Applying end-member modeling to extricate the sedimentary environment of yardang strata in the Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark, northwestern China

Formative mechanisms and sedimentary environments of yardang landform distribution in arid and semiarid regions of northwestern China remain poorly understood due to their unique formation and enigmatic causation. Considerable controversy remains as to whether yardang deposits evolve from aeolian or aqueous forces, and no reliable, quantitative method has yet been made available to resolve this issue. This study conducted a comparative analysis...