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Arid Land Geography ›› 2021, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (5): 1309-1316.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000–6060.2021.05.12

• Earth Surface Process • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Morphological characteristics and genesis of Bailongdui Yardang landforms in Lop Nur, Xinjiang

LIN Guiquan(),LIN Yongchong(),WANG Xueping   

  1. School of History and Geography, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, Fujian, China
  • Received:2020-08-18 Revised:2021-02-05 Online:2021-09-25 Published:2021-09-22
  • Contact: Yongchong LIN E-mail:516359455@qq.com;linyongchong@itpcas.ac.cn

Abstract:

Among aeolian landforms, studies on yardang are still lacking, with the amount of quantitative research being particularly inadequate. This lack of research data prevents a better understanding of the evolutionary process of yardang landforms. In order to quantify the morphological characteristics of Bailongdui Yardang in Lop Nur, northwest China, the length, width, and length/width ratio (R value) of 1000 yardangs in four subregions of Bailongdui Yardang were measured and analyzed using data based on a series of remote sensing images. The results show that the characteristics of length, width, and R value are similar in the four subregions. The average length of yardangs is 63.42 m, of which approximately 65% are in the length range from 25.00 m to 75.00 m; their average width is 13.97 m, with approximately 80% existing in the range from 5.00 m to 20.00 m. The average R value is 4.37, with 80% existing in the range between 2.00 and 6.00. Yardangs with similar R value are developed under specific wind field conditions; in the case of those yardangs with an R value of 4.00, the Bailongdui Yardangs were eroded to a stable shape, and this shape is similar for all yardangs developed under specific wind field conditions. Besides the wind, other factors, in particular the stratigraphic lithology, surface salt crust, and extreme arid climate, are also important determining factors in the yardang’s formation.

Key words: yardang, morphology, genesis, Lop Nur