Groundwater characteristics and climate and ecological evolution in the Badain Jaran Desert in the southwest Mongolian Plateau

Groundwater in the Badain Jaran Desert, China's third-largest desert, is primarily replenished by local precipitation with limited renewability, totaling 1.8684×10⁸ m³ annually. The study, combining hydrogeological surveys, geophysical exploration, and isotopic tracing, reveals that the region has experienced four humid periods since the Quaternary but shows an overall trend toward aridity, marked by a 2.5°C rise in average annual temperature over the past 50 years. Despite shrinking lakes between 1973–2015, vegetation cover increased during 2000–2016, indicating no significant desert expansion. These findings provide critical insights for sustainable groundwater use and ecological conservation in this UNESCO-recognized site.

Wang, Z., Wang, L.-j., Shen, J.-m., Nie, Z.-l., Meng, L.-q., Cao, L., Wei, S.-b., Zeng, X.-f.,. (2021). Groundwater characteristics and climate and ecological evolution in the Badain Jaran Desert in the southwest Mongolian Plateau. China Geology, 4(3), 422–433. https://doi.org/10.31035/cg2021056