Gobi's (gravel deserts) are one of the largest dust sources in northern China. Previous studies indicated that sand transport processes above the surface differed between Gobi and sand surfaces. However, the sand transport rate and related dust emission processes above Gobi (gravel) surfaces are still poorly understood. In this field study, we quantified this transport to provide important support for parameterizing Aeolian sediment transport models and clarifying the relationship between dust emission and transport. Threshold wind velocity can reach 0.38 +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SD) m s-1 above Gobi surfaces. Compared to the most commonly used sand-transport models, we found that the Lettau and Lettau sediment transport model can be used to calculate horizontal sediment transport above a Gobi surface. The relationship between the vertical sediment transport (Fs) and shear velocity could be expressed using a power function. Although the horizontal sand transport and vertical flux (Q and Fs, respectively) above Gobi surfaces can be expressed similarly to previous results (i.e., using similar equation forms), the equation coefficients were much larger for the Gobi surface than for a shifting sand surface; that is, sediment transport was higher above the Gobi surface. This difference resulted from the larger sand transport rate and saltation height above the Gobi surface, and the larger transport and higher saltation height were related to the larger sand transport height and higher content of coarse sand transported above the Gobi surface. Sediment transport by the wind is a major erosion process in the world's arid and semiarid regions but also occurs on other planets. This transport causes the formation and evolution of sand dunes and produces dust storms. Therefore, it is important to accurately quantify Aeolian sediment transport to support the design of measures to prevent or mitigate desertification and to predict dust storm occurrence and severity. Previous studies have shown that sediment transport above gravel (Gobi) surfaces differs from transport above a mobile sand surface. However, the relationships between sand transport and dust emission above a Gobi surface are poorly understood. In this study, we measured sediment transport by the wind above Gobi surfaces in the field, and found higher sand transport rates and higher saltation (hopping of particles) heights above the Gobi surfaces than above a mobile sand surface. The change of the transport rate with height could be expressed as a Gaussian peak function. The observed sediment transport results from the nature of the gravel surface and soil crusts, which cause higher saltation above a Gobi surface than above mobile sand. We parameterized the coefficient values for previous transport models, which will support efforts to improve sand transport models. Horizontal sediment transport followed the Lettau and Lettau's (1978) equation The saltation height above the Gobi surface is higher than the sand surface Coarse and fine materials were both transported above the Gobi surface