Abstract: Using five remote-sensing images of southern Hobq Desert from 1998 to 2014, and combining with filed measurement, we analyzed morphological evolution of dunes during fixation-activation process, also explored the impact of morphological evolution of dunes during fixation-activation process, such as wind regime and precipitation. Our results showed that with the fluctuation in annual precipitation, the dunes in the southern Hobq Desert experienced at least three statuses, that is fixed, active, and fixed again. At early stage, the platy moving dunes evolved into large parabolic dunes and were fixed by vegetation; and then, there were blowouts showing on those dunes, especially on wings. That a dune was usually divided into several parabolic dunes with different size leaded into a fragmentized landscape and the fixed dunes were active. Several years late, those moving dunes were fixed again. In the end, the dune filed and individual dune became more complex. However, wind speed did not play a noticeable role in the process. It was concluded thatparabolic dunes evolved from not only barchans dune and platy moving dunes, but also blowouts, and vegetation played an indispensable role during the process in the research zone. We also found that dunes advanced at the fastest rate when they developed slip face.

Key words: dune, fixation, activation, morphological evolution, Hobq Desert