干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Grain size frequency distributions of sands have been used for interpretation in many publications by the authoress. This paper is a synthesis of the accumulated knowledge on the significance of frequency distributions, and at the same rime, it responds to the criticism of the response diagram. According to eight characteristic frequency distribution curves, a series of granulometric sand types is presented, ranging from slight aeolian reworking via increasing deflation to ’’aged’’ barchan sands, The ’’acolian age’’ is understood as a function of time, mind velocity and pre-existing landforms. Barchan sands may represent almost any sand type because of the specific dynamics of migration. The classification of sands into types of the granulometric series delivers information - carried by the specific curves - on sand mobility and transport, dune dynamics, aeolian age, the ’’aging’’ of ergs and palaeomorphology.