RESEARCH PROGRESS OF QUATERNARY ENVIRONMENT OF BADAIN JARAN DESERT

The Badain Jaran desert, located in west China, is the third largest desert in China and the only one in which megadunes are densely distributed. There are also hundreds of lakes in the desert. Quaternary environment evolution of the desert was controlled by the East Asia monsoon, which renders significant influence on the formation and evolution of the megadunes and lakes. Therefore, the Quaternary environment of the desert has always been a hot topic of debate, especially among the Quaternary and Hydrology researchers. In this paper we reviewed previous studies with emphasis on the calcareous rhizolith, calcareous layers, and lacustrine sediments formed in humid environment. A few drilling cores and stratigraphic sections are studied. Previous studies indicate that there are four humid phases, in MIS13-15, MIS5, MIS3? and the early and middle Holocene respectively in the Badain Jaran desert. In the existing studies, little is known about the existence of MIS3, the accuracy of ¹⁴C dating and the origin of rhizolith and calcareous layers. For better dealing with the desert formation, lake salinization, as well as other Quantary and hydro-geological problems in the Badain Jaran Desert, we suggest strengthening continuous and long-term researches on the drill core and lacustrine deposits.