Years of study set for Tibet plateau

China has launched the second comprehensive expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to paint a fresher picture of the ecologically fragile region.

The expedition, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will analyze the impact of environmental change and provide suggestions for building the Third Pole National Park in the area, according to the academy. The first such expedition was conducted from the 1970s to the 1990s.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, mainly located in southwestern China, is referred to as the world's Third Pole. It covers an area of about 2.5 million square kilometers, with an average altitude of 4,000 meters, according to official data.