Rare earth elements ( REE) are the good indicators for studying the provenance,paleoenvironment and paleoclimate of lake sediments due to their stable geochemical characteristics,and thus have important research significance. A 5. 4-m-thick section of lake sediments( 89°55', 40°40') was researched in the northern margin of the Kongque River,and the study area is located in Tarim town,Yuli county,southern Xinjiang Province. Based on the analysis of REE concentration and distribution vertical distribution of total REE,combined with the variation of loss-on-ignition and particle-size parameter in sediments,the relationship between REE and the climate and environment was discussed. The results show that REE values in the sediments are higher, with an average of 140. 0402mug /g, indicating that the humid environment was dominant with a more intense chemical weathering. The ratio of light rare earth elements ( LREE) /heavy earth elements ( HREE) is 9. 5,indicates that the LREE is rich and the HREE is poor. The sediments from LX02 profile have very similar REE distribution patterns,which are rich in LREE,with negative slopes and moderate negative Eu anomaly and weak negative Ce anomaly. Total REE contents have good relationships with loss-on-ignition and particle-size parameters. During warmer and wetter climatic episodes,the values of total REE in sediments are higher; on the contrary,during colder and drier climatic episodes,the values of total REE are lower. The further study has reconstructed the paleoclimate evolution of Lop Nor area since 72. 4kaBP,which includes four main climatic and environmental changes that were cool-dry,warm-moist and cold-dry warm-moist,during Late-Pleistocene period. Finally,we concluded that REE in sediments of Lop Nor area is an effective indicator to reconstruct the paleoclimatic variation in the semi-arid areas because of its sensitivity to the climatic changes.