Badain Jaran Desert from space: Singing sand dunes and mysterious lakes revealed
The Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China features towering sand dunes, some reaching 460 meters, and rare 'singing sands' that produce loud sounds when the wind blows. The desert is home to over 100 mysterious lakes, both freshwater and saline, fed by underground springs.
New Delhi: A recent radar view from Copernicus Sentinel-1 depicts the impressive scenery of the Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China. It is the third-largest desert in China, covering the Alxa Plateau area of approximately 49,000 square kilometres, and the main part of the bigger Gobi Desert. The desert is approximately 1,200 metres above sea level and is mostly remote, which makes it a rare natural miracle.
The picture depicts a diverse landscape of huge sand dunes, oases, and more than 100 desert lakes. It is a dramatic and diverse landscape that could hardly be viewed on the ground due to these features. The harsh environment also has a lot of biodiversity, according to scientists.
Tallest dunes and the ‘Singing Sands’ phenomenon
Badain Jaran is renowned due to the huge sand dunes. There are also those that extend to 460 metres, which is higher than the Empire State Building. Most dunes move together with the wind, and the highest ones, which are the so-called mega dunes, are mostly unaffected and are blanketed by snow in winter. Another phenomenon that is associated with the desert is the rare singing sand. It emits a loud and resonant sound for several minutes, particularly during hot summer months, when the top layer of sand slides down the bottom layer when the wind blows.
Mysterious lakes amid the desert
There are more than 100 lakes in the desert that can be observed on radar displays in the form of black dots amid the dunes. There is fresh water, and also some are highly salty. How they came to be is a matter of controversy, but it is thought that they had their origin in underground springs. Such lakes make Badain Jaran obtain its Mongolian title, i.e., 'mysterious lakes', and serve as an essential habitat of aquatic organisms.
Even though Badain Jaran is a desert filled with sand, there is a great range of vegetation and animals. Dunes, lakes, and oases together form several habitats, making it one of the most ecologically diverse deserts in China.