干旱区研究

Arid Zone Research >

2025 , Vol. 42 >Issue 1: 40 - 50

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13866/j.azr.2025.01.04

Land and Water Resources

Dynamic changes and driving factors of surface water body in Xinjiang from 1990 to 2023

  • ZOU Bin ,
  • ZOU Shan ,
  • YANG Yuhui
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  • 1. College of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    4. Akesu National Station of Observation and Research for Oasis Agro-ecosystem, Akesu 843017, Xinjiang, China

Received date: 2024-10-06

  Revised date: 2024-11-08

  Online published: 2025-01-17

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Abstract

Xinjiang features a unique mountain-oasis-desert ecological system, in which the surface water body plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance and supporting regional socioeconomic development. This study used Landsat 5, 7, 8, and 9 satellite remote sensing images and a mixed index algorithm to estimate Xinjiang’s surface water area from 1990 to 2023 for analysis of its spatial patterns and changes over time. Geographic detector methods were used to identify the factors influencing changes in the surface water area. The findings revealed that between 1990 and 2023, the area of the permanent water body in Xinjiang increased by 36.25% (2466.20 km2), driven primarily by the mountain water body. Notably, the inland river basins of the Qiangtang Plateau expanded significantly by approximately two-thirds (1149.58 km2). The seasonal water bodies, mainly consisting of the oasis-desert water body, also rose by 181.90% (1924.84 km2), with the mainstream Tarim River nearly doubling in area (344.92 km2). Changes in mountain water bodies were largely influenced by climatic factors, with the snow water equivalent contributing the highest average rate (42.84%). In contrast, human activities had a more substantial impact on the oasis-desert water body, with population density and cultivated land exhibiting average contribution rates of 64.10% and 54.43%, respectively. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the temporal and spatial changes in Xinjiang’s surface water body and their driving factors, thereby offering critical scientific insights for assessing water resource development potential and formulating effective water resource management strategies in the region.

Key words： surface water body; Landsat; mountain-oasis-desert; climate change; Xinjiang

Cite this article

ZOU Bin , ZOU Shan , YANG Yuhui . Dynamic changes and driving factors of surface water body in Xinjiang from 1990 to 2023[J]. Arid Zone Research, 2025 , 42(1) : 40 -50 . DOI: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.01.04

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