Central Asia, encompassing the vast arid regions of the Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts (K&K), represents one of the largest dryland systems on Earth. In recent decades, global warming has strongly affected drylands, increasing concerns regarding desertification and ecological stability. Despite global progress in studying major sand seas, Central Asia remains underrepresented in geochronological syntheses and paleoclimate reconstructions.
This study addresses this gap by systematically compiling and synthesizing chronological and geomorphological data from the K&K dune fields and adjacent areas. The research develops the first spatially explicit geochronological database for Central Asia, integrating multiple dating methods with climatic reconstructions, satellite-based environmental indicators, and other spatial datasets. Following the ROSES framework for systematic evidence synthesis, the study employs spatial integration and geostatistical interpolation in a GIS environment to reconstruct the regional paleoclimate and identify spatial-temporal patterns of dune activation and stabilization.
Preliminary results highlight the uneven spatial and temporal coverage of chronological data across the region and identify the mid-Holocene (~9–5 ka) as a dominant stabilization phase corresponding to the Holocene Climatic Optimum. The outcomes of this research provide a new chronological and spatial framework for Central Asia’s deserts and contribute to a better understanding of the region’s environmental evolution within the global context of climate change.
