Comprehensive particle size database of surface sediments from different dune types in the Kubuqi Desert,China

Sediments are the material basis for the development of eolian landscapes, and dune sediments contain key information about dune formation and development. Through field sampling and indoor laser particle sizer experiments, this study compiled the most comprehensive and open database of particle size characteristics of different types of dune surface sediments across the Kubuqi Desert (n = 396 sample areas). The surface sediments of parabolic dunes, crescent dunes and chains, reticulate dune chains, compound dunes, ridge-honeycomb dunes, shrub-coppice dunes, and inter-dune lowlands in the Kubuqi Desert were studied. The grain-size parameters of dune sediments were measured, and their geographical patterns assessed. The methodology and datasets in this paper are also applicable to other arid regions and are a valuable resource for comparative studies of different types of dunes in deserts, which can provide important data for the formation and evolution of dunes, as well as deserts, sand sources, and the restoration of weathered environments.