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Taking the Chagelebulu Stratigraphic Profile as a typical example, a comprehensive study has been conducted to elucidate the palaeoclimatic and geomorphic evolution patterns in the southern fringe of the Badain Jaran Desert, which were found to be complex and polycyclic in the past 130 ka. However, the fluctuating magnitude is not as remarkable as that in the eastern China sandy region. The shift in climate from interglacial to glacial and the uplift process of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau are the two leading forces driving the evolution of the climate and desert landforms in this area. Seventeen cycles of cold, dry and warm, humid climatic stages were recognized in the Upper Pleistocene Series of the profile. The sharp uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau superimposed a cool and arid climatic trend in this area. As a result of the climatic changes, the desert in this area has undergone multiple stages of expansion and contraction since 130 ka BP. The middle Holocene Epoch and the early stage of the Late Pleistocene Period were the main periods when the sand dunes became stabilized, and the early and late phases of the Holocene Epoch and late phase of the Pleistocene Epoch were the main periods when the previously stabilized sand dunes became mobile. The late phase of the Pleistocene Epoch was the most mobile stage, when the aeolian sand activities formed the essential geomorphic pattern of the Badain Jaran Desert. Copyright

Ejin Section" found in a typical vegetation-covered sand dune in Ejin Oasis was investigated. In this study, 263 samples were taken from the section for grain-size analysis, 25 for chemical analysis, 11 for 14 C dating and 6 for scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results of the study indicate that 3 types of the sediments in the section can be identified, YS, LS and ST. YS, homogeneous yellow-brown dune sands, is equal to those of inland deserts, LS, loess-like sandy soils, is the same as the sandy loess in the middle Yellow River and modern falling dusts, and ST, sandy sediments interbeded with the deadwood and defoliation of Tamarix spp, represents the depositional process of the section interrupted by abrupt changes in climate. The Ejin Section has recorded the repeated dust-storms or sandstorms since 2500 yr BP and the peak periods of the dust-storms or sandstorms revealed by the section are consistent with the records of "dust rains" in historical literatures, indicating that the change of climate is a key factor to increase sandstorms or dust-storms, whereas, "artificial" factor may only be an accelerating one for desertification.

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