Aeolian desertification, one of the most serious environmental issues, has hampered socioeconomic development on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). However, research on aeolian desertification in this region has been limited. To develop a set of science-based preventive measures to mitigate desertification in this region, it is first necessary to clarify the status, evolution, and driving factors of aeolian desertification. In this study, based on extensive field investigations and a current classification system for aeolian desertification, we established a new system for interpreting aeolian desertified land (ADL) on the plateau using Landsat images from 1977, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 and obtained the distribution of ADL through visual interpretation of the images. The results showed that ADL covered 392,914 km² (15.1% of the study area) in 2015, including gravel ADL, sandy ADL, and aeolian monadnocks. Controlled by climate, landforms, the type of Quaternary deposit, and human activities, ADL is scattered throughout the plateau but is concentrated mostly in the western and northern parts. Aeolian desertification on the plateau expanded from 1977 to 2000 and then began to reverse. The evolution during the study period is the result of the combined effects of natural and human factors. Irrational human activities were the dominant factor responsible for the expansion of ADL prior to 2000, whereas the subsequent reversal was mainly caused by climate change combined with large ecological restoration projects.

风沙荒漠化是最严重的环境问题之一，阻碍了青藏高原（QTP）的社会经济发展。但是，该地区对风沙荒漠化的研究是有限的。要制定一套以科学为基础的预防措施以减轻该地区的荒漠化，首先必须弄清风沙荒漠化的现状，演变和驱动因素。在这项研究中，基于广泛的现场调查和当前的风沙荒漠化分类系统，我们建立了一个新系统，该系统使用1977、1990、2000、2010和2015年的Landsat影像解释高原上的风沙荒漠化土地（ADL），并获得了通过图像的视觉解释来分配ADL。结果表明，ADL覆盖了392,914  km2015年为^2个（占研究区域的15.1％），包括砾石ADL，沙质ADL和风沙性单峰。受气候，地形，第四纪沉积类型和人类活动的控制，ADL分散在整个高原上，但主要集中在西部和北部。高原的风沙荒漠化从1977年扩展到2000年，然后开始逆转。研究期间的演变是自然因素和人为因素共同作用的结果。非理性的人类活动是导致2000年之前ADL扩张的主要因素，而随后的逆转则主要是由气候变化和大型生态修复项目引起的。