Remotely sensed surface characteristics of three deserts in the Alxa Plateau, Inner Mongolia, China

The differences of surface characteristics are very important for sand dune stabilization, sand dune migration, sand transport and dust storm outburst which have been the focus of many researches interest. In this study, a new method for surface characteristic assessment on a regional scale was developed using a Decision Tree approach based on combination the TCA and DI with the TGSI derived from MODIS MCD43A4 data. The results showed that the integration of their advantages of TCA, DI and TGSI could better assess the surface characteristics of the desert. In 2015, there were obvious differences on surface characteristics among the Badain Jardan Desert, Tengger Desert and Ulan Buh Desert.