Chinese scientists launch survey on depth of major lake in Tibet
Dubbed "the water tower of Asia," the plateau provides the water supply for many Asian rivers including the Yangtze, Yellow River and Mekong River. As the water resources of the plateau are also vulnerable to the influence of climate change, it is important to find out the water storage of glaciers and lakes and the runoff of rivers.
Statistics from the CAS show that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has more than 30,000 lakes, covering an area of more than 47,000 square km, accounting for more than half of the total area of the country's lakes. Among them, there are more than 110 lakes covering an area of more than 50 square km, accounting for 67 percent of the total area of China's plateau lakes. However, most lakes lack comprehensive information on water depth and quality.
