Mineral assemblages in lake sediments are sensitive indicators of palaeoclimates, whose types anddeposit processes have important significances to interpretations of mineralogical proxies.The ubiquitous inverse correlation between saline minerals and detrital minerals in the Late Quaternary lake sediments has disturbed the interpretation and application of mineral assemblages as a paleoclimate proxy. A correct understanding of the relationship from the perspective of earth sciences can provide important scientific basis for hydrodynamics of lake and quantitative research of palaeoclimate. In this paper,five sections from different positions of Zhuye Lake (Sections QTH01, QTH02, XQ, SKJ and JTL) were chosen to conduct a comparative study on saline mineral contents and grain sizes in order to make clear the sedimentary models of saline minerals and detrital mineralsunder different hydrodynamic conditions. The results revealed that in the aeolian layers, sediments above 200 mum mainly are aeolian sands from the Badain Jaran Desert and the Tengger Desert. In lake sediments, wind force slightly contributes to the deposition of silt between 20 mum and 70 mum, but silt and sand under 200 mum are dominated by hydrodynamic effect, and carbonate mineral enriches in this grain size interval. Meanwhile, sedimentary processes of saline mineral show different patterns under different sedimentary conditions. Sedimentary environment at Sections QTH01 and QTH02 was stationary, and carbonate content was significantly high; Section XQ had strong hydrodynamic condition. At the same time, Sections SKJ and JTL were far away from the estuary, and carbonate content was relatively low. Sedimentary environment at Sections QTH01, QTH02 and XQ were dominated by runoff, where there was high value of carbonate content in the lake sediments corresponding to a finer average grain size; Sections SKJ and JTL were influenced by local environment, so the high value of carbonate content was corresponding to coarse particles. Above all, saline mineral contents in lake sediments of arid areas were closely related to the sedimentary process; therefore, the application of the saline minerals in global change research should be established on the basis of the full study of the sedimentary dynamic mechanism.