Dynamic changes and factors of Sailimu Lake from 2000 to 2020

As indicators of climate change, lakes are an imperative subject of research on climate change. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in water levels, areal extent, volume, and the main driving factors of Sailimu Lake in northern Xinjiang based on data derived from Landsat and satellite-borne Laser Altimeter Satellite-ice, cloud, and land elevation satellite (ICEsat/ICESat2) from 2000 to 2020. The study results show that during the past 20 years, the areal extent, water levels, and volume of the Sailimu Lake have increased continuously. The lake area extent and water level increased by 3.43 km² and 1.28 m, respectively. Spatially, it mainly expanded toward the central flat area in the west. A wetter and warmer climate change trend was observed over 20 years in the Salimu Lake Basin, which resulted in a significant increase in temperature and precipitation. The ecological environment of the Sailimu Lake Basin has greatly improved under the warmer and wetter climate, leading to an improvement in water conservation capacity. The analysis results show that the warming and humidification of the climate and the improvement of the ecological environment around the lake are important factors leading to the expansion of the lake, among which increased precipitation is the main factor.