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Aeolian Lakes
When the low-lying land among the dunes in the desert is lower than the groundwater level , the water gathers there and forms the aeolian lake.
The forming of Aeolian Lakes is as the cartoon shows.
The forming process of a type of tectonic lakes-the rift lake is:
- the dunes in the vast desert, active or semi-fixed
- numerous dunes move gradually, and form the dune chain.
- between the dune chains, there form the basin or low-lying land.
- if there is plenty precipitation and/or groundwater to replenish in the basin or low-lying land among these dunes, Aeolian Lakes will form.
- Plan view of the aeolian lake group at the lower reaches of Tarim River, Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
Aeolian Lakes are all stagnant lakes that do not move, with smaller area, shallower water, changeable shape and no exit. They often accumulate water in Winter- Spring, and dry up or become the meadows in summer. Because the dune is in a constant movement driven by the directional wind, the lakes are often buried by the dune and become the  underground lakes. On the low-lying land among the high dune mountains in the Badanjilin Desert, there distribute over one hundred low-lying aeolian lakes, generally with an area not exceeding 0.5km2. The largest one is Yihezhagedehaizi Lake, with an area of only 1.5km2 and utmost water depth of 6.2m. Because on the lake surface the evaporation is strong, the salt is easy to accumulate and the salt concentration of the lake water is relatively high, generally above 17g/l. Crystallized salt are separated out on the lakebed in many lakes.
On the low-lying lands among the dunes in the lower reaches of Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Uyur Autonomous Region, there distribute many lakes, mostly freshwater lakes, which become fewer towards the center of the desert. 
Because of being changeable, the aeolian lakes are also known as the lakes coming and going like a shadow. For example, there is a "ghost lake" on the eastern highland of the Kesapeika Desert, Monaco in Africa, which is constantly changeable. In the evening, it is a big lake with a depth of several hundred meters. Once after daybreak, not only the lake water disappears, but also it will turn into a big dune of one hundred meters high. In fact, it is not the ghost who is doing mischief, but there may be an enormous underground stream. Sometimes, the stratum changes (generally in the evening), and the underground river (underground stream) are welled up and overflow, forming a big lake. Sometimes, there blows a great sand storm (generally in daytime), which clogs the lake, and it disappears and is replaced by the dune.
Shoreline lakes--Lagoons <<
Anthropogenic Lakes-the reservoirs >>
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