The researchers studied how salty groundwater affects sandy soil in the Taklimakan Desert. They found that when the soil was irrigated, salt levels increased and water content decreased. The salt concentration was highest at the wetting front of the soil. The salt accumulation was influenced by factors like temperature, wind, and soil texture. The most common ions in the salt were sodium, chloride, and sulfate. The salt spread horizontally about 100 cm and vertically 5 cm from the irrigation source.