Image: Jewel-Toned Lakes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Description: Natural-colour image of the Tibetan Plateau. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau not only gives rise to most of Asia’s major rivers, it also holds a constellation of salt- and freshwater lakes. Due to differences in depth, sediments, and microscopic organisms in the various lakes, they collectively present a myriad of greens, blues, and teals when viewed from above. Resembling bits of abalone shell, the lakes glimmer in assorted jewel tones. The lakes in this region typically lack outlets, allowing the accumulation of minerals that, combined with other features, influence lake colour. The lakes vary widely in surface area and shape. Two of the largest in this scene are Siling Co and Nam Co. One of the most irregularly shaped lakes is Ngangla Ringco. Nam Co ranks among the world’s highest-altitude salt lakes, with a lake surface at 4,718 meters. It measures roughly 79 by 25 kilometres and, except for areas along the south-western and north-eastern margins, the lake appears nearly uniform blue. Siling Co’s shape and colour vary more than Nam Co’s. The lake’s blue-green hue ranges from light (in the north and east) to dark (in the south and west). Fringing the lake are smaller water bodies, which all used to be part of a larger lake. Lying to the west, Ngangla Ringco is one of the most unusually shaped water bodies on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with colours ranging from turquoise to sapphire. Small islands dot the surface in the west, and a large island sits in the lake’s eastern half.
Title: Jewel-Toned Lakes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Author: Jesse Allen
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No