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The Minqin Basin is a type area for examining stress on groundwater resources in the Gobi Desert, and has been investigated here using a combination of isotopic, noble gas and chemical indicators. The basin is composed of clastic sediments of widely differing grain size and during the past half century over 10000 boreholes have been drilled with a groundwater decline of around 1 ma(-1). Modern diffuse recharge is unlikely to exceed 3 mm a(-1), as determined using unsaturated zone profiles and Cl- mass balance. A small component of modern (< 50 a) groundwater is identified in parts of the basin from H-3-(3) He data, probably from irrigation returns. A clear distinction is found between modern waters with median 6180 values of 6.5 +/- 0.5%. and most groundwaters in the basin with more depleted isotopic signatures. Radiocarbon values as pmc range from 0.6% to 85% modern, but it is difficult to assign absolute ages to these, although a value of 20% modern C probably represents the late Pleistocene to Holocene transition. The delta C-13 compositions remain near-constant throughout the basin (median value of -8.1 parts per thousand delta C-13) and indicate that carbonate reactions are unimportant and also that little reaction takes place. There is a smooth decrease in 14 C activity accompanied by a parallel increase in He-4 accumulations from S-N across the basin, which define the occurrence of a regional flow system. Noble gas temperatures indicate recharge temperatures of about 5.6 degrees C for late Pleistocene samples, which is some 2-3 degrees C cooler than the modern mean annual air temperature and the recharge temperature obtained from several Holocene samples. Groundwaters in the Minqin Basin have salinities generally below 1 g/L and are aerobic, containing low Fe but elevated concentrations of U, Cr and Se (mean values of 27.5, 5.8 and 5.3 mu g L-1, respectively). Nitrate is present at baseline concentrations of around 2 mg L-1 but there is little evidence of impact of high NO3 from irrigation returns. Strontium isotope and major ion ratios suggest that silicate reactions predominate in the aquifer. The results have important implications for groundwater management in the Minqin and other water-stressed basins in NW China - a region so far destined for rapid development. The large proportion of the water being used at present is in effect being mined and significant changes are urgently needed in water use strategy. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.