Gobi is one of the most important landscapes in northwest China, and it is also one of the dust sources in north China and even in central Asia. Based on the different land surface characteristics on the gobi surface, sand and dust emission process and mechanism are obviously different with other landscapes, such as sandy desert. Dust emission process and mechanism on the gobi surface were analyzed in this paper. Wind power system, geomorphology pattern and underlying characteristics were considered for their effect on the sand and dust emission process. Then, the mechanism of land surface characteristics on threshold wind velocity was analyzed. Finally, based on the previous studies on dust emission and mechanism, and in combination with the regional and global requirement, we suggested that the land surface characteristics parameterization, identification of the dust sources and sediment emission mechanism should be the main issues in the future gobi sand and dust research.