Geomorphic pattern and genesis of compound longitudinal dunes in the central-eastern Taklamakan Desert

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00158

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (3): 54-65.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00158

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Geomorphic pattern and genesis of compound longitudinal dunes in the central-eastern Taklamakan Desert

Kaijia Pan¹^,²(), Zhengcai Zhang³(), Guangqiang Qian¹

^1.State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands，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.School of Geography and Tourism / Key Laboratory of Qian Xuesen Deserticulture of Shaanxi Higher Education Institute，Shaanxi Normal University，Xi'an 710119，China

Received:2025-10-10 Revised:2025-10-24 Online:2026-05-20 Published:2026-06-11
Contact: Zhengcai Zhang

Abstract

Abstract:

The Taklamakan Desert is the largest desert in China and the second largest mobile desert globally， boasts diverse dune types. Typical compound longitudinal dunes are widely developed in its central-eastern region， exhibiting distinct spatial differentiation. However， systematic and in-depth studies on the morphological characteristics and formation mechanisms of these dunes remain insufficient. The key morphological parameters （e.g.， crestline length， spacing， and defect density） of compound longitudinal dunes covering 186 000 km² in the study area were extracted to systematically analyze their macro-geomorphic pattern. Results show that compound longitudinal dunes in the eastern Taklamakan Desert present a pattern of short crestline， wide spacing， high height， and low defect density， while those in the central region feature long crestline， narrow spacing， low height， and low defect density. The geomorphic patterns of compound longitudinal dunes in the central-eastern region are mainly influenced by wind regime and sand source， with their weights varying by parameter. Crestline length is primarily controlled by the interaction between resultant drift potential （RDP） and distance to rivers （q=0.42）； the interaction between RDP and wind direction （q=0.27） exerts the greatest impact on spacing； height variation is dominated by the interaction between drift potential （DP） and sediment thickness （q=0.60）； crestline orientation depends on the DP and wind direction （q=0.54）； and defect density relies on DP and EST （q=0.20）. This study deepens the understanding of the coupling mechanism between the morphology and process of compound longitudinal dunes at the macro-pattern level， enriches the research scope of aeolian geomorphology， supplements the research on the formation and evolution of compound longitudinal dunes， and provides a reference for aeolian disaster prevention and geomorphic regionalization.

Key words: Taklamakan Desert, compound longitudinal dunes, dune landform pattern, sediment potential, sand sources

CLC Number:

P931.3

Kaijia Pan, Zhengcai Zhang, Guangqiang Qian. Geomorphic pattern and genesis of compound longitudinal dunes in the central-eastern Taklamakan Desert[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2026, 46(3): 54-65.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig.1 Location of the study area and the typical aeolian geomorphology in the central-eastern Taklamakan Desert， China

Fig.2 Distribution of the compound longitudinal dunes in different regions of the study area

Fig.3 Morphological parameters of the compound longitudinal dunes in different regions of the study area

Fig.4 Spatial distribution of the morphological parameters of compound longitudinal dunes in different regions of the study area

Fig.5 The relationship among the morphological parameters of compound longitudinal dunes in different regions of the study area

Fig.6 Distribution of the wind speed （WS） and wind direction （WD）

Fig.7 Average wind speed and direction from 1980 to 2025 （A）， and spatial distribution of the angle between crestlines and wind direction（B）

Fig.8 Spatial distribution of DP， RDP， and their regression coefficients with morphological parameters based on GWR model

Fig.9 Spatial distribution of sand source， distance to rivers， and their relationships with height

Fig.10 The q values among the variables and morphological parameters of compound longitudinal dunes

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Geomorphic pattern and genesis of compound longitudinal dunes in the central-eastern Taklamakan Desert

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