Aerodynamic grain‐size distribution of blown sand

Aeolian sand entrainment, saltation and deposition are important and closely related near surface processes. Determining how grains are sorted by wind requires a detailed understanding of how aerodynamic sand transport processes vary within the saltating layer with height above the bed. Grain‐size distribution of sand throughout the saltation layer and, in particular, how the associated flux of different grain size changes with variation in wind velocity, remain unclear. In the present study, a blowdown wind tunnel with a 50 cm thick boundary layer was used to investigate saltating sand grains by analyzing the weight percentage and transport flux of different grain‐size fractions and the mean grain size at different wind velocities. It was found that mean grain size decreases with height above the sand bed before undergoing a reversal. The height of the reversal point ranges from 4 to 40 cm, and increases with wind velocity following a non‐linear relationship. The content of the finer fractions (very fine and fine sand) initially increases above the sand bed and then decreases slightly with height, whereas that of the coarser fractions (medium and coarse sand) exhibits the opposite trend. The content of coarser grains and the mean grain size of sand in the saltation layer increase with wind velocity, indicating erosional selectivity with respect to grains in multi‐sized sand beds; but this size selectivity decreases with increasing wind velocity. The vertical mass flux structure of fine sand and very fine sand does not obey a general exponential decay pattern under strong wind conditions; and the coarser the sand grain, the greater the decrease rate of their transport mass with height. The results of these experiments suggest that the grain‐size distribution of a saltating sand cloud is governed by both wind velocity and height within the near‐surface boundary layer.     

鄂尔多斯盆地演化-改造的时空坐标及其成藏(矿)响应

鄂尔多斯盆地的发育时限为中晚三叠世—早白垩世,晚白垩世以来为盆地的后期改造时期;盆地主体具克拉通内盆地特征;现今盆地为经过多期不同形式改造的残留盆地。该盆地叠加在早、晚古生代大型盆地之上,又属多重叠合型盆地。鄂尔多斯盆地集油气、煤和铀于一盆,多种能源矿产丰富。根据盆地及周缘地区主要地质构造特征和地质事件,结合对盆地各区裂变径迹年龄的综合研究认为,在盆地发育时期(T2—K1)至少发生了4期明显的构造变动,将盆地的沉积-演化过程划分为4个阶段:中晚三叠世和早中侏罗世富县—延安期为盆地发育的两个鼎盛阶段,广泛接受沉积,湖盆宽阔,沉积范围为今残留盆地面积的2倍多;形成重要的含油和成煤岩系。这两个阶段被期间发生的区域抬升变动(J1)所分隔。抬升导致沉积间断,延长组顶部遭受强烈而不均匀的侵蚀下切,形成起伏较大的侵蚀地貌。延安期末盆地抬升变动不强烈,沉积间断和剥蚀延续时间短。随后又复沉降,进入盆地发育的第三阶段中侏罗世直罗-安定期:沉积范围仍较广阔,但湖区面积明显减小。晚侏罗世构造变动强烈,在盆地西缘形成逆冲-推覆构造带,在其东侧前渊局限堆积厚度不等的砾岩,盆地中东部地区遭受剥蚀改造;今黄河以西地区初显东隆西坳格局。在早白垩世阶段,沉积分布仍较广阔,不整合超覆在前期西缘冲断带和南、北边部隆起之上。在盆地演化的前三个阶段,沉积中心均分布在延安附近及其以东;而堆积中心则位于邻近物源的盆地西部,且不同阶段位置有别;直到早白垩世,盆地的沉积中心和堆积中心的分布位置才大体一致,主要位于盆地西部的中南段。早白垩世末,鄂尔多斯盆地整体抬升,大型盆地消亡;盆地开始进入后期改造时期。在晚白垩世以来的盆地后期改造时期,鄂尔多斯盆地主要发生了以下重要地质事件:1盆地主体持续幕式、差异性整体抬升和强烈而不均匀的剥蚀,东部黄河附近被剥蚀的中生界厚度最大可达2000m;2盆地本部长期幕式整体的差异抬升和剥蚀,形成3期区域侵蚀-夷平面(E32—E12,E23和N21);3地块边部裂陷,周缘断陷盆地相继形成,接受巨厚沉积;4持续达2亿多年的东隆西降运动于中新世晚期(8MaBP)反转易位;东部开始沉降,广泛接受红黏土沉积;六盘山、地块西缘和西部相继隆升;标志着中国西部区域构造运动对该区的影响更为重要;5分别在8MaBP和2.5MaBP,风成红黏土、黄土开始广泛堆积,先后形成红土准高原和黄土高原及黄土高原面;6黄河水系的发育、外流和侵蚀地貌的形成。根据各主要地质事件的发生和动力学环境的演变,将该区晚白垩世以来划分为5个演化阶段(K2—E1;E2-3;N1-21;N31—N2;Q)。这些地质事件的发生和构造变动,与周邻各构造域,特别是中国东、西部(含青藏高原)重大构造运动的复合、叠加及其与时彼此消长变化密切相关;其活动和改造,使中生代盆地的原始面貌大为改观。鄂尔多斯盆地多种能源矿产成生—成藏(矿)和定位的主要期次,与盆地中新生代演化和改造的阶段有明显的响应联系和密切的耦合关系。盆地演化末(晚)期及之后的整体差异隆升和区域剥蚀,对鄂尔多斯盆地多种能源矿产的成藏(矿)和分布及其相互作用的影响最为重要。