Investigation on the Degradation of Natural Heritage of Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring at Dunhuang City,China

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to put forward a reasonable idea of the general protection for Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring, a rare and unique desert wonder, and of sustainable tourism development based on the research on the ecological environment around. Methods of documentation, case study and comparison were employed. Finally, aiming at solving the problems of natural environment and those existing after the exploitation of Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring the author puts forward three measures: the comprehensive treatment for Crescent Moon Spring (broadening resources of water and reducing expenditures, checking the decreasing depth of Crescent Moon Spring, and improving the geographical environment), the general protection envisions for Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring and establishing a dynamic monitoring and early-warning system of regional ecosystem.     

Investigation on the Degradation of Natural Heritage of Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring at Dunhuang City, China

The main purpose of this study is to put forward a reasonable idea of the general protection for Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring, a rare and unique desert wonder, and of sustainable tourism development based on the research on the ecological environment around. Methods of documentation, case study and comparison were employed. Finally, aiming at solving the problems of natural environment and those existing after the exploitation of Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring the author puts forward three measures： the comprehensive treatment for Crescent Moon Spring （broadening resources of water and reducing expenditures, checking the decreasing depth of Crescent Moon Spring, and improving the geographical environment）, the general protection envisions for Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring and establishing a dynamic monitoring and early-warning system of regional ecosystem.     

Time-series sampling of Ra and Ra at the inlet to Great South Bay (New York): a strategy for characterizing the dominant terms in the Ra budget of the bay

Ra isotopes are a powerful tool for quantifying the flux of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the sea. Previous studies of ²²³Ra and ²²⁴Ra mass balances in coastal embayments have shown that the Ra balance is dominated by supply via SGD, exchange with the open ocean and radioactive decay. The current study shows that a single time series over a tidal cycle at the principal inlet to Great South Bay (NY, US) is sufficient to determine the net flux of Ra across the inlet, and also can be used to estimate the decay of short-lived Ra in the bay. Estimates of the net Ra flux obtained from a single tidal time-series by using three different approaches agree with those determined from a more time-consuming survey of Ra within the bay, and may represent a first step of estimating SGD in bays and coastal lagoons.