PurposeSurface coarsening caused by wind erosion is common in the arid and semiarid regions. This study aims to characterize coarsening of the surface and estimate historical soil loss by wind erosion in the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.MethodsThrough systematically collecting surface soil samples (0 to 1 cm deep) and shallow soil samples (1 to 10 cm deep) from alpine meadow, shrubland, steppe, and desert steppe sites in the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this study applied the wind erosion coarsening index (WECI) to quantify the surface coarsening degree, and estimated the historical wind erosion amount based on the particle-size comparison method.ResultsThe coarse fractions in the surface soil, such as gravel and very coarse sand, increased from east to west, whereas the fine-grained fractions, such as clay and silt, decreased. However, there was no similar trends in the shallow soil. Loss of the fine fractions was significant from surface soils of the alpine steppe and desert steppe. These surfaces showed clear coarsening, with an average WECI of 1.6 and 1.7, respectively. In contrast, surfaces of the alpine meadow and shrubland had strong resistance to wind erosion, with the average WECIs less than 1. The historical wind erosion per unit area in alpine meadow, shrubland, steppe, and desert steppe was -1922.9 and -974.4 (net deposition), and 15,823.9 and 28,207.9 t km-2 (net erosion), respectively.ConclusionThe characteristics of land surface implied there were general spatial differences in wind erosion and the consequent surface coarsening. Due to the surface coarsening, current wind erosion in the southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is weak and will remain weak if sustainable human activities continue in the future.