EyesOnSci | Visiting base camp of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau scientific expedition near Purog Kangri Glacier

SHUANGHU, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- China launched a scientific expedition in Lhasa on Aug. 18 to investigate the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau -- known as Asia's "water tower" -- with a target region encompassing "one glacier, two lakes and three rivers."

The region is home to the Purog Kangri Glacier, the largest glacier in the world, located in the mid- to low-latitude regions, as well as Siling Lake and Namtso Lake, the largest and second-largest lakes in Xizang, respectively. It is also the birthplace of the Yangtze River, the Nujiang River and the Yarlung Zangbo River.

Over the past 20 years, the climate and environment in the region have experienced dramatic changes, including accelerated glacier retreat and rapid lake expansion. These transformations have affected the structure and function of the regional ecosystem, with significant implications for human survival and development.

This scientific expedition, based on an Earth system science perspective, will identify the characteristics of regional climate and ecological changes and reveal the mechanisms behind these changes.