Provenance studies of aeolian sand in Mu Us Desert based on heavy-mineral analysis

Wang, Zhongyuan; Wu, Yue; Tan, Liangcheng; Fu, Tianyang; Wen, Yanglei; Li, Dawei

doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2019.05.003

Cited by 24 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is important to stress that some authors have proposed that Yellow River fluvial sediments (e.g., Stevens et al, 2013; Nie et al, 2015; Fenn et al, 2017) as well as eolian reworking of preexisting sediments (Kapp et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2019) might contribute significantly to the source materials of the CLP. However, the eolian loess accumulated on the CLP can be dated back to 22 Ma (Guo et al, 2002), but the Yellow River is much younger, mostly with an early Pleistocene age (Yang et al, 2001) or even the late Pleistocene (Zhang et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, the CLP has an area of 640,000 km 2 and loess thicknesses of up to 100–200 m; however, the Mu Us Desert has an area of only 42,000 km 2 that occupies less than 7% of the CLP. Therefore, the eolian reworking of preexisting sediments of the Mu Us Desert might also contribute to the CLP (Kapp et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2019), but such a contribution must be very limited.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many approaches have been used to determine the sediment provenance of Chinese loess, for example, isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) compositions (Gallet et al, 1996; Sun, 2002a, 2005; Rao et al, 2006; Chen et al, 2007; Sun and Zhu, 2010; Zeng et al, 2015), zircon U-Pb ages (Stevens et al, 2010, 2013; Che and Li, 2013; Fenn et al, 2017; Sun et al, 2018), mineralogical methods (Xie and Ding, 2007; Stevens et al, 2013; Wang et al, 2019), and chemical (major and trace elements) characteristics (Zhang et al, 1996; Gallet et al, 1998; Guan et al, 2008; Feng et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Spatiotemporal variations and implications of luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains on the Chinese Loess Plateau since the last interglaciation

Sun

2020

Quat. res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains of desert sands has been used in discriminating provenance, it still remains unclear about its spatiotemporal variations and climatic implications. In this paper, the luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains from the northern margin of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) was studied using single-aliquot optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and “pseudo” single-grain OSL measurements. Our results indicate that the OSL sensitivities have lower values in sand/loess beds and higher values in paleosols. We suggest that the variations in OSL sensitivity of quartz grains with depth on the CLP are mainly influenced by the origin of the quartz grains as they are related to the loess-sized material production processes and the migration of desert regions. More quartz grains of glacial origin with lower luminescence sensitivity, together with the reduced durations of irradiation and exposure cycles induced by shorter transport distance due to desert expansion, account for the lower luminescence sensitivity of glacial periods. Moreover, both the mountain processes and the retreat–advance of deserts are ultimately related to climatic changes, therefore, the orbital scale variations of luminescence sensitivity are controlled by glacial–interglacial oscillations on the CLP.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Spatiotemporal variations and implications of luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains on the Chinese Loess Plateau since the last interglaciation

Sun

2020

Quat. res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This contrasts with the evidence from geochemical and mineralogical provenance studies that indicate that at least some of the loess was derived by deflation of Yellow River fluvial sediments (Stevens et al, 2013). It is likely that this source contributed to the sands of the Mu Us dune field (Licht et al, 2016; Wang et al, 2019) and, via their abrasion, to the loess (Xu et al, 2018). Reworking of preexisting loess deposits (Kapp et al, 2015; Licht et al, 2016) and intercalation of dune sand and loess deposits on the northern margin of the Chinese Loess Plateau (Xu et al, 2018) indicate that loess accumulation and sources likely varied over time (Bird et al, 2015).…”

Section: Sedimentary and Geomorphic Evidence For Desert Loess Provenancementioning

confidence: 99%

On the formation of desert loess

Lancaster

2020

Quat. res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sequences of quartz-rich coarse (20−63 μm) silt occur in many low- and midlatitude unglaciated arid and semiarid areas and have been termed “desert loess.” The processes by which these deposits are generated have been debated for decades. All hypotheses to explain their origin seek to provide mechanisms for the generation of silt-sized material without glacial grinding, which is the main process involved in the production of coarse silt at high latitudes. Possible mechanisms for the formation of coarse silt in arid regions include derivation from preexisting siltstones, mechanical weathering of silicate rocks, and abrasion of sand grains in active dune environments during intense transport events. Examination of the characteristics of desert loess and field and laboratory experiments to assess the role of dune areas as a source of coarse silt by abrasion and/or resuspension of residual fines suggests that many loess sequences are dominated by locally derived coarse silt. Improvements in the characterization of desert loess particle size, mineralogy, and geochemistry are needed, however, to identify sources and sinks of coarse silt, especially when combined with climatic back-trajectory analysis. Properly scaled experiments and modeling of particle collisions will also help to better quantify the effectiveness of abrasion in the generation of coarse silt in support of field observations.

show abstract

“…is region is above 1100-1300 m in elevation, the annual average temperature is between 6.0°C and 8.5°C, and the annual precipitation is between 250 mm and 440 mm [20]. Wang [21] found that the aeolian sand-heavy mineral assemblage in the central and northern parts of the Mu Us Desert is different from that in the southwest part, indicating that the sources of aeolian sand-heavy mineral assemblage are obviously different.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on the Bearing Capacity and Engineering Performance of Aeolian Sand

Xiao

Cai

Pan

et al. 2020

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The climate in the aeolian desert has great differences from that in other regions, generally showing large diurnal temperature differences and extremely dry and low groundwater level characteristics. Therefore, the physical and mechanical characteristics of the sand are different from those of other regions, and it has a loose soil structure, large pores, and a low bearing capacity. To ensure the security and applicability of engineering, it is necessary to study the engineering characteristics of aeolian sand. This paper focuses on the bearing capacity parameters of aeolian sand in the Mu Us Desert, and test sites in 6 weak foundation areas are selected. Large numbers of basic soil mechanical parameters have been collected through in situ static load tests (SLT) and laboratory confined compaction tests (CCT) to evaluate the effect of foundation treatments. The results show that the characteristics of aeolian sand in the Mu Us Desert include low moisture, poor cohesion, and easy compaction. The mud and water content affect the bearing capacity of aeolian sand. For weak foundations, adding a geogrid or replacing a weak soil layer with stone and aeolian sand can significantly improve the bearing capacity.

show abstract

Provenance studies of aeolian sand in Mu Us Desert based on heavy-mineral analysis

Cited by 24 publications

References 36 publications

Spatiotemporal variations and implications of luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains on the Chinese Loess Plateau since the last interglaciation

Spatiotemporal variations and implications of luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains on the Chinese Loess Plateau since the last interglaciation

On the formation of desert loess

Study on the Bearing Capacity and Engineering Performance of Aeolian Sand

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About