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1984 | Book

The desert in the space age Read chapter Read first chapter

Deserts and arid lands

Editor: Farouk El-Baz

Publisher: Springer Netherlands

Book Series : Remote Sensing of Earth Resources and Environment

Included in: Professional Book Archive

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About this book

Remote sensing is the study of a region from a distance, particularly from an airplane or a spacecraft. It is a tool that can be used in conjunction with other methods of research and investigation. This tool is especially applicable to the study of the deserts and arid lands of the Earth because of their immense size and their inaccessibility to detailed study by conventional means. In this book examples are given of the utility of aerial photographs and space images in the study of semi-arid, arid, and hyper-arid terrains. Emphasis is placed on the physical features and terrain types using examples from around the world. The authors I have called upon to prepare each chapter are renowned specialists whose contributions have received international recognition. To the general reader, this book is a review of our knowledge of the relatively dry parts of the Earth, their classification and varied features, their evolution in space and time, and their development potentials. To the specialist, it is a detailed account of the deserts and arid lands, not only in North America, but also their relatively unknown counterparts in North Africa, Australia, China, India, and Arabia.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
1. The desert in the space age
Abstract
The scarcity of basic information on the arid lands of the Earth has resulted in part from the difficulty and harshness of desert travel. Space photographs and images provide a new tool to study desert features and select areas for detailed field investigation. Color photographs obtained by the astronauts clearly depict variations, which are indicative of the chemical makeup of desert surfaces. Landsat images are useful in the study of temporal changes because of the repeated coverage of the same area at the same scale. Orbital photographs and images show the sand distribution patterns in desert areas and the effect on dune morphology of local topographic variations. Examples are given particularly from the Western Desert of Egypt, the driest part of the North African Sahara. Space age technology also allows the use of automated stations to gather meteorologic data in remote and inaccessible regions. Such advances help us to better understand the deserts of the Earth and better interpret similar terrains on the surface of Mars.
Farouk El-Baz
2. A classification of dunes based on aeolian dynamics and the sand budget
Abstract
A dune is usually defined as an accumulation of loose particles, deposited or reworked by the wind, with diameters varying from two or three milimeters to tens of micrometers. In fluvial environments (in seas, lakes or river streams) one can also find accumulations of loose particles deposited or reworked by the water, which are analogous to aeolian edifices. However, such banks of clay, sand ridges, and under water ripple marks, up to 30 m in height, cannot be considered as dunes because of the lack of sharp crests.
Monique Mainguet
3. Space observation of Saharan aeolian dynamics
Abstract
With images provided by satellites, a new analytical tool for observing the landscape of a region is now at our disposal. In the field of aeolian dynamics, satellite data have provided a new means for the study of sand seas and the interpretation of the direction of sand transport. These newly perceived relation-ships between the Sahara and surrounding climatic zones and the dynamics between the Sahara and its semi-arid margins are discussed in this chapter.
Monique Mainguet
4. Landforms of the Australian deserts
Abstract
The major relief features of arid Australia are explicable in terms of large-scale geologic structure and tectonic history, whereas the patterns and status of the main depositional landforms are more attributable to past and present-day climates and to the dependant geomorphic processes.
J. A. Mabbutt
5. The sandy deserts and the gobi of China
Abstract
Sandy deserts are widely distributed in northern and northwestern China, along with numerous gobi plains. (The term’gobi’ is a Mongolian word that denotes all the deserts and semi-deserts in the Mongolian Plateau. In China, the word’gobi’ is used to describe deserts and semi-deserts paved with gravel or rock debris, while’shamo’ is restricted to sandy deserts.) These deserts occupy a total area of about 1,095,000 km2, of which about 637,000 km2 are sandy desert and 458,000 km2 are gobi. They account for 11.5% of the total land area of China. Although some of these lands are rich in resources, natural hazards such as drought and aeolian erosion frequently occur. This chapter is a study of the origin and evolution of the sandy deserts and the gobi in China, providing a basis for more detailed study.
Sung-chiao Chao
6. Analysis of desert terrain in China using Landsat imagery
Abstract
In China, terrain classification began when civilization started, with early classification schemes recorded as early as 2,500 years ago. Terrain types are classified according to physical and environmental conditions, with the number of classes and subclasses of a given terrain being dictated by the scale of the map. In this paper, a classification is given, taking into account landscape criteria as well as well as environmental factors. Four examples are discussed: The Jiayuguan area in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, the Turpan Basin and its neighboring areas, the Minfeng area in the south central Tarim Basin, and the Taijnar Hu area in south central Qaidam Basin. This classification was determined by coupling field study results and image interpretation.
Sung-chiao Chao
7. Aeolian landforms in the Taklimakan Desert
Abstract
The Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in the People’s Republic of China (covering an area of 337,600 km2) is found in the center of the Tarim Basin. The following is an attempt at explaining the origin of the sand, the morphological characteristics of the dunes, and their distribution and movement in this desert.
Zhu Zhenda
8. North American deserts
Abstract
The deserts of North America are distributed over northern Mexico and the western United States between about 23° and 45° north latitude [Fig. 1]. They owe their existence to a combination of causes. The orographic [rain-shadow] effect is primarily responsible for the aridity of the Chihuahuan Desert. In the Great Basin, there is a winter maximum in rainfall. In the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sonoran Desert, the rainfall maximum comes in summer.
Harold E. Dregne
9. Natural resource survey and environmental monitoring in arid-Rajasthan using remote sensing
Abstract
Characterization and assessment of natural resources for development planning and technology transfer have been one of the major activities in the Indian arid zone and, as of now, over 87,000 km2 of arid Rajasthan have been surveyed in this way. All along, aerial photointerpretation has played a key role by greatly enhancing the speed and accuracy of this endeavor. Whereas landforms, soils and land use, and to some extent vegetation are easily and directly discernible from the photographs, mapping of other resources is facilitated mainly by the relationship that they have with the land attributes appreciable from the imagery. Experience has shown that groundwater exploration efforts can be made more purposeful by restricting detailed investigations to areas indicated as promising by photoanalysis. The usefulness of multispectral data from Landsat in source survey and monitoring have been demonstrated. Particular advantage from repetitive coverage afforded by satellite is helpful in estimating biomass and planning rational utilization.
Unlike many arid zones, Rajasthan has high human and livestock pressures and under both, the major land uses, namely arable farming and open grazing, the present management is somewhat exploitative of the natural assets. However, according to present indications, the rate of deterioration fortunately is slow. Therefore, monitoring this change while faced with a large interannual variation in various desertification manifestations, is nothing short of a challenge. The present approach requires conjunctive use of closely spaced ground observations in selected sample sites, repetitive low altitude photography, and satellite sensing for large area applications.
H. S. Mann, K. A. Shankaranarayan, R. P. Dhir
10. Landsat surveys of southeastern Arabia
Abstract
Arid lands in general, and the southeastern Arabian Peninsula in particular, are nearly ideal environments for applying remote sensing technology to environmental and natural resource problems, both in terms of operational conditions and the yield of beneficial information. The dry climate makes it relatively easy to obtain cloud-free imagery under excellent atmospheric conditions, particularly during the winter months.
John R. Everett, Orville R. Russell, David A. Nichols
11. Measuring spectra of arid lands
Abstract
Arid lands are the most amenable to spectral remote sensing for earth resources owing to the scarcity of vegetation and the consequently favorable exposures of surfaces. For this reason, most research into the use of multispectral measurements for geologic applications has been undertaken in arid or semi-arid regions. A large amount of multispectral data from laboratory, field, aircraft and satellite instruments now exist and significant progress has been made in the interpretation and use of these data.
Anne B. Kahle
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Deserts and arid lands
Editor
Farouk El-Baz
Copyright Year
1984
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Electronic ISBN
978-94-009-6080-0
Print ISBN
978-94-009-6082-4
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6080-0