The formation of Taklimakan Desert is directly related to the uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

80 million years ago, the Indian plate continued to drift northward, resulting in a strong tectonic movement-Himalayan movement. The uplift process of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has gone through several different stages. Every uplift makes the plateau landform evolve. Ten thousand years ago, the plateau rose faster, with an average annual increase of 7 cm, becoming the "roof of the world" on the earth today.

The formation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has greatly reduced the precipitation in southern Xinjiang and made the climate dry. In winter, the westerly jet near the ground in China moves south, and the blocking force of its northern branch airflow will be weakened by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau near the ground, making the climate in the vast areas of northern China cold and dry; In summer, the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean rarely crosses the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and enters the northwest of China, so the climate in Gansu and Xinjiang will be relatively dry. The persistent drought has turned the Taklimakan area into a vast desert today.