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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (1): 119-121.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2023.00069

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A case study on determining the migration speed of barchans based on carbon-14 dating

Chenchen He1,2(), Zhenting Wang1(), Zongli Wang3   

  1. 1.Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    2.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China
    3.MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730000,China
  • Received:2023-04-05 Revised:2023-06-29 Online:2024-01-20 Published:2023-12-26
  • Contact: Zhenting Wang

Abstract:

In the migration of active dunes, small psammophytes often die while being buried by the lee of the dune, and subsequently plant residues appear at the toe of the windward because of wind erosion. The mean migration speed of the dune during this time can be computed according to the death time measured by carbon-14 dating and the horizontal distance from the windward toe to the lee edge along the migration direction. Based upon this principle and selecting the residues of shrub stems as dating materials, the migration speeds of three barchans at the upwind marginal area of the Minqin oasis are obtained. Compared with the more accurate results given by the interpretation of remote sensing images, it is found that carbon-14 dating can successfully determine the maximum time-averaged migration speed of barchans during several decades.

Key words: barchans, migration speed, plant residue, carbon-14 dating

CLC Number: