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How do the Hotan River and Keriya River affect the Takla Makan Desert landscape?

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Map of Asia highlighting the location of the Takla Makan Desert in northwestern China, with the desert area shaded in orange. Surrounding regions, including parts of Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean, are shown for geographic context. An inset in the top right corner provides a global view with the desert's location marked. — Takla Makan Desert The Takla Makan Desert is flanked by high mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west.

The Hotan River and Keriya River play significant roles in shaping the landscape of the Takla Makan Desert. Unlike many other rivers in the region that disappear into the sands, these river valleys have persisted to the present day.1

The Hotan River is particularly notable for being the only river that crosses the center of the desert; during the summer, it occasionally carries its waters all the way to the Tarim River. The area near the northern extreme of the Keriya River is also a focal point for the desert's complex wind circulation system, where meeting air currents create patterns that are clearly reflected in the topography of the surrounding sand dunes.23

While most smaller rivers draining from the Kunlun Mountains are lost to the sands—leaving behind empty valleys that are subsequently filled by wind-borne sand—the Hotan and Keriya valleys remain distinct features of the desert's physiography.1