sand area,a sand barrier zone,a shrub and herbaceous plant zone,and a farmland shelter zone.This study used sedimentary analysis to quantify grain-size characteristics in samples from the four land surfaces under different types of weather conditions in the Gelintan oasis of the Tengger Desert,the fourth largest desert in China.The results showed that aeolian sediment deposition decreased from the outer bare sand area through the oasis protective system and into the interior.The four land surface types showed significant differences in deposition volume(P 0.05).Deposited sediment showed gradual decrease in dominant grain-size from sand to silt,but sediment deposited during dust weather contained a larger coarse-grained fraction.From the outer desert to the inner oasis,transport mechanisms shifted from saltation(sand) to suspension(silt and smaller) in non-dust weather.During dust weather,deposition primarily occurs from near-surface aeolian sand transport with saltation.Sediment sorting decreased from exterior to interior zones of the protective system while skewness and kurtosis showed no significant change(P 0.05).These results can help inform strategies for stabilizing and protecting desert-oasis ecotones in this region and other localities.     

The grain-size characteristics of Quaternary deposits at Xingshan near Siping in Jilin province, China

This research paper analyses the grain-size characteristics of the Quaternary deposits at Xingshan near Siping, Jilin province in China by employing graphic measures to study the grain size distribution and its mode of transport and deposition. The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan lie unconformable on Cretaceous rocks made of siltstone, mudstone and sandstone. The average grain size is between 8.06 to 8.55Φ (0.002 6 ～0.003 7 mm). The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan mainly compose of very fine silt to clay. The compositions of the grade are clay 63% and silt 37%. The clay size components are weathered debris transported and deposited by flowing water from the SE highlands or hills to the low lying NW Xingshan plains whereas the silty components accumulated by aoelian process. The Quaternary deposits at Xingshan accumulated in the middle and late Pleistocene interglacial periods from (459.12～39.03) ka to (88.92～7.56) ka. The standard deviation ranged from 0.96 to 1.36Φ, indicating that the sediments are moderately to poorly sorted, Coefficient of skewness ranged from 0.16～0.31 with an average skewness of 0.218, (Positively skewed towards fine). Kurtosis values (0.84～1.05) from the grain size distribution and visual inspection of the frequency curves indicate platykurtic to mesokurtic curves and unimodal to bimodal grain-size distribution. The type of deposit formation is sand dune and the source is at a distal from its provenance.     

福建永安地区网纹红土粒度特征及其成因指示意义

为了探讨首次在闽西发现的网纹红土的成因,采用将永安地区网纹红土的粒度实验结果与典型风成沉积物、现代河流沉积物以及其他地区的网纹红土相对比的方法,对位于闽西永安地区的网纹红土剖面进行了粒度分析。结果表明:永安地区网纹红土以粉砂级组分为主,黏粒组分次之,砂级组分最少,全部样品属于黏土质粉砂;剖面从上到下粉砂级组分、黏粒组分逐渐增多,砂级组分明显逐渐减少;10~50 μm粒组体积分数均值为29.71%,远低于典型风成沉积物;沉积物岩性三角图、粒度参数特征、粒度参数散点图、M_z-A图和M_z-L图以及频率曲线显示永安地区网纹红土不是风积成因,但也不是典型的冲积成因;判别函数结果均为正值,显示了水成成因;永安地区网纹红土的成因是两方面的,为冲积成因下经过强烈化学风化作用的产物,福建其他地区、江西泰和以及广东东江一级阶地的网纹红土也具有相同成因。研究结果进一步明确了福建省境内网纹红土的分布,同时更深入理解与认识了网纹红土的成因。      

Influencing factors of sediment deposition and their spatial variability in riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Many factors can affect the sediment deposition and soil erosion process in riparian zone, including terrain, sediment transport and water level fluctuations. Clarifying the factors influencing sediment deposition process in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoirs is an important problem to determine the key area of sediment deposition and its trend of development in the study area. In order to reveal the influence of these environmental factors on the sediment deposition in riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, this study investigated 1) the amount of deposited sediment in different environmental conditions, 2) the potential factors affecting sediment deposition in riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, 3) the relationship between the deposited sediment amount and these factors previously mentioned using correlation analysis, and 4) the influence of human activities considered as an additional factor. This study found that 1) slope gradient, elevation, inundating duration and human activities were the main factors influencing sedimentation in riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, and 2) the impact of each factor varied with spaces. Specifically, in the upper reach from Jiangjin to Fuling, human activities such as gravel dredging, bank revetment and ports and wharfs constructing disturbed considerable amounts of deposited sediment, as a result, there was no natural law to dictate the distribution. In the middle reach from Fuling to Fengjie, slope gradient and inundating duration were the controlling factors, and the sediment deposition amount was greater in the areas with a gentler slope or lower elevation. Water flow on gentler slopes generally had lower velocity, resulting in more sediment to deposit. Sites with lower elevations would be drowned by sediment-laden flow with a longer duration resulting from hydrologic regime controlled by the operating strategy of the Three Gorges Reservoir, leading to a larger amount of sediment deposition. In the lower reach from Fengjie to Zigui, slope gradient was similar to the middle reach, performing a primary factor, while other factors showed little relationship with sediment amount.     

Grain-size characteristics of sediments formed since 8600 yr B.P. in middle reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet and their paleoenvironmental significance

Widespread aeolian sediments have been found in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, China. The grain-size characteristics of sediments from Cha'er Section in the area were analyzed. The results show that the section include one stratum of paleo-mobile dunes, four strata of paleo-semi-fixed dunes, two strata of paleo-fixed dunes, one stratum of sandy immature soils. The paleo-mobile and paleo-somi-fixed dune sand in this section are similar to modern aeolian sand in either grain-size composition or Mz and σ distribution. Compared the above types of dunes each other, the content of sand substance decreases, while the content of silt and clay increases for palco-fixed dunes and sandy immature soils. Combined with age data for each stratum, the analysis shows that these strata are the products of climate changes and the evolution of aeolian landforms. The evolutionary sequence of the paleoclimate and of acolian activities in the valley since 8600 yr B.P. reveals four stages: 8600-5700 yr B.P., when the paleoclimate was cold and dry, with strong winds, thereby activating dunes; 5700-3600 yr B.P., when it was warm and wet, with weak winds, causing dunes to undergo soil-forming processes; 3600-1900 yr B.P., when climate shifted from cold-dry with strong winds to warm-wet with weak winds, and activated dunes were fixed again; and 1900 yr B.P. -present, when the climate became fine, with weak winds, fixing dunes again.     

Grain-size characteristics and climate variability in TMS5e sequence of Tumen section in southern Tengger Desert, northwestern China

The TMS5e sequence from the Tumen section,at the southern edge of Tengger Desert in the northwestern China,is synchronous with Marine Isotope Stage 5e(MIS5e).It consists of 16 layers of aeolian dune sands,11 layers of lacustrine loess-like facies,and 5 layers of lacustrine facies.The results of grain-size analysis shows that the palaeo-mobile dune sands,palaeo-fixed to semi-fixed dune sands and loess-like sandy loams are mainly composed of sands,ranging from 70% to 96%;their silt contents ranged from 4% to 20%,and their clay contents ranged from 1% to 5%;the climate under which the aeolian dune sands were deposited is similar to that under which modern mobile dune sands form,which is caused by the dominance of the cold,dry East Asian winter monsoon.In contrast,the lacustrine loess-like facies and lacustrine facies had a lower sand contents than those of the three aeolian dune sands,but have higher silt and clay contents,most of their sand content ranged from 30% to 60%,their silt contents ranged from 35% to 55%,and their clay contents ranged from 6% to 20%.The lacustrine loess-like facies and lacustrine facies formed under the influence of the warm,humid East Asian summer monsoon based on their similarity with modern sediments.The grain-size indicator Mz(mean grain diameter) and the SC/D value in the TMS5e sequence indicate climatic insta-bility at the southern edge of the Tengger Desert during MIS5e,with at least 14 fluctuations between a warm,humid climate and a cold,dry climate,divided into five stages:TMS5e5(139 kyr to 129.3 kyr B.P.),TMS5e4(129.3 kyr to 124 kyr B.P.),TMS5e3(124 kyr to 119.5 kyr B.P.),TMS5e2(119.5 kyr to 116.5 kyr B.P.),and TMS5e1(116.5 kyr to 113.7 kyr B.P.).These correspond roughly to MIS5e5,MIS5e4,MIS5e3,MIS5e2,and MIS5e1,respectively,in the GRIP ice core data.     

Numerical simulation of mechanical compaction of deepwater shallow sediments

To study the compaction law and overpressure evolution in deepwater shallow sediments, a large-strain compaction model that considers material nonlinearity and moving boundary is formulated. The model considers the dependence of permeability and material properties on void ratio. The modified Cam-Clay model is selected as the constitutive relations of the sediments, and the deactivation/reactivation method is used to capture the moving top surface during the deposition process. A one-dimensional model is used to study the compaction law of the shallow sediments. Results show that the settlement of the shallow sediments is large under their own weight during compaction. The void ratio decreases strictly with burial depth and decreases more quickly near the seafloor than in the deeper layers. The generation of abnormal pressure in the shallow flow sands is closely related to the compaction law of shallow sediments. The two main factors that affect the generation of overpressure in the sands are deposition rate and permeability of overlying clay sediments. Overpressure increases with an increase in deposition rate and a decrease in the permeability of the overlying clay sediment. Moreover, an upper limit for the overpressure exists. A two-dimensional model is used to study the differential compaction of the shallow sediments. The pore pressure will still increase due to the inflow of the pore fluid from the neighboring clay sediment even though the deposition process is interrupted.     

Sedimentary response to volcanic activity in the Okinawa Trough since the last deglaciation

To investigate the relationship between volcanic activity and sediment record on regional and temporal scales, 158 surface sediment samples were collected from the East China Sea Shelf to the northern Okinawa Trough (OT), and two cores recovered in the northern and southern OT, respectively. Mineralogy, grain-size, and geochemical analyses of those samples show that: 1) volcanic glass, volcanic-type pyroxene, hypersthenes, and magnetite increase in sediment influenced by volcanic activity; 2) sediment grain sizes (and also silt content) increase in ash layers; and 3) the contents of Na₂O and Zr are higher, while terrigenous elements, e.g., TFe₂O₃ and K₂O, and biogenous compositions, e.g., CaO and Sr, are relatively lower in ash layers than those of non-ash layers. The distribution of volcanic ash has three distinguishing characteristics: 1) volcanic ash is more abundant in the northern and central OT than the southern OT; 2) volcanic ash increases from continental shelf to the trough; 3) the sediment during the last 12 000 a suggests stronger volcanic events than during 15 000–12 000 a. The eruptive locations, frequency, and volume of calderas are among the most important factors controlling the distributions of volcanic ash. In addition, the main Kuroshio warm current that extends northward probably impeded the diffusion of volcanic ash to the west and south in the OT. However, a southward current probably carried some volcanic ash toward southern OT.     

淄博盆地A层硬质黏土—铝土矿矿床地质特征及分布规律

山东淄博盆地A层硬质黏土—铝土矿主要赋存于二叠纪石盒子群万山组底部的A层含矿岩系中,矿体呈似层状和透镜状产出,A层硬质黏土在该区分布较广,而共生铝土矿矿体主要分布在东宝山—东冲山一带;两矿体的形态、结构、构造比较简单。两矿体垂向分布呈渐变关系,受沉积环境影响呈现不同的颜色和结构,肉眼可大致区分矿体与围岩,具体界线要靠化学分析结果予以区分;矿体厚度均匀,总体与Al_2O_3,SiO_2含量呈正相关,与Fe_2O_3呈反相关;矿石中Al_2O_3,Fe_2O_3,SiO_2的总含量一般在83.5%～85.5%,品位比较均匀,同时三者含量在不同矿石中有着相互消长的关系。     

Anthropogenic,detritic and atmospheric soil-derived sources of lead in an alpine poor fen in northeast China

Ombrotrophic bogs are faithful archive of atmospheric metal deposition,but the potential for fens to reconstruct environmental change is often underestimated.In this study,some new data on the Pb depositional history in northeast China were provided using two 210Pb-dated peat sequences from a poor fen in the Fenghuang Mountain of Heilongjiang province.Anthropogenic,detritic and atmospheric soil sources were discriminated using a two-step sequential digestion(weak acid leaching to liberate mobile Pb which is often regarded as anthropogenic Pb,especially for recent samples)and a ratio of unsupported 210 Pb and supported 210 Pb with the logic of that the 214 Pb mainly represents the residual detritus(constant throughout the core)and the unsupported 210 Pb arises from atmospheric fallout.A higher 210Pb/214 Pb suggests more contributions from atmospheric deposition to the Pb content in the peat,and a ratio of 10 was defined to indicate the boundary between detritic input and atmospheric deposition.The detritic Pbwas estimated to be 10~(-1)3 mg·kg~(-1),the anthropogenic Pb ranged from 10-80 mg·kg~(-1),and the atmospheric soil-derived Pb ranged from 5 mg·kg~(-1) to 30mg·kg~(-1).The history of anthropogenic Pb pollution over the last 150 years was reconstructed,and the calculated Pb deposition rate(AR Pb) ranged from 5to 56 mg·m-2·yr~(-1).Using Ti as a reliable reference,the enrichment factor of Pb(EF Pb) relative to the upper continental crust was calculated.Both AR Pb and EF Pb increased with time,especially after the foundation of the People's Republic of China.This is consistent with increasing industrialization and coal burning in the last 60 years in northeast China.The present record of anthropogenic Pb deposition was consistent with the previous reports and an increasing trend of environmental pollution due to anthropogenic activities,in contrasts to Europe and North America which have experienced a major environmental cleanup.For the first time,this work estimates atmospheric Pb deposition via a minerotrophic peat core in China.This will enhance the use of peat archives for studies of environmental change.     

Combined Bearing Capacity of Spudcans on a Double Layer Deposit of Strong-Over-Weak Clays

An extreme sea storm process can lead to a jack-up rig under the combined loading condition of vertical load(V), horizontal load(H), and moment(M) to have stability problems. This paper presents the analysis of combined bearing capacities of a circular spudcan on layered clays with a strong layer overlying a comparatively weaker layer. Numerical models combined with displacement-based load tests, swipe tests, and constant ratio displacement probe tests are adopted to calculate the uniaxial bearing capacities, failure envelopes in combined V-H, V-M planes, and failure envelopes in a combined V-H-M load space, respectively. A parametric study on the effects of vertical load level V, the layer strength ratio s_u,t/s_u,b, and the hard layer thickness t_1 on the bearing capacities is then performed. Results show that the vertical load level is a key factor that influences the values of H and M and the size of the H-M failure envelope. The existence of the underlying weak clay decreases the bearing capacities in all directions, and the vertical capacity Vult is affected more than the horizontal(H_ult) and moment(M_ult) capacities based on a single uniform deposit. The influence of the underlying weak clay on H-M failure envelope is mainly shown where H and M are coupled in the same direction. In contrast, little difference is observed when H and M are coupled in opposite directions.     

Effects of Suspended Culture of the Seaweed Laminaria japonica Aresch on the Flow Structure and Sedimentation Processes

The culture of suspended kelp, such as Laminaria japonica Aresch, has arisen in nearshore areas for approximately 30 years since the 1980 s. This long-term activity has significant impact on the regional hydrodynamic and sedimentary environments. In this study the impact was investigated, based on synchronized multi-station data from continuous observations made within and around the culture area. In total, three current velocity profiles were identified inside and on the landward side of the culture area. Based on the current velocity profiles we calculated the boundary layer parameters, the fluxes of erosion/deposition, and the rate of sediment transport in different times at each observation site. Comparison between culture and non-culture periods showed that the presence of suspended kelp caused the reduction in the average flow velocity by approximately 49.5%, the bottom friction velocity by 24.8%, the seabed roughness length by 62.7%, and the shear stress and the flux of resuspended sediment by approximately 50%. From analyses in combination with the corresponding vertical variation of the suspended sediment distribution, it is revealed that the lifted sediments by resuspension is mixed with the upper suspended material, which will modify the regional distribution of suspended sediment. These changes in flow structure and sediment movement will accelerate seabed siltation, which corresponds to the changes in seabed erosion/deposition. However, under the influences of the seasonal changes in kelp growth the magnitude of change with the seabed siltation was not obvious inside the culture area, but a fundamental change was apparent around the culture area.     

Red Clay Sediment in the Central Chinese Loess Plateau and Its Implication for the Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau

Introduction A set of reddish clay-silt-sized sediments named red clay underlying the Quaternary loess-paleosol sequence widely distribute in the Chinese Loess Plateau. The thickness of the red clay sediments ranges from decades of meters to over 100 m (Evan et al.1991,Mo and Derbyshire 1991, SUN et al. 1997&1998, DING et al. 1999, GUO et al. 2001, QIANG et al. 2001). Previous studies show that not only loess-paleosol (e.g.LIU et al.1985,AN et al.1990,DING et al.1992),but also red …     

青州市马家庄地区黏土矿成矿地质特征研究

青州市马家庄地区黏土矿主要赋存于第四纪中-上更新统大站组及全新统临沂组,赋矿层系分布面积较广,整体自南向北微有倾斜,呈等轴状展布,其厚度与古地形密切相关,古地形凹陷处矿体厚度较大,隆起区则较小,平均厚度12.61 m,厚度变化系数27.79％.经差热分析可知,黏土矿石主要由蒙脱石+水云母+石英组成.属于陆相残—坡积混合...     

High resolution records of flood deposition in the mud area off the Changjiang River mouth during the past century

This paper presents a paleoflood study to determine the flood frequency of the Changjiang River, based on core cj0702, taken from the Changjiang River subaqueous delta. We identified flood deposits by means of high-resolution grain-size variation, sensitive population, geochemical indexes and magnetic susceptibility. The core covers a time span of 120 years by 210 Pb dating and was sampled at 1–2 cm intervals. Grain size, geochemical elements, and physical parameters were analyzed. The results indicate that the sediment of the core is mainly composed of silt and clay, as well as groups of interbedded silt, clay silt, and clay. Vertically, the grain size pattern was controlled by seasonal variations in water discharge and by the sediment input in winter from the abandoned Huanghe River delta. River flooding caused extreme values in all our measured parameters. We identified more than 20 flood events that occurred since 1887 using the physical parameter analysis method. The environmentally sensitive component of sediment grain size(14.32–96.39 μm) contribution30%, Zr/Rb ratio1.5, and magnetic susceptibility16 were selected as the criteria for flood identification generally. We also found that floods that had taken place in the upstream, midstream, or downstream parts of the river were clearly identified by these indexes while the large-scale floods that covered the whole drainage area did not leave clear indications in the sediment record. This study for identification of flood events is of great significance for understanding hyperpycnal current sedimentation as well as for forecasting of floods.     

ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION OF ORDOS DESERT IN CHINA SINCE 1.1MA B. P. AS INDICATED BY YULIN STRATIGRAPHICAL SECTION AND ITS GRAIN-SIZE ANALYSIS RESULTS

1INTRODUCTIONOrdosDesertisageneral appellationof Qubqi Desert onthe north, Hedong Sandy Landonthesouthwest and MuUs Desert on the southeast (Fig. 1). It is situated on atransitional zone from arid desert steppe to semi-aridsteppe between ariddesertinNorth…     

Variations in rare earth elements with environmental factors in lake surface sediments from 17 lakes in western China

Numerous lakes in western China are excellent sites for understanding environmental change. However, what dominates rare earth element(REE) variations are still under debate in the lake environmental research. In this study, we selected 28 surface sediment samples from 17 lakes(i.e. largescale lakes, small water bodies, etc.) in the QinghaiTibet Plateau and Xinjiang area. These samples were analyzed to reveal the behavior of the REEs and major elements. These REE patterns are characterized by light rare earth element(LREE) enrichment, weak Ce anomaly(0.84-0.98, 0.94 on average) and negative Eu anomaly(0.53-1.00, 0.67 on average). The homogeneous REE patterns may reflect similar REE of the source lithologys. However, the REE abundances showed some significant differences. In this study, water chemistry data analyses inferred that the highly REE values appear possibly in the saltwater lake, and also related to carbonate mineral, whereas p H played a minor role in REE concentrations. In large-scale lakes(e.g. Lake Bosten and Lake Ulungur), the results showed that the relatively larger REE values are in the margins of lakes. Moreover, lower REE contents are towards the central region. Comprehensive study suggested that five major factors control the REE contents:(1) The REE tends to increase with the increase of the weathering intensity.(2) Likewise, heavy mineral(i.e. rutile, anatase, zircon, etc.) are probably primary in these sediments because they are highly enriched in the REE.(3) The contribution of Fe-Mn oxides is significant in sediments because their concentrations highly correlate with the REE.(4) The carbonate mineral(mainly calcite) played a significant role on the REE values in the lakes because the REEs are incorporated into the carbonate minerals generating the low REE concentrations.(5) Major element analysis, mineral analysis, and grain-size data analysis showed that the REE distribution is chiefly influenced by finer grain-size component of lake sediments due to the decreasing proportion of quartz and feldspar than coarser one. Moreover, the clay minerals in finer grain-size sediments can highly absorb the REE.     

Study on the Marine Sedimentary Environment Evolution of the Southern Laizhou Bay Under the Impact of Port Projects

The southern Laizhou Bay is mainly composed of silt-sandy coasts with diverse landforms, and its marine hydrodynamic environment is sensitive to human activities. Marine hydrodynamic and sedimentary environments of the study area have changed under the influence of large-scale port projects in recent years. In this paper, the evolution of hydrodynamic environment, deposition rate, and geochemical characteristics were studied based on sediment grain size, element analysis and ~(210)Pb dating of two cores, in order to analyze the influence of Weifang Port on marine environmental evolution, and provide theoretical and practical basis for protecting marine environment in developing marine resources reasonably. Results showed that sediments of the two cores were relatively coarser and mainly composed of silty sand. Sediments above 230 cm in core WF1 and 218 cm in core WF2 were deposited since 1855 when the Yellow River appeared to deposit its sediments within the modern active delta, and the average deposition rate was between 0.3 and 0.5 cm a~(-1). Implement of Weifang Port projects in 1997 and 2007 created great influence on the sedimentary environment evolution in the surrounding waters, and the deposition rate was significantly increased. The average annual deposition rates were 5.1 cm and 3.5 cm in WF1 and WF2 respectively between 1997 and 2007. Content of heavy metals in sediments showed no obvious change in the vertical, indicating that the heavy metals were less affected by human activity and there was no significant accumulation of such metals in the study area.     

神农架大九湖泥炭地溶解有机碳季节性变化及其影响因素

亚热带泥炭地在水源涵养、碳储存和生物多样性等方面有着重要的保护价值。溶解有机碳(DOC)是泥炭地中容易受到外界扰动的一部分碳，在气候变化和人类活动的双重影响下，DOC可能通过降解或横向迁移从泥炭地中流失，潜在地威胁了泥炭地的碳储存功能。然而，目前对于亚热带泥炭地DOC如何响应季节性尺度的环境变化还缺乏深入的认识。以位于北亚热带的神农架大九湖泥炭地为研究对象，开展了季节尺度的泥炭孔隙水DOC浓度和紫外-可见吸收光谱特征以及环境参数的监测。结果显示，在大九湖泥炭地中，表层0~10 cm的泥炭孔隙水DOC浓度和光谱参数具有明显的季节差异性，DOC浓度和光谱参数还表现出明显的深度差异性。相关性分析显示，DOC浓度及紫外-可见吸收光谱参数直接受控于泥炭孔隙水的电导率和氨态氮浓度，可能还间接受到泥炭地水位和孔隙水硝态氮浓度等因素的影响。以上结果表明，在亚热带季风气候条件下，季节性水位波动引起的泥炭水化学参数和营养盐的变化，可能显著改变表层泥炭DOC动态，需要重视这种季节性波动对亚热带泥炭地碳储存能力以及生态功能的影响。      

陕西榆林风沙滩区全新世气候和环境变迁

榆林长城沿线处于环境变化敏感带,其风沙滩区沉积剖面的磁化率和粒度分析结果显示,该区全新世早期11 500~10 000 a BP随着全球气候的逐渐转暖,磁化率、黏粒和粉沙含量逐渐增高;全新世中期的10 000~4 500 a BP气候相对比较湿润,植被覆盖度增大,风沙活动减弱,地表沉积物当中粉沙和黏土成分含量显著增大,风化成壤作用增强,地表发育沙质弱古土壤;全新世中期后段的4 500~3 000 a BP期间,气候以比较温和湿润为主,但在4 200~4 000 a BP出现一个气候干旱事件,风沙活动强烈;近3 000 a以来,气候显著干旱化,波动频繁,地表风沙沉积物显著变粗,表现出有5次沙漠扩张。该区生态环境演化、人文历史变迁基本上是自然因素与人为活动综合作用的结果,以自然演化为主,近代人为因素对环境变化起着加强和放大作用。