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This book highlights the aeolian processes in the desert zone of Kazakhstan and Central Asian Deserts, and analyzes the current status of dust and sand storms in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

It also highlights the analyses, dynamics and long-term observations of storms on the basis of numerous cartographic materials and satellite images.

Dust/sand storms are a common and important phenomenon in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia as well,especially in its southern parts, where areas are covered by a great variety of deserts and offer a significant source of mineral and salt aerosols.

The deserts of Kazakhstan mostly cover lowlands and extend from the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea to the piedmonts of the Tien-Shan Mountain.
In Kazakhstan and Central Asia desertification processes due to wind erosion in the form of dust/sand storms were observed in semi-desert and desert landscapes.

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: STATUS OF STORMS IN CENTRAL ASIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
1.1 Sand and dust storms in Central Asia and Kazakhstan
1.2 Land degradation and desertification processes in Central Asia
1.3 Shrinking lakes in Central Asia, dry and regional environment changes
1.4 Sand and dust storms and desertification in Central Asia
1.5 Data sources on storms and research methods

CHAPTER 2. NATURAL CONDITIONS OF CENTRAL ASIAN DESERTS AND LAND COVER CHANGES
2.1 Natural geographical division of deserts in Central Asia and Kazakhstan
2.2 Typical regional climate and weather process
2.3 Land resources, soil and vegetation cover changes

CHAPTER 3. SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF DUST AND SAND STORMS
3.1 Sandstorms temporal changes in the frequency and intensity
3.2 Weather process
3.3 Dust storms
3.4 Analysis of several typical dust storms

CHAPTER 4. STORMS AND LAND DEGRADATION RELATIONSHIP
4.1 Sandstorms birthplace of natural and geographical conditions (topography, soils, vegetation)
4.2 Storms produced wind erosion; land degradation processes
4.3 Sandstorm outbreak (source) temporal remote sensing data with ground monitoring data

CHAPTER 5. DUST STORMS IN KAZAKHSTAN
5.1 Regional division of Kazakhstan according to the dust storm frequency
5.2 Southern Pre-Balkhash desert region is the source of dust/sand storms
5.3 Dust/sand storm source in the Naryn desert
5.3 Strong and very strong dust storms
5.4 The seasonal distribution of dust storms
5.5 Duration and frequency of dust storms
5.6 The relationship of dust storm origin and soil texture
5.7 Visual identification of dust storms based on the satellite monitoring data

CHAPTER 6. AEOLIAN TRANSPORTATION OF DUST AND SAND IN DESERTS OF KAZAKHSTAN
6.1 Aeolian transportation of dust and sand in the Aralkum and southern Pre-Balkhash deserts
6.2 Aeolian transportation of dust and sand in the Naryn desert (Northern Caspian plain)

CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSIONS
7.1 Dust storm sources, frequencies and durations
7.2 Favorable conditions for formation of storms
7.3 Land degradation and Desertification processes within Kazakhstan

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Dr. Gulnura Issanova obtained her PhD in Natural Sciences. Currently she is a researcher at U. U. Uspanov Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry and a Scientific Secretary at Research Centre of Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (Almaty). Her research interests are focused on soil degradation and desertification problems, in particular the role of dust and sand storms in land/soil degradation.
Jilili Abuduwaili is a professor at Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is an Associate Editor of the "Journal of Arid Land"; Editor in chief of the "Arid Land Geography" and "Arid Land Research" journals (both in Uyghur language); Editorial Board Member of the journal "Arid ecosystems" and "Soil Science and Agrochemistry. His research interests are in the area of resource environment in arid region, eco-security and change in landscape as well as cooperative research between Russia and countries in Central Asia.iv>

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