Grain Size Characteristics of Sediments Found in Typical Landscapes in the Playa of Ebinur Lake, Arid Central Asia

A playa usually refers to a salt desert landscape mainly composed of loose and fine lacustrine sediments. Severe wind erosion on a playa causes the playa to become a source of dust and salt dust and poses a threat to vast areas downwind. Currently, little is known about the impact of wind erosion on the particle size distribution of sediments in different landscapes in the playa. In the present study, six dominant different landscapes in a natural state with the same sedimentary environment in the playa of Ebinur Lake were selected to provide insights into the different characteristics of particle size distribution under the effect of long-term wind erosion. The results reveal that the grain-size composition clearly differed among different landscapes. All samples had a common dominant size group consisting of very fine sand and sand. The very fine sand and sand content of Haloxylon ammodendron desert zone (LS5) was the lowest, while the clay and silt content was the highest at both depths among the six landscapes. The lowest clay and silt fraction and highest sand fraction appeared in the herbal desert zone (LS3) at both depths. Almost all of the sediment samples were of a bimodal distribution mode, with significant differences. The cumulative curve showed a similar S-shape, while the probability cumulative curve showed an inverted S-shape with three subpopulations of granularity characteristics. The smallest mean particle diameter appeared in LS5. The majority of the sediments were moderately to poorly sorted. The mean particle size of the sediments from the six landscapes was significantly different (p < 0.05), while no significant difference was observed among the other three parameters. Generally, it can be inferred that LS5 can reduce wind speed effectively, probably due to the smaller leaves and dense branches of Haloxylon ammodendron, which results in a high level of coverage. The results of the present study will have some implications for the grain size characteristics for changes in intensity in regional wind erosion environment and will also have some basis for wind erosion prevention and control in the playa of Ebinur Lake.