How did the Taklamakan Desert, the largest in our country, come to be?

The largest desert in our country is the Taklamakan Desert, which is formed by a variety of factors, the main reason is the climatic factors, due to the arid climate and the lack of rainfall, the northwest wind carries sand deposited here.

Through hundreds of millions of years of continuous evolution of the earth, it has changed from a vast sea to a desert area, and the land has no grass.

Taklamakan Desert.

ofSurfaceis made up of several hundred meters thickLoose alluviumIt was formed, which appeared as far back as 4.5 million years ago, and according to relevant scholars**, the Taklamakan Desert is locatedTarim BasinIt used to be a shallow sea, butThe movement of the earth's crust makes the oceans disappear, plusQinghai-Tibet PlateauPamirsand the uplift of the Tien Shan Mountains, which surrounded the Tarim region to form a basinThe lack of access to ocean water vapor has led to extreme drought in the Tarim Basinand so onThe Taklamakan Desert was formed by weathering over time

The Taklamakan Desert is located in southern Xinjiang.

The center of the Tarim Basin, isIt is the largest desert in China and the tenth largest in the world。The sand dunes stand 300 meters above the plains, and there are often wind-blown sand formations, and there are a small number of plants and animals in the desert, and it is worth mentioning that the animals there have summer hibernation.

Taklamakan has a glorious history and cultureThe Ancient Silk RoadThe route passes through the entire southern tip of the Taklamakan regionMany archaeological data show that the desert hinterland is silent about many of the prosperity that once existed, which makes people think of a lot.

A new study by scientists suggests that the Taklamakan Desert mayAs early as 4.5 million years ago, it was already a vast and boundless sea of sandScientists have conducted an in-depth analysis of the sedimentary strata on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin and found that there are a large number of "aeolian loess" formed by the action of wind, which is at least 4.5 million years old, and these "aeolian loess" is ** in the Taklamakan Desert.

So how exactly did it come to be? In fact, it is speculated that the formation of the basin desert is mainly stillThe surrounding mountains block the moisture of the ocean, and without precipitation, it will dry up over time, inIt was formed after 10,000 years of weathering and aeolian sand depositsThis vast desert can actually be guessedIt is inevitable that rivers formed by melting snow and ice in the surrounding mountains will not carry the rocks and sand from the mountains, so that's probably one of the reasons.

It is inferred that the desert may have been an ocean a long time ago, but it disappeared with the movement of the earth's crust.

The Taklamakan Desert is spectacular, and if you have the opportunity, you can go and see it, and you will inevitably be deeply shocked.

Due to its deep inland, the Taklamakan Desert has very little precipitation, and the continental land has been short of water for a long time, and the rocks are basically mainly mechanically weathered, resulting in the formation of rock debris.

In the later period, rock debris was transported, sorted, and accumulated by wind to form the Taklamakan Desert.

The surface of the Taklamakan Desert is formed by loose alluvium several hundred meters thick. This alluvial layer is affected by the wind, which moves up to 300 meters of sand cover. The topographical features formed by the wind are diverse, and sand dunes of all shapes and sizes can be seen.

The Karamakan Desert is a warm temperate arid desert with a maximum temperature of more than 40 days and nights. The average annual precipitation does not exceed 100 mm, and the minimum is only four or five mm; And the average evaporation is as high as 2500 3400 mm.

The Taklamakan Desert is caused by the movement of the earth's crust. More than 4 million years ago, with the movement of the earth's crust, the earth's crust was elevated and changed like a sea. The high mountains rising from north to south block the humid air over the ocean, and the annual rainfall is more than 30 millimeters, and the annual evaporation is thousands of millimeters.

The Taklamakan Desert, located in the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang, is the largest desert in China. It is about 1,000 kilometers long from east to west and 400 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of 330,000 square kilometers. It is the tenth largest desert in the world.

Looking at the distribution of deserts across the globe, they are concentrated in three main regions. is an area close to the Tropic of Cancer, which is under the control of the subtropical high throughout the year. Downdrafts are prevalent and precipitation is relatively low, such as on the leeward slope where prevailing winds prevail in the coastal areas of the Sahara Desert in Africa.

Water vapor from the ocean is blocked by mountains, and the climate is relatively dry, such as the Patagonian desert in South America. The last one is that it lives in the depths of the continents, far from the ocean.

Water vapor is difficult to penetrate here. There is almost no precipitation here, like the Taklimakan Desert. From a geohistorical perspective, the formation of the Taklamakan Desert is related to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.

30 million years ago, as the Earth's tectonic plates drifted, the Indian plate gradually subducted northward and inserted into the lower part of the Eurasian plate, causing the junction of the two plates to gradually uplift. This is also the time when the Himalayan orogeny is often mentioned in geology and eventually formed the roof of the world. According to monitoring, the Indian plate is still moving northward at a rate of 5 centimeters per year, and the uplift of the Himalayas continues.

Under the influence of the Himalayan orogeny, warm and humid water vapor from the Indian Ocean basically cannot reach the southern part of Xinjiang. The Pamir Plateau to the west also blocks water vapor from the Atlantic.

The Tianshan Mountains and other mountain ranges to the north also make it difficult for water vapor from the Arctic Ocean to enter. Precipitation here is greatly reduced, and the climate becomes dry and dry. Under sunshine and wind conditions without precipitation** for a long time, the biomass here is also extremely scarce, and the surface rock gradually weathers and breaks.

Under the action of wind transport, the tension of finer sand particles gradually accumulated, forming a large number of mobile sand dunes, and the area of sand dunes continued to expand, eventually occupying most of the basin area, forming the largest desert in China.

The Taklamakan Desert is basically located in the Tarim Basin, which was still a vast ocean in the last century, and there are many theories that it eventually formed a basin. One of the most sci-fi reasons is the meteorite impact theory, because the Sichuan Basin and the Tarim Basin in China are nearly circular, much like the formation of a meteorite impact, but in fact, there is no reason to say so. The reason why the basin is close to the circle is mainly due to the crustal movement of the earth 10,000 years after the formation of the basin, and the corners are rounded.

It is because the earth is constantly moving, and this place belongs to the inland region in the Eurasian continent, so it will be affected by the continental air mass, which is far away from the ocean, and it is difficult for the water vapor on the ocean to reach this place, and then the climate is relatively dry, affected by loose alluvium, and the thickness of the wind and sand reaches 300 meters.

The Taklamakan Desert is the largest desert in China. Located in the center of the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang, the Taklamakan Desert is the largest desert in China, the tenth largest desert in the world, and the second largest mobile desert in the world, with an area of 330,000 square kilometers with a length of about 1,000 kilometers from east to west and a width of about 400 kilometers from north to south.

The average annual precipitation in the Taklamakan Desert does not exceed 100 mm, and the lowest is only four or five mm; The average evaporation is as high as 2500 3400 mm. Here, pyramid-shaped sand dunes rise 300 meters above the plain. Strong winds can blow up walls of sand up to 3 times as high.

The desert is full of sand dunes that move frequently due to the wind. There are also a small number of plants in the desert, whose root system is unusually developed, dozens or even hundreds of times larger than the aboveground part, in order to absorb the water from the ground, and the animals there have the phenomenon of summer hibernation.

The desert is up to 1,200,1500 metres in the west and south, and 800,1,000 metres in the east and north. The dunes reach a maximum of 200 meters. According to some data, the Taklamakan Desert is the second largest mobile desert in the world.

The hinterland of Taklamakan has been voted one of the five most beautiful deserts in China.

The Taklamakan Desert is the largest desert in China.

Located in China's Shoukongji Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Taklamakan Desert is bordered by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the east, the Pamir Plateau to the west, the famous Tianshan Mountains to the north, and the Kunlun Mountains to the south, with a total area of about 335,000 square kilometers.

The Taklamakan Desert is known for its vast desert landscape and harsh environmental conditions. The sand dunes are undulating, the sand mountains are magnificent, and the sand sea is blurry and stretching, giving people a sense of boundless desolation. The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is huge, with the sun scorching during the day and the bitterly cold at night.

Due to drought and lack of rainfall, vegetation is sparse and there are relatively few biological species.

However, the Taklamakan Desert remains a fascinating place with unique natural landscapes and cultural heritage. Poplar forests in the desert are unique to the Taklamakan Desert, and these tall and straight poplar trees form a spectacular view in the desert. There are also many unique animal species in the desert, such as white camels, Tarim crocodiles, lizards, etc., which are of great significance for biological research.

In addition, the Taklamakan Desert is rich in history and culture. The desert is dotted with many ruins and ancient towns of the Silk Road, witnessing the prosperity of ancient ** and cultural exchanges. People can feel the charm of the history of the ancient Silk Road here and explore the relics of ancient civilizations.

Taklamakan Desert Features:

1. Dune landscape: The Taklamakan Desert is a desert with dense sand dunes and a rich and diverse dune landscape. The huge sand dunes undulate and present a spectacular view.

Some of the dunes are tens of meters high, creating a stunning desert landscape that gives an intoxicating visual experience.

2. Poplar forests: There are some poplar forests in the Taklamakan Desert, which are endemic to the region. Poplar trees are tall and straight, with a dense canopy, standing tall in the desert all year round, forming a unique landscape.

Especially in autumn, the leaves of the poplar forest turn golden yellow, which contrasts with the yellow sand.

3. Silk Road sites: The Taklamakan Desert is one of the key points of the ancient Silk Road, and there are rich Silk Road sites scattered along the way. These sites include ancient towns, post stations, palaces and murals, etc., which have witnessed the prosperity of ancient ** and cultural exchanges.

Exploring these sites offers a glimpse into the history and culture of the Silk Road.

4. Ecological Reserves: There are several ecological reserves in the Taklamakan Desert, dedicated to protecting the vegetation and wildlife in the desert. These sanctuaries provide habitat for rare species such as Tarim crocodiles, wild camels, and black-tailed wolves.

Exploring these sanctuaries offers an up-close look at some unique species of flora and fauna, learning about the conservation and restoration efforts of desert ecosystems.

The above content reference: Encyclopedia - Taklamakan Desert.

The Taklamakan Desert is about 1,000 kilometers long from east to west and 400 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of 330,000 square kilometers.

The Taklamakan Desert is the largest desert in China and is located in the middle of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, the largest inland basin in China. It is bounded by the Tien Shan Mountains to the north, the Pamir Plateau to the west, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Lop Nur Depression to the east.

The Taklamakan Desert is the second largest mobile desert in the world after the Sahara Desert in Africa. Quicksand dominates the desert, accounting for 95% of the entire desert area.

"Taklamakan Desert" is a Uyghur language that means "you can't get in or out", so the Taklamakan Desert is also known as the "Sea of Death".

The legend of the Taklamakan Desert

Long ago, there was a desire to bring meltwater from the Tien and Kunlun Mountains to water the arid Tarim Basin. A kind fairy has two treasures, one is a golden axe and the other is a golden key. Moved by the sincerity of the people, the gods gave the golden axe to the Kazakhs, which were used to split the Altai Mountains and attract clear water.

He wanted to give the golden key to the Uyghurs so that they could open the treasure house of the Tarim Basin, but unfortunately the golden key was lost by the fairy's youngest daughter, Margosa. In a fit of rage, the fairy imprisoned his daughter in the Tarim Basin, and since then the basin** has become the Taklamakan Desert.

1. Regarding the causes of the Taklamakan Desert, the ** "Causes of the Taklamakan Desert" published by the Lanzhou Institute of Desert Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1981 describes it more clearly.

2. Deserts are a product of an arid climate. In the Tertiary period, the Tarim region had a dry climate. In the middle of the Tertiary period, there was a strong crustal movement, the ancient Mediterranean disappeared, and the Eurasian continent was connected.

At the end of the Pliocene and the beginning of the Pleistocene, the Tibetan Plateau began to rise sharply, and the altitude of the plateau was about 3000 meters in the late Pliocene, which played an obvious role in maintaining and strengthening the East Asian monsoon circulation, causing the re-differentiation of climatic zones in various places.

3. The Tarim Basin, which is deep inland and surrounded by plateau mountain ranges, is not affected by the warm and humid air flow of the ocean in summer, and is controlled by cold and high pressure in winter, and is in the compensating sinking area of the updraft over the plateau, and the dryness is further aggravated.

4. However, arid climate alone is not enough to form deserts, and there is also a need for sufficient material foundation, that is, sand sources.

5. At the end of the Tertiary and the beginning of the Quaternary period, the Kunlun Mountains and the Tianshan Mountains were strongly uplifted under the influence of tectonic movements, and the morphology of the Tarim Basin was very close to that of modern times. At the beginning of the Quaternary Ice Age, the temperature plummeted, precipitation and snow increased in the mountains, and large-scale mountain glaciers developed. The meltwater from the ice and snow melt is collected into many large rivers, which carry a large amount of detritus from the weathering of the mountains into the basin and accumulate them, forming huge sediments, which are the main sources of sand in the Taklamakan Desert.

6. Therefore, the formation of the Taklamakan Desert is the result of the combined action of factors such as the ocean, land, atmosphere, and rivers.