Provenance and formation mechanism of aeolian sands on the eastern bank of Co Nag Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

[Display omitted] •Provenance is defined for the lakeshore dunes around Co Nag Lake on Tibet Plateau.•The combination of MixSIAR and end-member model can reliably infer the provenance.•Lacustrine and fluvial deposits on the eastern bank are main sources of dune sands.•The coupling of fluvial and aeolian systems promotes the development of sandy land.•Enhanced sand-control project should be taken to protect the Qinghai-Tibet railway. Studies of the provenance of aeolian dunes are crucial for providing knowledge of landscape evolution and developing management strategies to control aeolian desertification. The lakeshore dune is a typical aeolian landform that is widely distributed around the world. However, there has been little work on the provenance and formation mechanism of lakeshore dunes. By comparing the elemental and grain-size compositions of lakeshore dunes and potential sources around Co Nag Lake, this paper combines sediment fingerprinting analysis and end-member modeling. The results identify the provenance of aeolian sands on the eastern bank of Co Nag Lake and draw the following conclusions. (1) The combined use of fingerprinting analysis and grain-size analysis can yield a comprehensive and reliable provenance assessment. (2) The lakeshore dunes on the eastern bank of the lake are primarily derived from lacustrine deposits and fluvial deposits on the eastern bank. The coupling of fluvial and aeolian systems promotes the development of eastern sandy land. (3) Sand-control projects in the Co Nag Lake region should be carried out according to the sources of aeolian sands. It is necessary to strengthen efforts to control lacustrine deposits and sands in gullies.