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Assessment of the salinization processes in the largest inland freshwater lake of China

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Abstract

Salinization threatens the viability of water resources and is common in many important inland freshwater lakes worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Bosten Lake is a typical inland freshwater lake that has evolved into a subsaline lake and is located in the arid region of Northwest China. The water resources of Bosten Lake are important for supplying regional drinking water and agricultural irrigation and for economic development. In this study, changes in salinity with time and space were analyzed in Bosten Lake. Overall, the salinity increased from 0.39 g/L in 1958 to 1.87 g/L in 1987, reaching its highest value in 1987. After 1987, the salinity decreased to 1.17 g/L in 2003 and increased to 1.45 g/L in 2010. Increased salinity adversely affects aquatic lake systems, regional eco-environments and water resource use, and has become a serious environmental problem in Bosten Lake. Thus, the causes of increasing salinity are discussed in this paper. Overall, the influences of climate variations and human activities resulted in the salinization of the lake. Understanding the salinization processes in Bosten Lake can be useful for implementing actions that improve water quality and water resource use in the lake.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by National Basic Research Program of China under Grant (No. 2012CB723201).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

    Mengjing Guo, Xiaode Zhou, Jing Li & Wei Wu

  2. Xinjiang Environmental Protection Academy of Science, Ürūmqi, Xinjiang, China

    Yongmin Chen

Authors
  1. Mengjing Guo
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  2. Xiaode Zhou
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  3. Jing Li
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  4. Wei Wu
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  5. Yongmin Chen
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Correspondence to Mengjing Guo.

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Guo, M., Zhou, X., Li, J. et al. Assessment of the salinization processes in the largest inland freshwater lake of China. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 29, 1823–1833 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-014-0995-z

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