title: Water resources: groundwater maintains dune landscape.
abstract: The Badain Jaran desert in western Inner Mongolia in China has a unique landscape that contains 72 lakes, with a total water surface area of 23 km2, and the world's highest stationary sand dunes, which are up to 500 m tall--despite the prevailing dry and windy weather conditions. Here we present evidence of a major groundwater system that underpins the factors leading to this landscape. Our finding could transform plans for the region's water resources.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Isotope Research, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China.
authors.forename: Jian Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ji Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Xue Fen
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Wei Zu
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen