Deserts face unprecedented flash flooding
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On 19–20 June, China’s Taklimakan Desert, one of the world’s largest, experienced a record-breaking downpour that triggered widespread flooding. Steep slopes sent debris-laden run-off downhill, while wind-eroded, salt-crusted surfaces repelled water faster than it could infiltrate, sending floodwaters across the desert’s basin.
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Nature 655 , 1354 (2026)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02349-z
Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
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