Holocene high lake-levels and pan-lake period on Badain Jaran Desert

Abstract

Many lakes exist in southeastern Badain Jaran Desert and its hinterland, including 110 perennial lakes and some seasonal or extinct lakes. Geomorphological, sedimentological, and bioglyph evidence obtained from field investigations on Badain Jaran Desert lake group, alongside measurements and dating performed on lake relic, prove that these lakes expanded while the climate was relatively wet during early and middle Holocene. The dating results suggest that the pan-lake period of the Badain Jaran Desert began at 10 cal kyr BP, before which the limnic peat period occurred (11-10 cal kyr BP). Many lakes reached their maximal water-level during 8.6-6.3 cal kyr BP and retreated or dried up in the late Holocene (about 3.5-0 cal kyr BP). During that period, the precipitation at Badain Jaran Desert may have reached 200 mm yr 1 for 7.7-5.3 cal kyr BP, inferred from both the age and precipitation rate of calcareous root tubes. The water balance calculation shows that wetter and warmer climate and the increase of underground water recharge were key factors in maintaining and developing the lake group at both centennial and millennial time scales. Furthermore, lake surface expansion and the increasing fresh water availability set the background for the prosperous prehistoric culture.

The paleoenvironmental significance of spatial distributions of grain size in groundwater‐recharged lakes: A case study in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert, northwest China

“…The other possibility is that the lakes are relatively small. In the Badain Jaran Desert, the largest lake area is approximately 2.32 km 2 (Wang et al ., ), and five lakes have areas between 0.07 km 2 and 1.27 km 2 (Table ). Thus, wave energy is weak, resulting in a small effect on sediment deposition.…”

“…There are a total of 110 closed inland lakes lying between mega dunes in the south‐eastern Badain Jaran Desert (Wang et al ., ). These lakes in the hinterland are recharged by groundwater but not by surface runoff, due to the extremely low precipitation and high potential evaporation (Ma et al ., ).…”

“…Although there is an ongoing debate regarding the origin of this groundwater (Chen et al ., ; Yang et al ., ), deep phreatic water is likely the main replenishment source but not local precipitation (Dong et al ., ), resulting in lakes having variable amounts of total dissolved solids (TDS) (Wu et al ., ). Lakes are usually less than 1 km 2 , and the largest lake is Buerde Lake with an area of 2.32 km 2 (Wang et al ., ).…”

Environmental Significance of the Chemical Composition of Sediments in Groundwater‐Recharged Lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert, NW China

“…Compared with other deserts in China, the Badain Jaran Desert is characterized by the existence of mega dunes, and the presence of 110 hydrologically closed lakes that lack inputs of surface runoff and lie between mega dunes in its southeastern region because of the extremely low precipitation and high potential evaporation (Dong et al, ). Deep phreatic water is suggested to be the primary recharge source of the lake group, which may originate from a nearby fracture zone (Dong et al, ; N. Wang et al, ). Total dissolved solids (TDSs) values in groundwater were between 0.62 and 0.92 g/L among different regions in the desert, and the hydrochemical types were also complicated, including Na‐HCO 3 ‐Cl‐SO 4 and Na‐Ca‐(Mg)‐HCO 3 ‐Cl‐(SO 4 ) (L. Chen et al, ).…”

Water Loss Due to Increasing Planted Vegetation over the Badain Jaran Desert, China

“…By contrast, all the springs and groundwater from the deep wells are fresh water with the TDS below 1 g/L, and serve as critical water sources for the animals and humans living in the desert. Terrestrial vegetation is distributed like belts around the lake shores with areal extents of more than 100 m. With increasing distance from the lake shores, the depth of groundwater deepens gradually and vegetation coverage decreases accordingly [46].…”