Fluvial incision caused irreversible environmental degradation of an ancient city in the Mu Us Desert, China. Issue 1 (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wen, Penghui; Wang, Nai'ang; Wang, Yixin; Huang, Yinzhou; Cheng, Hongyi; He, Tonghui
• Is Part Of: Quaternary research. Volume 99:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 13
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Environmental degradation, -- Fluvial incision, -- Groundwater decline, -- Mu Us Desert, -- Sanchahe; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Glacial epoch -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; Époque glaciaire -- Périodiques; Geology, Stratigraphic; Glacial epoch; Quaternary Geologic Period; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1017/qua.2020.46
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-5894

Abstract

Abstract: Ancient cities are excellent spatiotemporal indicators for the study of historical human activities and environmental change. The ancient city of Sanchahe is located at the southern margin of the Mu Us Desert, China. It is an ideal location for studying the complex relationships between historical desertification and human activities. Field observations of the ancient city walls, a well, and a spring, as well as 14 C dating, grain size, spatial analysis of archaeological sites, and analyses of historical seismicity, indicated that neotectonics may have contributed to crustal uplift and accelerated fluvial incision of the Wuding River. This rapid incision caused a decline in groundwater levels, which is an important reason for the irreversible environmental degradation around Sanchahe city over the past 800 yr. This study provides new evidence for such environmental degradation and may contribute to a better understanding of historical desertification in the Mu Us Desert.