Scientists Find Impact Factors on Sand Hazards along Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Nov 04, 2014     Email"> PrintText Size

The movement of the earth’s crust along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway made the rock breaking and soil loosing. Besides, due to the high altitude, frigid climate and large difference in temperature, the freeze thawing and weathering were very intense, which produced a large amount of rock debris and silver sands, and it provided abundant material sources for wind and sand activities. 

Scientists from Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAREERI) studied the types, distributions, characteristics and influences of the wind-sand hazard along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and provided theoretical basis for the sand prevention.

The landforms along Qinghai-Tibet Railway are complex and multiple, which made a distinct climate difference, and numerous rivers and lakes. It also has important impact on material sources and distribution of the railway sand hazards. The types, distributions and characteristics of landform, climate and hydrology along the railway were researched by field investigation, and it was discovered that the sources of sand materials are abundance along Qinghai-Tibet railway.  

The sand hazard is mainly distributed in valley and basin sections, and mainly occurred in winter and spring, the sand hazard in west side of railway is more serious than the east side. Aiming to deepen understanding the laws of sand hazards, this research provided the basis for controlling the sand hazards along the Qinghai-Tibet railway. 

It is showed that the sand source of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is multiple. Sand hazards distribute the sections along the river valleys and basins. In spring and winter, the sand hazard along the west side of railway is more serious than east side. 

This research is financially supported by the Youth Talents Fund of CAREERI (51Y351121), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40930741) and the Main Direction Program of Knowledge Innovation of CAS (KZCX2-YW-329). This research achievement has been published on the Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment Vol. 28, No. 10.