Origin and evolution of the most Mars-like yardang landforms in the Qaidam Basin of Northwest China

The inland basins of western China are home to the world’s earliest definition of yardangs, which are streamlined, wind-sculpted landforms. The Qaidam Basin in northwestern China hosts one of the largest yardang fields on Earth, which has been regarded as the most Mars-analogue. However, basin-scale research on the timing and forcing mechanism of yardang formation in the Qaidam Basin remains lacking. In this study, we used electron spin resonance and optically stimulated luminescence dating to determine the tectonic-scale (106-year) spatiotemporal evolution of yardangs in the basin. Our results indicate that yardang development in the Qaidam Basin commenced around 0.8 million years ago, starting in the northwest and gradually expanding southeast around 0.5−0.3 million years ago. This stepwise expansion of yardangs correlated well with the remarkable growth of Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet, which intensified the Siberian High and enhanced cold, dry prevailing winds in the region. Yardang development in the Qaidam Basin of China commenced around 0.8 million years ago, starting in the northwest and gradually expanding southeast, correlating with significant growth of the Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet, according to electron spin resonance and optically stimulated luminescence dating analysis.