Based on the grain size analysis of the Baoningbu ( BNB ) section situated in the south-east of the Mu Us Desert, the authors investigated the processes and the causes of historical desertification of the desert. The results indicate that two phases of desertification, namely at the mid-to-end Tang Dynasty and at the end of the Ming Dynasty, are documented by the section. The two phases of desertification greatly made the environment of the Mu Us Desert deteriorate, especially for the second one, which formed the present landscape of the Mu Us Desert. The two phases of desertification are corroborated by historical records and archaeological data. Therefore the results are highly reliable. With a comparison of climate change, we suggest that the desertification occurring at the end of the Ming Dynasty was highly related to the human activities.
Mu Us Deserthistorical desertificationstratigraphic evidenceTang DynastyMing Dynastyman-land relationship
NETL
NSTL
维普
万方数据
