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The Alxa Desert in north-central China has a unique landscape that contains hundreds of lakes and the highest sand dunes in the world. To date, however, the explanation of the water source in this desert is still controversial. In this paper, continuous hydrometeorological observations, including precipitation, evaporation, water level and temperature, in the interior of the Alxa Desert are presented and the water balance of a typical desert lake is calculated. The moisture, Cl − concentration, δ 2 H and δ 18 O of several sand profiles, the hydrogeochemical characteristics of some lakes and groundwater, and the elemental composition of some travertine samples are analyzed to investigate the rainfall percolation and groundwater recharge. The results showed that local precipitation is not the major replenishment source of the lakes and groundwater in the Alxa Desert. It is supposed that the groundwater from deep strata in the adjacent fracture zone might recharge the desert lake group from the southeast along an altitudinal gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three ostracod species were identified and related ecological information are reported in the Badain Jaran Desert. • The node formation of Limnocythere inopinata is affected by a combination of the salinity and Ca2+ content of lake water. • The relationship between the percentage of noded individuals and salinity of lake water is complex. Limnocythere inopinata (Baird, 1843) is a widely distributed ostracod in modern non-marine waters and Quaternary sediments. Based on its morphological variation (the number and position of its nodes), different phenotypes have been identified. However, the factors controlling its morphological variation are currently open to debate, which hinders palaeoecological reconstructions based on this species. In this study, ostracod distribution and hydrochemical analyses of the ambient environment of 21 lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert were carried out. Three ostracod species belonging to two genera are identified as Limnocyhtere inopinata , Cypris cf. granulate and Cypris sp. with the dominant species L. inopinata represented by six phenotypes. The distribution features of these ostracods in the lakes and related ecological information are reported. In addition, the factors controlling the morphological variations of L. inopinata were analysed. Our data indicate that the noded individuals of L. inopinata prefer water with appropriate Ca2+ content (30–40 mg L−1) and low salinities (below 4.60 g L−1). The percentage of noded individuals of L. inopinata increases with increasing salinity only within a certain salinity range. Hence, caution should be exercised in reconstructions of palaeosalinity based on the morphological variability of L. inopinata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northeastern part of the Tengger Desert accommodates several lakes. The effect of these lakes on local temperatures is unclear. In this study, the effects of the lakes were investigated using land surface temperature (LST) from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data from 2003 to 2018 and air temperatures from meteorological stations in 2017. LST and air temperatures are compared between the lake-group region and an area without lakes to the north using statistical methods. Our results show that the lake-group region is found to exhibit a warm island effect in winter on an annual scale and at night on a daily scale. The warm island effect is caused by the differing properties of the land and other surfaces. Groundwater may also be an important heat source. The results of this study will help in understanding the causative factors of warm island effects and other properties of lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the variation of CO 2 flux and the pH of inorganic factors. [Display omitted] • The difference of CO 2 absorption and release is obvious during the day and night. • Yindeer Lake was a net sink of CO 2 during the study period. • The lakes can absorb large amounts of CO 2 every year to slow down global warming. • Meteorological factors controlling CO 2 fluxes differed by time scale. • pH is the main influencing factor controlling CO 2 absorption and release. Carbon sequestration levels in lakes are often underestimated despite being vital for the comprehensive analysis of CO 2 budget and significantly influencing inland lakes in arid areas. In this study, the eddy covariance (EC) technique was used to measure CO 2 flux for six consecutive years during 2012–2017 in a small salt-lake (Yindeer Lake) replenished by groundwater in southeastern Badain Jaran Desert, China. The results indicate that: (1) Yindeer Lake was a net sink of CO 2 , which led to the estimate that the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert can absorb approximately 1.91 × 103 t of CO 2 per year and help slow down the rate of global warming. (2) The effects of meteorological factors on the CO 2 flux of the lake vary with timescales. (3) Inorganic processes, in which pH is the main influence mechanism, control CO 2 absorption and releases in Yindeer Lake. Thus, the study results provide a new guide for solving the "missing sink" problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinct effects of the lakes on the maximum and minimum temperatures cause a large discrepancy in diurnal temperature differences between the dry basin and lake basins. Discussion The above findings demonstrate that daily average temperature and the monthly minimum temperature inside the lake basins are warmer than those in the dry basin, particularly during the cold season. This suggests that, once the lake area reaches 1.91km SP 2 sp , the temperature difference between the lake basin and the dry basin (warm island intensity) becomes significant, but only in winter. Figure 4(a) shows that, the daily maximum temperature is lower in the lake basins than in the dry basin but differences between lake basins and the dry basin are not significant. [Extracted from the article]

• New methods to quantitatively reconstruct consecutive lake level changes in desert. • The highest lake levels occurred at the early Holocene in BJD hinterland. • Increase in meltwater resulted in high lake levels during the early Holocene. Quantitative reconstruction of consecutive paleolake-level fluctuations may help reconstruct lake evolution during the Holocene. However, the reconstruction of a groundwater recharged lake in a desert hinterland is challenging. In this study, 23 samples of lake bottom sediments were obtained from eight groundwater recharged lakes in the hinterland of the Badian Jaran Desert in northwest China to establish models between the grain size component and lake level. Our results showed that the four grain size components of the sediments could be separated using the Weibull function. The first two fine grain components (W1 and W2) were deposited in the atmospheric dust. The two coarser components (W3 and W4) could be interpreted as sediments transported by wind from the surrounding sand dunes, while W3 was subsequently redistributed by lake waves. Changes in the lake water depth could be expressed by the W1 and W2 component contents, as well as the modal size of W3. Using the above models, unmixing grain size components of the lake sediment obtained from the ZZH section located in a seasonal lake (Zhunzhahan Jaran Lake) in the desert hinterland were used to quantitatively reconstruct the lake-level fluctuations during the Holocene. The lake level frequently fluctuated between 3.82 and 9.21 m during 10.6–8.6 cal kyr BP, slightly fluctuated between 3.41 and 5.26 m during 8.6–4.7 cal kyr BP, and markedly declined from 6.09 m to 4.46 m during 4.7–3.5 cal kyr BP. Lake-level changes in the hinterland of the Badian Jaran Desert did not correspond to the effective moisture changes during the early Holocene. Instead, the rise in lake level during the early Holocene would have resulted from the input of groundwater from the meltwater in the mountains of the recharge area. The data reveal new methods for quantitatively reconstructing consecutive paleolake-level fluctuations by groundwater recharged lakes in the desert hinterland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Badain Jaran Desert (BJD) is characterized by the coexistence of over 110 perennial lakes and thousands of megadunes in its southeast part. Unlike the cold island effect, we found a special phenomenon of the warm island effect in the lake group region of the BJD. However, the concept and formation mechanism remains unclear. In this study, based on observations of land surface processes in the area, we first used the daily mean temperature from 23 automated meteorological stations from 2010 to 2017 to calculate the mean daily temperature (T) ≥ 0 °C, T ≥ 10 °C accumulated temperature and negative accumulated temperature. Furthermore, using the net radiation from two eddy covariance measurement systems, characteristics of the net radiation between the lake and megadunes were analyzed. When comparing observed data in the lake group region to surrounding areas, accumulated temperature from all three meteorological stations in the lake group region were higher; the duration days of T ≥ 0 °C and T ≥ 10 °C were longer, whereas duration days of negative accumulated temperature were shorter. In addition, the initial dates for T ≥ 0 °C and T ≥ 10 °C accumulated temperature were earlier, whereas the end dates were delayed. Variations in heat were observed between stations in the lake group region that may be reflective of microclimate environments between lakes. The authors relate warm island formation in the BJD lake group region to (1) the heat carried by groundwater recharge to the desert lake groups has a great impact on the local temperature. (2) Net heat radiation to the atmosphere through sensible heat flux owing to sparse vegetation in the desert areas. Hence, heat resources are richer in the lake group region. This study aims to improve our understanding of the warm island effect from a comprehensive analysis of its intensity and distribution pattern around the lake group region as compared to its surroundings. In addition, the results from this study will provide a scientific basis for determining the source of lake water in the BJD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]