Organized by the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of LZU and together with Hohai University and Inner Mongolia Normal University, etc., China North Desert Scientific Expedition in 2012 has accomplished the joint fieldtrip in Badain Jaran Desert, Ulanbuh Desert, Kubuqi Desert and Tengger Desert and returned to Lanzhou recently.
A total of 20 official members participated in the fieldtrip, including seven undergraduates, six postgraduate students, 6 teachers and a reporter, at the age from 20 years old to 75 years old. Prof. Liu Shurun, the famous botanist and grassland ecologist, and isotope hydrologist Prof. Chen Jiansheng took part in the fieldtrip. The team left Lanzhou on August 21st , from late August to early September, mainly crossing Kozlov’s journey from Black City to Dingyuanying (now Bayan Hot) in 1908 and Chernoff’s step from Dingyuanying to Suoge Hot (now Minqin), Sino-Sweden Northwest Scientific Expedition’s journey from Sande Temple to Erjina River in 1927, Przewalski’s trip from Dengkou to Dingyuanying in 1871, with emphasis on the changes of natural and cultural environment at the landscape of “Lake Valley” at the north edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Aershan Aobao, Taben Aerdan, etc. in the recent one hundred years. During the fieldtrip, they undertook a survey of the sand landforms, ground object spectrum, lakes, springs desert vegetation, cultural relics in groups, collected a great amount of water sample, dune sand sample, plant specimens, 14 c dating, stone, and got a great amount of typical sand dune, climate hydrology, biological diversity, basic geographic information data. The achievement of the fieldtrip mainly lies in discovering 5 closed high lakes in Holocene flood lake period, 2 Euphrates poplar forests, 1 cultural relics from Paleolithic period to Neolithic period, and volcanoes at the northeast of Badain Jaran Desert for the first time.
It is the advantage of Geography discipline of LZU in tradition and talent training to attach attention to field scientific research. In recent years, China North Desert Scientific Expedition has continuously carried out scientific investigation, aiming to promote the combination of science and education, the formation of "professor - postgraduate - undergraduate" desert research team, and to innovate in the aspect of undergraduate research training mode and mechanism. After years of unremitting efforts, the desert environment and desertification research in LZU has evoked widespread repercussions among the domestic geologists.
