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Knowledge of the variability of soil water content (SWC) in space and time plays a key role in hydrological and climatic modelling. However, limited attention has been given to arid regions. The focus of this study was to investigate the spatio-temporal variability of surface soil (0–6 cm) water content and to identify its controlling factors in a region of the Gobi Desert (40 km ²). The standard deviation of SWC decreased logarithmically as mean water content decreased, and the coefficient of variation of SWC exhibited a convex upward pattern. The spatial variability of SWC also increased with the size of the investigated area. The spatial dependence of SWC changed over time, with stronger patterns of spatial organization in drier and wetter conditions of soil wetness and stochastic patterns in moderate soil water conditions. The dominant factors regulating the variability of SWC changed from combinations of soil and topographical properties (bulk density, clay content and relative elevation) in wet conditions to combinations of soil and vegetation properties (bulk density, clay content and shrub coverage) in dry conditions. This study has important implications for the assessment of soil quality and the sustainability of land management in arid regions.
