Dagze Co (Lake) is one of many inland lakes in Tibet, with a present area of 260 km2 (100 square miles). In glacial times, the region was considerably wetter, and lakes were correspondingly much larger. Changes in climate have resulted in greater aridity on the Tibetan Plateau. The numerous concentric rings that circle the lake are fossil shorelines, and attest to the historical presence of a larger, deeper lake.
Figure1: An image of DagzeCo, a lake in central Tibet, acquired by the ASTER satellite sensor on 8 October 2001.
In July 2004, a joint expedition was mounted to investigate Qinghai and Nam Co, the two largest lakes found on the plateau.
As evidenced by the powdery depositions left by the water as it evaporates, the lake is saline, with an alkaline constituency rich in Magnesium Sulfate.
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