Ph.D student of Physical Geography (Geomorphology), Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran
Abstract
Yardangs are one of the most amazing geomorphic features of Lut desert, Iran developed in alluvial deposits of Pleistocene. They appear as the streamlined hills that are separated by U-shaped troughs with a flat-topped. The study of yardang’s morphometric parameters is important to define their morphological indices. In This study, we describe the morphology of yardangs in the Lut playa, analyze the wind factor, and discuss their development processes. Up to 132 yardangs have been identified and measured by linear sampling method along 9 transects (with 10 km length) located on digital elevation model (10×10 m) in the Global Mapper software. The obtained results of simple regression showed the central and the northern areas have the maximum correlation respectively between the width and length of yardangs. The length-to-width ratio is close to 3.5:1. The yardangs size and height in the center and north of the region are more than the southern side. This represents further evolution of yardangs where exist in the south and side of region. Wind and water erosion plays a particularly important role in this process.
Ahmadi, H., 2006. Applied Geomorphology Vol. 2, (Desert- Wind Erosion). University of Tehran Press.
Alavipanah, S. K., 2003. Study of Surface Temperature the Lut Desert Based upon Landsat Thermal Band and Field Measurement. Biaban, 7; 67-79.
Alavipanah, S. K., M. Saradjian, G.R. Savaghebi, Ch.B. Komaki, E. Moghimi, M.K. Reyhan, 2007. Land Surface Temperature in the Yardang Region of Lut Desert (Iran) Based on Field Measurements and Landsat Thermal Data. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 9; 287-303.
Ami, J., S. Desai, V. S. Murty, 2016. Morphology of Yardangs Within Nicholson Crater, Mars: Records of Past Fluvial and Aeolian Activities, Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, 44; 933–948.
Carling, P. A, 2013. Subaqueous “Yardangs”: Analogs for aeolian Yardang evolution. The Journal of Geophysical Research, 118; 276-287.
Cooke, R., A. Warren, A.S. Goudie, 1993. Desert Geomorphology. UCL Press, London.
Dong, R., Z. Dong, 2015. Aesthetic evaluation of Yardang landforms landscape: the Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park Example, Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 7; 265-271.
Dong, Zh., P. Lv, J. Lu, G. Qian, Z. Zhang, W. Luo, 2012. Geomorphology and origin of Yardangs in the Kumtagh Desert, Northwest China. Geomorphology, 139; 145–154.
Ehsani, A.H., 2009. Self-Organizing Map and SRTM: Application in Yardangs Identification. Remote Sensing of Environment, 112; 3284-3294.
Ehsani, A.H., F. Quiel, 2009. DEM-based analysis of morphometric features in humid and hyper-arid environments using artificiel neural network. Desert, 14; 71-82.
Ehsani, A.H., F. Quiel, 2008. Application of Self Organizing Map and SRTMdata to characterize Yardangs in the Lut Desert, Iran. Remote Sensing of Environment, 112; 3284–3294.
Goudie, A., P. Kent, H. Viles, 2016. Pan morphology, Distribution and formation in Kazakhstan and Neighbouring areas of the Russian federation. Desert, 21;1-13.
Goudie, A., S. Stokes, J. Cook, S. Samieh, O.A. El- Rashidi, 1999. Yardang landforms from Kharga Oasis, south-western Egypt. Zeitschrift für Geomorphology, 116; 97–112.
Goudie, A.S., 2007. Mega-Yardangs: A global analysis. Geography Compass, 1; 65-81.
Grolier, M.J., J.F. McCauley, C.S. Breed, N.S. Embabi, 1980. Yardangs of the Western Desert. Geographical Journal, 135; 191–212.
Guo, F., J.G. Wu, X. Wang, 2012. Feasibility study on declaration of the world natural heritage for China Yardang landforms. Journal of Desert Research, 32; 655-660.
Gutiérrez-Elorza, M., G. Desir, F. Gutiérrez-Santolalla, 2002. Yardangs in the semiarid central sector of the Ebro Depression (NE Spain). Geomorphology, 44; 155–170.
Halimov, M., F. Fezer, 1989. Eight Yardang types in Central Asia. Z.Geomorphol. 33; 205– 217.
Halimov, M., F. Fezer, 1989. Eight Yardang types in Central Asia. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 33; 205–217.
Hedin, S., 1903. Central Asia and Tibet. Charles Scribner and Sons, New York, vol.2, 608 p. In the Lut Desert, Iran, Geomantic conference, 1-13. Krinsley, D.H., 1970. A geomorphological and paleoclimatological study of the playas of Iran. USGS Final Scientific Report, Contract, PROCP, 700-800.
Laity, J.E., 2009. Landforms, landscapes, and processes of Aeolian erosion, In: Parsons, A.J., Abrahams, A.D. (Eds.), Geomorphology of Desert Environments, 2nd ed., Springer, Berlin.
Mahmoodi, F.A., 1971. Geographical reports about natural problems of Loot plain. Geographic Institute, University of Tehran. No 7.
Mainguet, M., 1968. Le Borkou, aspects d’un modele´ e´olien. An. Ge´ogr., 77; 296– 322.
Mainguet, M., 1972. Le Modele´ des Gre`s. Proble`mes ge´ne´raux. Institute Ge´ographique Nationale, Paris, 657 p.
Mainguet, M., 1983. Tentative mega-morphological study of the Sahara. Mega-geomorphology- Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK.
Mashhadi, N., S.K. Alavipanah, H. Ahmadi, 2003. Geomorphology Studies of Lut Yardang. Biaban, 7; 25-43
Masoodian, S. A., 2014, Sistan’s 120 Days Wind, Journal of Applied Climatology, 1; 37-46.
McCauley, J.F., M.J. Grolier, C.S. Breed., 1977. Yardangs in Geomorphology in arid regions, edited by D.O. Doehring. In Proceedings, 8th Annual Geomorphology Symposium, Binghamton, NY, 233- 272 pp.
Mildrexler, D. J., M. Zhao, F. A. Heinsch, S. W. Running., 2007. A new satellite based methodology for continental scale disturbance detection, Ecol. Appl., 17; 235-250.
Moghimi, E. 2005. Winds system and dynamic based on deposition and erosion forms in Lut plain (DASHTE- LUT). Desert, 11; 177-186.
Mousavi, S.H., 2015. Statistical analysis of Kluts morphometric parameters of Lut desert. Quantitative Geomorphological Researches, 4; 105-120.
Sebe, K., G. Csillag, Z. Ruszkiczay-Rüdiger, L. Fodor, E. Thamó-Bozsó, P. Müller, R. Régis Braucher, 2011. Wind erosion under cold climat: a Pleistocene periglacial mega-Yardang system in Central Europe (Western Pannonian Basin, Hungary). Geomorphology, 134; 470–482.
Ward, A.W., R. Greeley, 1984. Evolution of the
Yardangs at Rogers Lake, California. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 95; 829–837.
Webster, M., 2002. "Yardang." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam, web link.
Whitney, M.I., 1978. The role of vorticity in developing lineation by wind erosion. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 89; 1–18.
Whitney, M.I., 1983. Eolian features shaped by aerodynamic and vorticity processes. In: Brookfield, M.E., Ahlbrandt, T.S. (Eds.), Eolian Sediments and Processes. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 223–245pp.
Zimbelman, J.R., L.J. Griffin, 2010. HiRISE images of Yardangs and sinuous ridges in the lower member of the Medusae Fossae Formation, Mars. Icarus, 205; 198–210.
Top