Comprehensive grain size database of sediments of different types of dunes in Gurbantunggut Desert

The Gurbantunggut Desert, located in the Junggar Basin of Central Asia, is China’s second-largest desert and the only mid-latitude desert dominated by extensive fixed and semi-fixed dunes. Despite its distinctive dendritic, honeycomb, and complex dune morphologies, comprehensive sedimentological datasets spanning multiple dune types and spatial positions remain scarce. Here we present a large-scale, systematic dataset of sediment grain-size distributions collected from 67 sampling zones and 424 sites, totaling 1,859 samples across diverse geomorphological units in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Surface and profile samples were collected following standardized protocols and, after rigorous pretreatment, were analyzed using a Mastersizer 2000 laser-diffraction particle-size analyzer. The dataset captures spatial variations in sediment composition among dune types, slope positions, and profiles, reflecting interactions among wind dynamics, sediment supply, and vegetation cover. This open-access dataset provides essential baseline information for studies of dune morphodynamics, aeolian sediment transport, and ecological responses in arid environments, thereby facilitating future research on source-to-sink dynamics, climate-change impacts, and desertification monitoring.位于中亚准噶尔盆地（Junggar Basin）的古尔班通古特沙漠（Gurbantunggut Desert）是中国第二大沙漠，也是全球唯一以大面积固定、半固定沙丘为主的中纬度沙漠。尽管该区域发育独具特色的树枝状、蜂窝状及复杂沙丘形态，但覆盖多种沙丘类型与空间位置的综合沉积学数据集仍较为匮乏。本研究提供一套覆盖古尔班通古特沙漠多样地貌单元的大规模系统性沉积物粒度分布数据集，样品采集自67个采样区、424个采样点，共计1859份。表层与剖面样品均遵循标准化流程采集，经严格前处理后，采用Mastersizer 2000激光衍射粒度分析仪完成分析。本数据集记录了不同沙丘类型、坡位及剖面间沉积物组成的空间差异，反映了风力动力、沉积物供给与植被覆盖之间的相互作用。该开放获取数据集可为干旱区沙丘地貌动力学、风成沉积物搬运及生态响应相关研究提供关键基础数据，进而推动未来源汇系统动力学、气候变化影响及荒漠化监测等领域的研究工作。