The Effects of Wind Regime and Sand Supply on the Coexistence of Barchans and Linear Dunes in China’s Qaidam Basin

Dunes composed of granular materials are present in deserts and other environments, such as subaqueous environments on planets, with very different time length scales for their evolution. In arid regions, barchans (transverse dunes) develop under a unimodal wind regime, oriented perpendicular to the sand transport direction, whereas linear (longitudinal) dunes bimodal regime parallel direction. However, field survey results cannot be explained solely by because can coexist same regime. Here, we investigated China’s Qaidam Basin, where coexist. We measured dune morphology, analyzed data, quantified supply (equivalent thickness) describe development environment, focused effect explore combined effects coexistence dunes. our study area, had low heights. The was narrowly bimodal, directional variability. limited (low equivalent thickness), but greater barchan chains than barchans, smallest supply; thickness areas half that one-quarter chain areas. Except presence topographical barriers cohesive sediments, or an acute angle allows supply. migrated along resultant drift Though studied aeolian dunes, these findings will increase understanding similar bedforms planetary (e.g., Mars).