Sand dune mobilization caused by regional warming in Otintag, China

Remobilization of fixed or semi-fixed sand dunes is the main process of desertification, which is sensitive to climate change. We analyzed 35-year temperature and precipitation data at three meteorological stations in Otintag Sandy Land, and calculated sand dune mobility index by employing the method suggested by Lancaster. In the last 35 years, the regional temperature tended to increase, whereas precipitation, with regional differences, showed slight decline. Sand dune mobility had been increasing in the northern and eastern Otintag, as a result of climate change; but desertification in the southern Otintag, where sand dune mobility index was less affected by climatic factors, was caused by irrational human activities.