Earth Surface Processes
HUANG Song, LI Jiang-feng, HU Ming-an
Xinjiang, the largest provincial region in China, is abundant in geological heritages. Influenced and restricted by the geological conditions and the geographical environment, the distribution of geology heritages in Xinjiang has an obvious spatial differentiation. Considering the deep fracture and the geostructure unit, which are the key factors influencing the spatial distribution of geological heritages, this thesis innovatively established the multi-level system of spatial pattern of geological heritages in Xinjiang. This system includes Altay, Zhunggar, Tianshan, Tarim and Kunlun-Altun, the 5 divisions of grade Ⅰ-- geological heritage belt; Southern Altay, Northern Altay, Western Junggar, Middle Junggar, Eastern Junggar, Northern Tianshan, Southern Tianshan, Western Tarim, Eastern Tarim, Western Kunlun, Middle Kunlun and Eastern Kunlun Altun the 13 units of grade Ⅱ-- the geological heritage area; and 35 units of grade Ⅲ-- the sub-geological heritage area. It designed 4 categories of quantitative indicators -- quantity, grade, type, protection condition, and 8 specific indicator factors -- quantity proportion and density of geological heritages, the proportion of nation and world-class geological heritages, geological heritage abundance, the average road distance from neighboring towns, the relationship with peripheral tourism resources, the proportion of protected geological heritages, the proportion of developed geological heritages. These indicators gave a comprehensive and quantitative characterizations on the spactial pattern of geological heritages in Xinjiang, and then, it was used to classify the units of Grade Ⅱ. These jobs laid the foundation of the research on the protection and exploitation of geological heritages in Xinjiang, which was based on geological heritage resources coupled with the human-land relationship. The results show that, in the cells of grade II, Northern Tianshan, Western Kunlun, Southern Tianshan, Northern Altay are identified to be excellent sites, while Turpan-Hami, Middle Zhunggar, eastern Tarim, Eastern Kunlun-Altun, Middle Kunlun, Western Tarim to be good; Southern Altay to be medium and Western Zhunggar, Eastern Zhunggar to be poor.