库姆塔格沙漠腹地广泛出露含古风成砂的第四纪地层剖面。根据含古风成砂地层剖面的野外调查与地层年代的室内分析结果,并与已有的周边区域地质资料对比分析,库姆塔格沙漠形成至少始于早更新世初,到中更新世晚期285.9±42.9 ka BP沙漠已大面积扩展形成,奠定了现代沙漠环境格局。沙漠最初从西南部开始形成,之后向北和东北扩展。依据梭梭沟地层剖面,沙漠在第四纪演化过程中至少经历了19个沙漠正、逆过程旋回,平均周期约为110 ka。新构造运动对沙漠的形成演化和地貌的形成发育具有重要作用,构造了山间断陷盆地并使其逐渐向封闭的干旱盆地演化形成沙漠,受四周断裂控制沙漠整体形态呈"扫帚状"。分布在沙漠北部的独特砾石体地貌形成于晚更新世末(285.9±42.9)ka BP之后。
The ancient aeolian sand has been regarded as an indicator for the formation and evolution of a desert in the past.Kumtagh Desert is located at the northern fringe of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The first integrated scientific investigation to the desert was carried out during the period of 2004-2006.Kumtagh Desert is an ideal natural model for studying the formation and evolution of the desert because the Quaternary strata containing ancient aeolian sands are widely distributed.The integrated field investigation and studies on sedimentary,chronology and palynology of typical profiles named Suosuo gully,Xiaoquan gully and gravel body with ancient aeolian sand layers showed that Kumtagh Desert was probably formed as early as 2,097.7±314.7 ka BP.During the period of 386.9±58.0 ka BP to 285.9±42.9 ka BP,the desert largely expanded and formed its modern distribution pattern.The desert was originally developed in the southwest,subsequently,expanded to the north and northeast.The sedimentary facies of Suosuo gully profile revealed that the desert experienced at least 19 cycles of advance and inverse processes of desertification with an average period of 110 ka in the Quaternary.The neotectonic movements played an important role in the formation,development and geomorphology of the desert.On one hand,the movements caused the formation of intermontane fault basin,which was further developed towards the closed drought basin,and caused the formation of natural environment.On the other hand,under the control of surrounding faults,the unique broom-shaped desert landscape was formed,and the gullies and sand ridges in this region experienced an abrupt directional change from north by west to north by east at the location of 39°45'-39°55'N.The unique landscape of gravel body that occurred widely in the northern desert was formed after 285.9±42.9 ka BP.The results in this paper provide the scientific basis for studying the formation age and evolutionary process under the dry climate and environment in the northwestern China,and
