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Modern dust aerosol availability in northwestern China
Xunming Wang1,2, Hong Cheng3, Huizheng Che4
1Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. xunming@igsnrr.ac.cn.
Scientific Reports
|August 20, 2017
Summary
Modern dust aerosols in China primarily originate from low-intensity wind processes. Riverbeds dominate dust in Qaidam Basin, while wadis, gobi, and interdunes are key in Tarim Basin and Ala Shan Plateau.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Atmospheric Science
- Geology
Background:
- Understanding dust aerosol sources is crucial for climate and environmental studies.
- Identifying emission magnitudes links dust to broader environmental impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine landscape contributions to dust aerosol availability in key Chinese basins.
- To assess the significance of different regions as modern dust sources.
Main Methods:
- Field sample data collection.
- Wind tunnel experiments.
- Statistical analysis of dust sources.
Main Results:
- Riverbeds are the dominant dust source landscape in the Qaidam Basin.
- Wadis, gobi (stony desert), and interdunes are primary sources in the Ala Shan Plateau and Tarim Basin.
- Most Chinese dust emissions result from low-intensity aeolian processes, not major dust events.
Conclusions:
- The Ala Shan Plateau and Tarim Basin are significant dust sources in northwestern China.
- The Qaidam Basin is not a major modern dust source and has minimal impact on the Loess Plateau.
- Aeolian processes, rather than extreme events, drive contemporary dust aerosol emissions from China.
