Sediment transportation by strong winds over Gobi surfaces: Field observations along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high‐speed railway

Abstract

Under strong wind action over vast Gobi surfaces, eolian transportation can cause significant environmental problems and infrastructural damage. However, scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms and dynamics of this process in the Gobi region remains limited. To address this gap, our study focused on investigating eolian transportation over the Gobi surface along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high‐speed railway (LXHSR) in Northwest China, where strong winds are prevalent. The results indicate that sand transportation heights can reach 9 m in this region, with the saltation layer approximately 3–6 times higher than that of other gravel deserts. The sediment flux density over the Gobi surface exhibited an exponential decrease with increasing elevation; however, the grain‐size vertical profile in wind‐blown sand displayed an increase up to a critical altitude, followed by a decrease with height. The annual eolian transported quantity recorded in this region exceeds that of most deserts worldwide. Notably, fine sand and total suspended particulates (TSP) contributed to approximately 90% of the sediment deposited on railway tracks and drawn in by passing trains. To control transportation of these fine particles, we propose increasing the height of sand‐blocking fences within the current railway wind‐blown sand protection system from 2 to 3 m. Simultaneously, anthropogenic damage to the Gobi surface should be minimized to reduce excessive dust release. This study provides insight into the wind‐blown sand movement mechanism over the Gobi surface under strong winds, and the eolian physics parameters revealed may serve as a theoretical foundation for preventing and managing eolian catastrophes along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high‐speed railway.