Coastal dune rock development and Holocene climate changes in South China

Coastal dune rocks in China are eolian sands cemented by calcium carbonate under subaerial conditions, widely distributing on the tropical and subtropical coasts of South China. Particular temperature and precipitation as well as local wave and landform conditions are required for the formation of the dune rocks. A correspondence was found between Holocene environmental changes and coastal dune rock development by comparing the features of the sea-level and climate changes in the Holocene period with the ages, scales, and cementation of the dune rocks on the South China coasts. The findings provide well grounded explanation for some problems unresolved in the past researches on the coastal dune rock in South China: (1) There were no dune rocks with ages older than 6000 years in South China because the dune rocks formed before 6000 a BP were covered by the sea water that rose in the later period; (2) the dune rocks with ages of around 3000 a BP were widely found in South China today because the coastal dunes were cumulated on a large scale at that time as a result of temperature falling after the end of Megathermal; (3) Medieval Warm Period was the main period for the eolian dunes to be cemented into the coastal dune rocks in South China; (4) lack of dune rocks of younger than 1000 a BP was accounted for by that the climate conditions in recent one thousand years were not suitable for the cementation.     

土壤水分对流动沙丘迎风坡与丘间低地过渡带植被入侵的制约

在半干旱沙区植物天然更新过程中,种子萌发、幼苗出土是植物种群维持和实现更新的关键阶段。通常认为,在这一阶段,土壤水分和土壤种子库是主要制约因素。分别对流动沙丘迎风坡与丘间低地过渡带的出土幼苗密度与土壤种子库密度和土壤水分进行二元相关分析。结果表明,生长季的出土幼苗密度与土壤种子库密度的相关性未达到显著水平（P>0.05）;出土幼苗密度与土壤水分呈显著正相关（P<0.05）,而且,幼苗密度随土壤水分呈对数增加。这说明,在植被入侵流动沙丘迎风坡与丘间低地过渡带裸沙的过程中,土壤水分是主要的制约因素,而土壤种子库的制约作用则没有表现出来,植被自然恢复更多地依赖于从沙丘附近植物群落传播来的种子。     

基于MATLAB平台的遥感影像沙丘脊线提取与地貌格局表征参数计算

随着现代科学技术的发展,遥感影像为区域风沙地貌形态的研究提供了可靠的资料。近年来,有地貌学者提出了沙丘地貌格局分析法,通过在遥感影像上绘制沙丘脊线,量测和计算得到沙丘地貌格局表征参数,分析沙丘概率分布和空间变化规律、影响因素及形成时间。本文选取腾格里沙漠典型横向沙丘区域为研究对象,发展基于MATLAB平台的遥感影像沙丘脊线提取方法,利用沙丘迎风坡与落沙坡在遥感影像中成像的灰度差异, 对沙丘的沙脊线进行提取, 继而获得沙丘脊线长度、沙丘间距、走向、缺陷密度等沙丘地貌格局表征参数。结果表明,该方法快捷、可靠,为沙丘脊线的绘制提供了一种新方法。     

海岸沙丘沙运动特征若干问题的研究——以闽江口南岸为例

在海岸带,沙粒粒径和水分含量是决定沙粒起动风速的最主要因素。闽江口南岸海滩沙的平均粒径为2.0Φ,水分含量多在0.3%~1.0%之间。运用Johnson的经验公式,可计算出海滩沙的起动风速为6~7m/s。这一结果与实际观测值十分吻合。由于海岸环境因素的影响,使得同等条件下海岸带沙粒的起动风速明显大于内陆沙漠沙,而风沙流的输沙率明显小于内陆沙漠沙。海岸带是风速剧变带,在引用陆地气象台站的风速记录分析海岸风况和研究风沙运动规律时,必须对风速进行订正。     

新月形沙丘迎风坡形态及沉积物对表面气流的响应

对孤立新月形沙丘迎风坡风速的野外实测和计算表明,沙丘迎风坡表面风速廓线呈非对数关系,近地面剪切风速和输沙强度由坡脚至丘顶总体呈递增趋势,但同时随断面坡度的增减而发生相应的变化;沿断面输沙率的变化导致蚀积强度的改变,表现为沙丘迎风坡坡度变缓的部位沉积大于侵蚀,其它部位侵蚀大于沉积,其中丘顶输沙率和侵蚀强度最大。在沙丘形态上,表现为坡度减缓的部位沉积变凸、其它部位因侵蚀变凹以及坡脚和丘顶的前移。变凸和变凹部位反过来又制约着表面剪切风速的相应变化。粒度分析也表明,沙丘迎风坡表面粒度特征主要取决于表面蚀积状况,同断面形态表现出密切的相关性。     

Sedimentary characteristics of paleo-aeolian dune sands of Salawusu Formation in the Salawusu River Valley

The Salawusu Formation of Milanggouwan section in Salawusu River Valley in-cludes 7 layers of paleo-mobile dune sands, and 4 layers of paleo-fixed and semi-fixed dune sands. Their structures have been observed and their grain size, surface textural features and several main chemical elements have been analyzed. The results showed that: 1) Some of the aeolian structural characteristics of these dune sands are similar to that of the recent dune sands. 2) They are also similar to the recent dune sands in grain size components, and parameters of Mz, σ, Sk and Kg, as well as in several main chemical components. 3) The scattergrams of Mz-σ and SiO2–Al2O3+TOFE and the probability curves of grain size showed that these paleo-dune sands are different from paleosols and fluvio-lacustrine facies, but are consistency with recent dune sands. 4) Quartz sands have well roundness and surface textural features such as dish-shaped pits, crescent-shaped pits, pockmarked pits, upturned cleavage plates, siliceous precipitates and siliceous crevasses, indicating that they had been carried for a long time by the wind. As the 11 layers of paleo-dune sands possess the aeolian characteristics in structure, grain size, surface textural features and chemical elements, the origin of their formation should be attributed to eolation.     

Embryo dune development drivers: beach morphology,growing season precipitation,and storms

For development of embryo dunes on the highly dynamic land–sea boundary, summer growth and the absence of winter erosion are essential. Other than that, however, we know little about the specific conditions that favour embryo dune development. This study explores the boundary conditions for early dune development to enable better predictions of natural dune expansion. Using a 30 year time series of aerial photographs of 33 sites along the Dutch coast, we assessed the influence of beach morphology (beach width and tidal range), meteorological conditions (storm characteristics, wind speed, growing season precipitation, and temperature), and sand nourishment on early dune development. We examined the presence and area of embryo dunes in relation to beach width and tidal range, and compared changes in embryo dune area to meteorological conditions and whether sand nourishment had been applied. We found that the presence and area of embryo dunes increased with increasing beach width. Over time, embryo dune area was negatively correlated with storm intensity and frequency. Embryo dune area was positively correlated with precipitation in the growing season and sand nourishment. Embryo dune area increased in periods of low storm frequency and in wet summers, and decreased in periods of high storm frequency or intensity. We conclude that beach morphology is highly influential in determining the potential for new dune development, and wide beaches enable development of larger embryo dune fields. Sand nourishment stimulates dune development by increasing beach width. Finally, weather conditions and non‐interrupted sequences of years without high‐intensity storms determine whether progressive dune development will take place. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

腾格里沙漠南部格状沙丘的形态演变及移动特征

沙丘的形态变化与移动蕴含区域风沙环境和地貌演化的关键信息,是风沙地貌研究的重要内容。以腾格里沙漠南缘的长格状和方格状沙丘为研究对象,利用风况资料和Google Earth卫星影像,监测2009—2020年两种格状沙丘的形态变化并分析其移动特征。结果表明：(1)腾格里沙漠西南缘和东南缘的主风向均为西北风,长格状沙丘分布区的次风向为东南风,方格状沙丘分布区次风向为东风和东南风,都属于低风能环境、中变率风况。西南部风能环境大于东南部,研究区近10年风动力呈衰减趋势。(2)格状沙丘的主副梁长度和间距在增加,其中,长格状沙丘高度增加,方格状沙丘高度在降低。沙丘主梁向东偏移,副梁向南偏移,形态整体保持稳定。(3)长格状沙丘平均移动速率为1.57～1.71 m·a^-1,方格状沙丘平均移动速率为1.63～2.01 m·a^-1,沙丘平均移动方向与合成输沙方向基本一致,沙丘的体积是造成移动速率差异的主因。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合沙垄的流场和上覆沙丘组合及动态特征

复合沙垄是最大的沙丘地貌类型之一，表现为简单沙丘类型的垂直叠加和水平连接，在沙垄的高大地形影响下，沙垄不同部位形成不同的风沙环境特征。以塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地/复合沙垄为例，通过野外实地观测研究其流场和上覆沙丘组合特征。研究结果表明，复合沙垄的流场可分为沙垄迎风坡气流加速区、沙垄背风坡气流转向减速区、垄间粗沙平地气流风速风向恢复区和气流风速稳定区。受沙垄流场和地形的控制，沙垄上覆新月形沙丘链，垄间地分有简单新月形沙丘、沙堆、沙片、侵蚀地、简单线形沙丘。上覆沙丘分布特征表现为：垄间地上覆新月形沙丘疏密度较小，沙垄迎风坡和沙垄背风坡上覆新月形沙丘疏密度较大，而且超过1，说明沙垄迎背风坡上覆沙丘有叠置现象。沙垄上覆沙丘高度自沙垄迎风坡底部到顶部增高，背风坡上覆沙丘高度自沙垄顶部到背风坡底部减小，上覆沙丘在自身形态、地形和流场的共同影响下，存在相对运动，表现为分布进一步集中，因此沙垄有增高的趋势。     

Aeolian abrasion and modes of fine particle production from natural red dune sands: an experimental study

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the potential for aeolian abrasion of natural dune sands to produce fine particles (< 125 µm) by (1) the release of resident fines; (2) spalling, chipping and breakage of particles; and (3) the removal of grain surface coatings. Parent samples were obtained from the surfaces of four active continental dunes and abraded using a glass ‘test tube’ chamber for up to 120 h. The fine particles produced by this abrasion process were trapped at varying time intervals and subject to detailed particle‐size analyses using a Coulter Multisizer. The abrasion of untreated parent samples produced fine particles in one of two main size classes, < 10 µm and > 50 µm, but when the parent sample was sieved to exclude particles < 250 µm, relatively more material in the range 10–50 µm was produced. For unsieved parent samples, the size range associated with the dominant mode varied according to the length of the abrasion time. The coarsest mode (> 63 µm) was dominant during the first 16 h of abrasion, then became less significant and is thought to be associated with the release of resident fines into suspension. The finest mode (< 10 µm) was absent or very weak during the first 16 h of abrasion, then became more significant and, in some instances, dominated the distribution as abrasion continued. Removal of grain surface coatings is the main source of fine material < 10 µm, and this may be a significant source of fine material in areas where sands are dominated by subrounded and rounded particles. By comparison with previous studies of aeolian particle abrasion, these natural dune sands produced very low quantities of fine material (by weight), but their spatial extent makes them potentially a significant source of dust‐sized particles at the global scale.