Abstract: Based on the eddy covariance (EC) flux tower observation data drawn from the Ebinur Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve in Xinjiang from January to December of 2012, the diurnal seasonal characteristics of surface energy balance for desert wetland in the basin were compared. We analyzed variations in radiation, latent heat flux, sensible heat flux and soil heat flux and energy closure degree and residual energy accumulation characteristics for different seasons. The results showed that typical diurnal energy balance components for four seasons were high during the daytime, low at night, high at noon and low in the early morning, revealing a unimodal curve for the wetland of arid desert region in the Ebinur Lake Basin. Sensible heat flux was the main energyconsuming mechanism in the spring, while latent heat was higher than sensible heat in the summer, autumn and winter. As a whole, on a yearly scale, latent heat flux increased in spring and summer, declined in autumn and winter, and fluctuated considerably in summer. Moisture was a key factor affecting the ratio of sensible heat to latent heat flux. Diurnal variations in wetland surface residual energy in the desert area occurred over a long time period. Average diurnal residual energy levels for the four seasons were recorded as 17.77, 4.19, 171.99 and -12.81 W·m^-2, with the order of seasonal residual energy levels recorded as follows: winter < spring < summer < autumn. Compared to different underlying surfaces in arid area, the latent heat flux of wetland in desert area showed a higher proportion of energy expenditure (growing season, LE/R_n=0.803; entire year, LE/R_n=0.698), and the Bowen ratio was lower than the average level for arid area.