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Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2024, Vol. 16 Issue (5): 632-653    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-024-0015-1
Research article     
Grain size and surface micro-texture characteristics and their paleoenvironmental significance of Holocene sediment in southern margin of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China
MA Yunqiang1,2, LI Zhizhong1,2,3,*(), TAN Dianjia1,2, ZOU Xiaojun1,2, TAO Tonglian1,2
1School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
2Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
3Institute of Geography, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
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Abstract  

The southern margin of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China, is characterized by alternating layers of aeolian and alluvial deposits. Investigating the characteristics of arenaceous sediment in this area is of significant importance for understanding the interactive processes of wind and water forces, as well as the provenance of sediment. However, there are relatively few investigations on the characteristics of such sediment at present. In this study, we researched three aeolian-alluvial interactive stratigraphic profiles and different types of surface sediment on the desert-oasis transitional zone of southern margin of the Gurbantunggut Desert. Based on the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of aeolian sand and analyses of quartz sand grain size and surface micro-texture, we explored the aeolian-alluvial environmental change at southern margin of the desert in Holocene, as well as the provenance of sediment. The results indicated that the grain size characteristics of different types of sediment in the stratigraphic profiles were similar to those of modern dune sand, interdune sand, muddy desert surface soil, and riverbed sand. Their frequency curves were unimodal or bimodal, and cumulative probability curves were two-segment or three-segment, mainly composed of suspension load and saltation load. The quartz sand in the sediment at southern margin of the desert had undergone alternating transformation of various exogenic forces, with short transportation distance and time, and sedimentary environment was relatively humid. In Holocene, southern margin of the desert primarily featured braided river deposits, and during intermittent period of river activity, there were also aeolian deposits such as sand sheet deposits, stabilized dune deposits, and mobile dune deposits. The provenance for Holocene alluvial deposits at southern margin of the desert remains relatively constant, with the debris of the Tianshan Mountains being the primary provenance. Aeolian sand is mainly near-source recharge, which is formed by in situ deposition of fluvial or lacustrine materials in southern margin of the desert transported by wind erosion, and its provenance was still the weathered debris of the Tianshan Mountains. In addition, the sand in interior of the desert may be transported by northwest wind in desert-scale, thus affecting the development of dunes in southern margin of the desert. The results of this study provide a reference for understanding the composition and provenance changes of desert sand in the context of global climate change.

Key words： aeolian-alluvial deposition      grain size      surface micro-texture      sedimentary environment      Holocene     
Received: 18 November 2023      Published: 31 May 2024
Corresponding Authors: *LI Zhizhong (E-mail: lizz@fjnu.edu.cn)
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MA Yunqiang
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MA Yunqiang, LI Zhizhong, TAN Dianjia, ZOU Xiaojun, TAO Tonglian. Grain size and surface micro-texture characteristics and their paleoenvironmental significance of Holocene sediment in southern margin of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China. Journal of Arid Land, 2024, 16(5): 632-653.

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http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-024-0015-1     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2024/V16/I5/632

Fig. 1 Overview of the study area and sampling locations. XM, MG, and XQ are three study profiles.
Profile Depth (m) Color Granularity Structure
MG 0-70 Reddish-brown Silty clay Massive structure
70-130 Reddish-brown, pale-yellow Silty clay, silt Massive structure
130-185 Grey-yellow Very fine sand Cross-bedding
185-295 Grey-yellow, reddish-brown Very fine sand, silty clay Horizontal bedding
295-365 Reddish-brown Silty clay Massive structure
XM 0-30 Light-yellow Clayish silt Wavy bedding
30-115 Reddish-brown Silty clay Massive structure
115-145 Light-gray Silt Horizontal bedding
145-240 Light-green Silt Asymmetrical ripple, cross-bedding
240-355 Gray Fine sand Cross-bedding
XQ 0-142 Dark-yellow, purple-red Very fine sand, clayish silt Horizontal bedding, massive structure
142-305 Gray-green Silt Sandy iron-manganese rusty spot
305-425 Gray Fine sand Trough cross-bedding
Table 1 Lithologic characteristics of study profile
Fig. 2 Photos and lithological columns of study profiles. (a), MG profile; (b), XM profile; (c), XQ profile. OSL, optically stimulated luminescence.
Sample
number		 Depth
(m)		 U
(µg/g)		 Th
(µg/g)		 K
(µg/g)		 Water
content (%)		 Grain size
(µm)		 Procedure D
(Gy/ka)		 De
(Gy)		 Age
(ka)
XM1 2.60 1.44±0.05 5.47±0.05 2.08±0.01 5±1 63-125 SAR 2.78±0.04 12.95±4.17 4.66±1.50
XM2 3.00 1.37±0.05 4.74±0.05 2.06±0.01 5±1 63-125 SAR 2.71±0.04 13.04±3.19 4.82±1.18
XM3 3.50 1.43±0.05 4.98±0.05 2.09±0.01 5±1 63-125 SAR 2.77±0.04 13.81±1.30 4.99±0.47
MG1 0.55 3.57±0.04 12.3±0.15 2.45±0.02 5±5 4-11 SMAR 5.04±0.37 8.74±0.40 1.73±0.15
MG2 1.55 2.54±0.05 9.52±0.09 2.07±0.02 5±5 90-125 SAR 3.34±0.14 8.15±0.18 2.44±0.12
MG3 2.50 2.27±0.04 7.78±0.15 2.06±0.02 5±5 4-11 SMAR 3.72±0.28 9.06±0.39 2.43±0.21
MG4 2.75 2.57±0.04 8.50±0.16 2.05±0.02 5±5 4-11 SMAR 3.88±0.29 9.33±0.20 2.41±0.19
MG5 3.10 3.52±0.10 11.6±0.30 2.24±0.01 5±5 4-11 SMAR 4.69±0.35 10.53±0.85 2.25±0.25
XQ1 0.66 1.51±0.01 7.78±0.10 1.91±0.02 5±5 90-125 SAR 2.87±0.12 11.48±0.76 4.01±0.31
XQ2 1.26 1.24±0.01 5.25±0.09 2.01±0.01 5±5 90-125 SAR 2.72±0.11 15.65±1.06 5.76±0.46
XQ3 3.25 1.02±0.01 3.51±0.02 1.63±0.02 5±5 90-125 SAR 2.14±0.09 23.08±0.80 10.79±0.59
XQ4 4.05 0.94±0.01 3.02±0.03 1.75±0.01 5±5 90-125 SAR 2.19±0.09 24.32±1.27 11.11±0.75
Table 2 Chronology and related parameters of the OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating samples in study profiles
Fig. 3 Grain size composition of different types of surface sediment from DS, IS, MD, and RB. DS, dune sand; IS, interdune sand; MD, muddy desert surface soil; RB, riverbed sand. The abbreviations are the same in the following figures.
Fig. 4 Frequency curves (a-d), cumulative probability curves (e-h), and granulometric parameters (i-l) of different types of surface sediment from DS, IS, MD, and RB
Fig. 5 Variations of grain size components of sediment with depth in study profiles. (a), MG profile; (b), XM profile; (c), XQ profile.
Fig. 6 Granulometric end-member (EM) analysis results of study profiles. (a)-(c) are linear correlation coefficients; (d)-(f) are angle deviations. Boxes indicate the IQR (interquartile range, 75th to 25th of the data). The median value is shown as a line within the box. Lines extend to the most extreme value within 1.5×IQR. Outlier is shown as whisker.
Fig. 7 Variations of EMs of sediment with depth in study profiles. (a), MG profile; (b), XM profile; (c), XQ profile.
Fig. 8 Granulometric diagram of EMs in the study profiles. Y, clay; T, silt; S, sand; TY, silty clay; YT, clayish silt; ST, sandy silt; TS, silty sand; YS, clayish sand; SY, sandy clay.
Fig. 9 Frequency curves (a-c), cumulative probability curves (d-f), and grain size parameters scatter plots (g-i) of EMs in MG, XM, and XQ profiles
Sample type Shape Roundness
Circular
(%)		 Square
(%)		 Rectangular
(%)		 Triangular
(%)		 Rounded
(%)		 Subrounded
(%)		 Subangular
(%)		 Angular
(%)
DS 75.51 14.29 8.16 2.04 22.00 46.00 24.00 8.00
IS 49.02 35.29 7.84 5.88 14.00 24.00 32.00 30.00
MD 28.00 34.00 30.00 8.00 5.77 17.31 32.69 44.23
RB 15.84 44.55 15.84 23.76 0.00 3.92 18.63 77.45
MG diluvial sand 28.95 31.58 28.95 10.53 6.25 28.12 56.25 9.38
MG aeolian sand 38.24 32.36 23.53 8.82 6.25 37.50 46.87 9.38
MG floodplain sand 2.94 44.12 29.41 23.53 2.70 8.11 27.03 62.16
XM diluvial sand 32.08 35.85 20.75 11.32 5.17 18.97 41.38 34.48
XM floodplain sand 12.24 46.94 30.61 10.20 2.13 6.38 44.68 46.81
XM stabilized dune sand 41.18 29.41 23.53 5.88 8.77 43.86 40.35 7.02
XM mobile dune 58.00 20.00 20.00 2.00 16.98 49.06 32.07 1.89
XQ aeolian sand 54.05 21.62 14.86 9.46 16.42 43.28 37.31 2.99
XQ diluvial sand 35.00 40.00 18.33 6.67 20.34 49.16 28.81 1.69
XQ limnic sand 38.46 29.06 23.08 9.40 2.58 24.14 40.52 32.76
XQ riverbed sand 68.09 15.96 13.83 2.13 15.38 48.35 31.87 4.40
Table 3 Frequency of shape and roundness of quartz sand grains for surface sediment and stratigraphic sediment in study profiles
Fig. 10 Frequency of surface micro-texture of quartz sand grains for surface sediment and stratigraphic sediment in study profiles. (a), surface sediment; (b), MG profile; (c), XM profile; (d), XQ profile. 1, pockmarked pit; 2, circular and dish-shaped pit; 3, crescent-shaped impact crater; 4, sinuous ridge; 5, triangular pit; 6, V-shaped pit; 7, straight and bent impact groove; 8, subaqueous polished surface; 9, cleavage plane; 10, conchoidal fracture; 11, stria; 12, deep extrusion pit; 13, triangular and V-shaped flute; 14, siliceous sphere; 15, siliceous scale; 16, siliceous precipitation; 17, crack; 18, etch pit.
Fig. 11 Surface micro-textures of quartz sand grains for different types of surface sediment in the study area. The micro-texture type corresponding to the number is shown in Figure 10. (a1-a4), DS; (b1-b4), IS; (c1-c4), MD; (d1-d4), RB.
Fig. 12 Surface micro-texture of quartz sand grains for different types of sediment in study profiles. The micro-texture type corresponding to the number is shown in Figure 10. (a1-a6), MG profile; (b1-b6), XM profile; (c1-c8), XQ profile.
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