Underlying surface characteristics and observation of blown-sand movement in Ulanbuh Desert along Bank of Yellow River

To understand the characteristic of the surface and the blown-sand movement of the Ulanbuh Desert along the Yellow River bank, the dune formations, sand particle granularity, sand flux and aeolian saltation structures were analyzed, and the results were displayed. 1) The rate of width to height of the transversal dunes in this area was about 12.75. 2) The mean sand particle diameter, sorting coefficient and skewness were decreased from the inter-dunes to the slip face; the grain size distribution on different positions of dune were all displayed positively biased and narrow unimodal. 3) Whether the wind speed exceed the threshold wind velocity, only the wind profile above the inter-dunes and that above the dune crest followed the logarithmic functions. In most of situations, the wind profile above the foot of stoss slope followed the power functions. The distributed functions of wind profile above the slip face and that above the foot of lee slope showed a chaotic situation. 4) In strong wind and gentle wind environment, the wind velocity were decelerated from the inter-dunes to the foot of stoss slope, accelerated from the foot of stoss slope to the dune crest, decelerated from the dune crest to the slip face again, and then accelerated from the slip face to the foot of lee slope. 5) More violent blown-sand movement displayed on the dune crest. More than 90% sand transport in aeolian saltation cloud concentrated below the height of 10 cm, and the profiles of aeolian cloud at different positions of dune followed the cubic functions. 6) There is a close feedback relationship existing between the surface and the blown-sand movement. At last, based on the observation, some suggestions for building proper aeolian hazard protection system in the Ulanbuh Desert along the Yellow River were proposed. This study can provide a reference for prevention of the aeolian hazard in this region.