Dataset on P-Rb-Sr-Br Element Concentrations in Surface Soils of Typical Landforms in the Qaidam Basin

For dry salt crust samples, it is advisable to collect surface salt crust and its underlying shallow soil salt mixture during sampling to reflect the enrichment characteristics of elements in the surface layer of the salt crust. During the sampling process, GPS is used to record the latitude, longitude, and altitude information of each sampling point, as well as the landform type, surface salt crust development status, vegetation coverage, soil color, texture, and surrounding environmental characteristics.

The collected samples are placed in clean polyethylene self sealing bags, numbered uniformly, and brought back to the laboratory for storage to avoid cross contamination during transportation. The sample collection is mainly concentrated in the northern edge of Kunlun Mountains and the southern edge of Qilian Mountains in the Qaidam Basin, as well as along the G315 National Highway (Figure 1). The entire sampling process complies with the "Guidelines for Soil Quality Soil Sampling Techniques" (GB/T 36197-2018) [16].

A total of 129 topsoil samples were collected, including 50 samples from gravelly deserts in the Gobi Desert, 12 samples from dry salt crust land, 31 samples from saline meadows, 12 samples from saline soils, 9 samples from aeolian sandy land, and 15 samples from shrub fixed sand dunes.