Study on the propagation characteristics and triggering thresholds of meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought in the Mu Us sandy land

Drought propagation mechanisms in sandy lands remain insufficiently understood, particularly regarding the dynamic thresholds and integrated processes linking meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural droughts. To address this gap, this study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution, propagation characteristics, and triggering conditions of drought in the Mu Us Sandy Land (MUSL) from 1982 to 2023. Using the standardized precipitation index (SPI), standardized runoff index (SRI), and standa