Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (5): 1117-1126.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2019.05.08

• Climate and Climatic Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics of Wind Filed over Different Underlying Surfaces in the Oasis-Desert Ecotone in Qira,Xinjiang

MAO Dong-lei1,2, CAI Fu-yan3, YANG Xue-feng1, WANG Xue-mei1, LAI Feng-bing1, XUE Jie2,4   

  1. 1. College of Geographical Science and Tourism,Xinjiang Normal University/Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Lacustrine Environment and Resources in Arid Zone,Urumqi 830054,Xinjiang,China;
    2. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Urumqi 830011,Xinjiang,China;
    3. College of Applied Engineering,Urumqi Vocational University,Urumqi 830002,Xinjiang,China;
    4. Qira National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-grassland Ecosystem,Qira 848300,Xinjiang,China
  • Received:2018-09-25 Revised:2019-03-10 Published:2025-10-14

Abstract: Based on the meteorological data in Qira County,Xinjiang from August 2010 to July 2011,the statistical analysis method was used to analyze the wind regime over four different underlying surfaces including the shifting sandy land,semi-fixed sandy land,fixed sandy land in oasis-desert ecotone and oasis in Qira.The study results could provide a theoretical basis for further studying the spatial and temporal characteristics of wind field and the effects of vegetation against wind and drifting sand.The results showed that the wind directions in the study area were dominated by WNW and W,and their frequencies were 41.43% and 33.74% respectively.The calm frequencies over the shifting sandy land,semi-fixed sandy land,fixed sandy land and oasis accounted for 44.30%,52.44%,54.29% and 85.39% respectively,and these frequencies were decreased gradually with the increase of wind speed.The changes of air temperature and wind speed were in a synchronous trend.The high sand-driving wind frequency and the monthly-averaged maximum wind speed occurred mostly in spring and summer,especially in June.Although the maximum values occurred in different months,the change trend was similar.From the periphery to the central area of the oasis,the wind direction and the frequency of prevailing wind direction were decreased,which indicated that the vegetation could reduce wind speed and disperse wind direction.The average wind speed and sand-driving wind frequency were gradually decreased from the shifting sandy land to the central area of the oasis.There was a significant correlation between the monthly-averaged air temperature and monthly-averaged wind speed,and the correlation was gradually decreased from the shifting sandy land to the central area of the oasis.Vegetation types,vegetation coverage and topography are the main factors affecting the variation of wind fields over the different underlying surfaces.

Key words: oasis-desert ecotone, underlying surfaces, wind direction, wind speed, sand-driving wind, frequency, air temperature, Qira