Sap flow of tree trunk is very important to reflect the dynamics of physiological activities, as well as to estimate the water consumption of individual plant. In the present study, we used the thermal dissipation technique to monitor the sap flow velocity (J) at four depth loci (i. e. 2 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, 8 cm) of three Populus gansuensis trees (30 year-old) in Minqin Oasis for two consecutive growing seasons. The results showed that there were significant differences among J values at four depth loci under tree trunk cambium. J value at the 3 cm depth locus (J3) of the tree trunk was the highest, and then in sequences, were 2 cm, 5 cm and 8 cm depth loci (J2, J5 and J8). J value (J3) on typical sunny days in June with the highest atmospheric potential evapotranspiration (ET0) was up to 28.53 g · cm(-2) · h(-1), which was 1.42, 2.74 and 4.4 times of J2, J5 and J8, respectively. In the process of diurnal variation of sap flow velocity, the peak value time of J at the four depth loci of the tree trunk was different, but the differences among them were within 20 min. Furthermore, the peak value time of sap flow velocity was very different to that of solar radiation (Rs) and air vapour pressure deficit (VPD). The time lag between J and Rs was from 55 to 88 min on typical sunny days during the main growing seasons (from June to August), and, positively related to the depth of the locus under tree trunk cambium, while the time lag between J and VPD reached 60-96 min, and was negatively related to the depth of the locus. The seasonal variation patterns of J were consistent with ET0. With the increase of tree physiological activities, there was a trend that the major water transportation layer extended to the interior sapwood. The most important meteorological factor was the solar radiation, which primarily drove sap flow at different depths of tree trunk. However, the secondary factor changed along with the depth, and VPD became increasingly important with increasing the depth.