Advances in Earth Science ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5): 521-533. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2026.035

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Study on the Distribution Characteristics of Aeolian Sediments on the Ice Surface of Qinghai Lake in 2022-2023 Based on Sentinel-2

Yuxuan Wang(), Guangyin Hu(), Jie Gao   

  1. School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
  • Received:2026-02-27 Revised:2026-04-27 Online:2026-05-10 Published:2026-07-22
  • Contact: Guangyin Hu E-mail:yxwang@snnu.edu.cn;guangyinhu@snnu.edu.cn
  • About author:Wang Yuxuan, research areas include remote sensing monitoring of aeolian processes. E-mail: yxwang@snnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    the Science and Technology Projects of Xizang Autonomous Region, China(XZ202601ZY0184);The National Natural Science Foundation of China(42071004)

Yuxuan Wang, Guangyin Hu, Jie Gao. Study on the Distribution Characteristics of Aeolian Sediments on the Ice Surface of Qinghai Lake in 2022-2023 Based on Sentinel-2[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2026, 41(5): 521-533.

On the Tibetan Plateau, winter and spring are characterized by low temperatures and frequent sand and dust storms, which often lead to the deposition of aeolian sediments on the ice surfaces of frozen lakes. Due to the complex lakeshore environment, the spatial distribution of aeolian sediments on the ice surface exhibits pronounced heterogeneity. To investigate the spatial distribution and migration patterns of aeolian sediments on the ice surface and to analyze the influencing factors, Qinghai Lake was selected as the study area. Based on Sentinel-2 imagery from December 2022 to April 2023, combined with the New Water Index (NWI) and the Normalized Difference Sandy Land Index (NDSLI), aeolian sediments on the ice surface were identified and extracted. The results indicate that aeolian sediments on the ice surface of Qinghai Lake are mainly distributed on the downwind ice surfaces of Gahai Lake, Shadao Lake-Haiyan Bay, and Erlangjian Sand Spit in the eastern part of the lake, as well as the downwind ice surfaces of the Buha River estuary, Heima River estuary, and Garila Village in the western part of the lake. During the ice-covered period, the area covered by sediment increased continuously, from 7.32 km2 (approximately 0.16% of the total lake area) in the early deposition stage to 91.75 km2 (approximately 2.00%) in the later stage. Combined with sand-driving wind data, the results show that during the ice-covered period dominated by northwesterly winds, nearshore sediment sources continuously supply sand and dust to the downwind ice surface. This suggests that the spatial distribution of aeolian sediments on the ice surface of Qinghai Lake is closely linked to the upwind lakeshore environment. During transport, aeolian sediments mix with accumulated snow under wind action, forming mixed niveo-aeolian deposits, which further increases the difficulty of identification using current remote sensing techniques.

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