Ecology and Environment

Geomorphologic characteristics of the co-existence zone of barchan and parabolic dunes in western Hunshandake Sandy Land

  • Xiaozong REN ,
  • Songsong WANG ,
  • Yamei WANG ,
  • Jinhong LUO ,
  • Yongtao MA
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  • Taiyuan Normal University, School of Geographical Sciences, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China

Received date: 2023-04-20

  Revised date: 2023-10-04

  Online published: 2023-12-18

Abstract

Barchan and parabolic dunes can be transformed into each other and coexist in the same area, resulting in a unique landscape in which typical barchan dunes coexist with embryonic barchan and parabolic dunes. It is helpful to understand the causes of their formation and execute targeted desertification prevention and control projects after studying their spatial distribution, morphological characteristics, and migration. Based on the Esri historical image service (World Imagery Wayback), the morphological parameters of the dunes in the coexistence zone of the barchan and parabolic dunes, west of Hunshandake Sandy Land, were extracted in three periods: January 15, 2008, June 4, 2011, and September 20, 2016, and the direction and velocity of the dune migration were calculated. The results indicate that typical barchan dunes are concentrated in 15 areas related to the dry lake bed in the western part of the sandy land, whereas embryonic barchan and parabolic dunes are sequentially distributed around the periphery of the dry lake bed. The appearance of the dry lake bed was a key factor in the development of the typical barchan dunes in the Hunshandake Sandy Land. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the desertification caused by the lake drying up. The analysis of morphological parameters of sand dunes in the fifth zone, where the co-existence of barchan and parabolic dunes is typically found, indicates that the typical barchan and embryonic barchan dunes significantly differ from embryonic parabolic dunes. The correlation analysis between the morphological parameters of sand dunes indicates that toss slope length, lee slope length, and bottom area are inherited from the barchan to parabolic dunes, with horns experiencing the greatest changes during this process. Furthermore, the migration directions of the three types of dunes are almost equal but have varying migration velocities, as well as the factors that affect the migration of sand dunes. The most significant impact on the embryonic parabolic dunes, whose vegetation cover is relatively high, was the vegetation cover, whose variation was consistent with that of NDVI during the same period. The most significant impact on the typical barchan and embryonic barchan dunes, whose vegetation cover is relatively low, was wind speed, whose variation was consistent with that of DP and RDP during the same period. Additionally, other factors, including terrain, sand sources, and human activities, can influence the morphology and migration of barchan-parabolic dunes.

Cite this article

Xiaozong REN , Songsong WANG , Yamei WANG , Jinhong LUO , Yongtao MA . Geomorphologic characteristics of the co-existence zone of barchan and parabolic dunes in western Hunshandake Sandy Land[J]. Arid Zone Research, 2023 , 40(12) : 2016 -2030 . DOI: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.12.14

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