Scientific journals or press releases from research institutions

Study Reveals Taklimakan Desert Formation in Xinjiang Uygur 300,000 Years Ago

Nov 1, 2024, 08:00 PM

A new study by researchers from China's Lanzhou University has provided valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the Taklimakan Desert, the country's largest desert. The study revealed that the modern landscape of the Taklimakan Desert, located in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and known as the world's second-largest shifting desert, began forming approximately 300,000 years ago. The research included an analysis of a 200-meter drill core collected from the desert. Additionally, it is speculated that the initial formation of the desert dates back about 1.8 million years.