The Badain Jaran Desert covers an area of 49,000 square kilometers in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and other regions in China.
The Badain Jaran Desert has an extremely hot and dry climate, with an average annual rainfall of about 50-60 mm. Most of the rain evaporates before reaching the ground. However, the Badain Jaran Desert surprises many people with nearly 140 lakes located among the sand dunes.
The lakes give the desert its name in Mongolian, which means “mysterious lakes.”
The water supply to these mysterious lakes is believed to come from underground springs that flow beneath the gravel layer and appear between the sand dunes.
The streams are fed by rainwater and melted snow from the surrounding desert mountains.
Although the streams carry fresh water, most of the lakes in the Badain Jaran desert are salty. This can be explained by rapid evaporation.
Some lakes change color due to the presence of algae, brine shrimp, and minerals. Evaporation also causes some lakes to form salt crusts around them.
Freshwater lakes provide a steady water source for nomadic people and their livestock in the desert. Most lakes are surrounded by a green belt and are inhabited.
A satellite image shows part of the Badain Jaran desert dotted with lakes.
