A typical Tamarix nebkha was studied in the southern Qaidam Basin, China. K-feldspar pIRIR dating was applied to establish a reliable chronological framework, and an Undatable age-depth model was constructed. Accumulation rates (AR) declined in stages: rapid (similar to 1.33 cm/a; similar to 370-260 yr BP), slower (similar to 0.75 cm/a; similar to 260-130 yr BP), and slowest (similar to 0.31 cm/a; similar to 130 yr BP-present). This dynamic pattern is likely influenced by a combination of regional aeolian activity variations, geomorphological evolution, and the intrinsic growth dynamics of the nebkha itself. To further understand the relationship between nebkha development and climatic conditions, a delta C-13 sequence was reconstructed using Tamarix plant remains preserved within the sediments. Based on shifts in leaf-level delta C-13 values, which indicate changes in water use efficiency, water availability over the past 370 years was inferred and divided into three main phases: relatively sufficient from 1650 to 1690, gradually decreasing during 1690-1870, and increasing again after 1870. The delta C-13 trend closely correlates with temperature variations derived from delta O-18 records of the Malan ice core. This suggests that in this hyper-arid region, the development of Tamarix nebkhas is primarily controlled by glacial meltwater and snowmelt runoff from the Kunlun Mountains, rather than by local precipitation.