Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Sichuan Province of China lie on the Tibetan Plateau.

NASA satellite image of the southern area of Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai-Tibetan (Qingzang) Plateau, is a vast, elevated plateau in East Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in China. It occupies an area of around 1,000 by 2,500 kilometers, and has an average elevation of over 4,500 meters. Called "the roof of the world," it is the highest and biggest plateau in the world, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers (about four times the size of Texas or France) [1]. The plateau was formed by the collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates in the Cenozoic period (approximately 55 million years ago), in a process that is still ongoing. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (864x458, 320 KB)The relief of the Tibetan Plateau with administrative region boundaries within China shown (Self-drawn by Alan Mak based on a world map in Wikimedia Commons) The map is a bit off. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (864x458, 320 KB)The relief of the Tibetan Plateau with administrative region boundaries within China shown (Self-drawn by Alan Mak based on a world map in Wikimedia Commons) The map is a bit off. ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་; Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), is a province-level autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Qinghai (Chinese: 青海; pinyin: Qīnghǎi; Wade-Giles: Ching-hai; Postal System Pinyin: Tsinghai) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, named after the enormous Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor). ... Sichuan (Chinese: 四川; pinyin: Sìchuān; Wade-Giles: Ssu-ch`uan; non-standard transliteration: Szechwan) is a province in central-western China with its capital at Chengdu. ... Download high resolution version (2100x1600, 1001 KB)http://visibleearth. ... Download high resolution version (2100x1600, 1001 KB)http://visibleearth. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་; Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), is a province-level autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Qinghai (Chinese: 青海; pinyin: Qīnghǎi; Wade-Giles: Ching-hai; Postal System Pinyin: Tsinghai) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, named after the enormous Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English (de facto) See also languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...  The Indo-Australian plate, shown in dull orange The Indo-Australian Plate is an overarching name for two tectonic plates that include the continent of Australia and surrounding ocean extending northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and adjacent waters. ...  The Eurasian plate, shown in green The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate covering Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the continents Europe and Asia) except that it does not cover the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Verkhoyansk Range in East Siberia. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ... The Cenozoic Era (IPA pronunciation: ); sometimes Caenozoic Era in the United Kingdom) meaning new life (Greek kainos = new + zoe = life) is the most recent of the three classic geological eras. ...

The plateau is a high-altitude arid steppe interspersed with mountain ranges and large brackish lakes. Annual precipitation ranges from 100mm to 300mm and falls mainly as hailstorms. [2] The southern and eastern edges of the steppe have grasslands which can sustainably support populations of nomadic herdsmen, although frost occurs for six months of the year. Proceeding to the north and northwest, the plateau becomes progressively higher, colder and drier, until reaching the remote Kekexili region in the northwestern part of the plateau. Here the average altitude exceeds 5,000 meters (16,500 feet), the air contains only 60% of the oxygen of sea level, and year-round temperatures average -4°C, dipping to -40°C in winter. [3] As a result of this extremely inhospitable environment, the Kekexili region is the least populated region in Asia, and the third least populated area in the world after Antarctica and northern Greenland. A steppe in Western Kazakhstan in early spring In physical geography, a steppe (Russian: - , Ukrainian: - , Kazakh: - ), pronounced in English as , is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally considered as being dominated by tall grasses... Hailstorm A hailstorm is a meteorological event, being a storm in which a large amount of hail falls. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Frost on black pipes Frost is a solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. ... This article is about the region Kekexili (Hoh Xil). ...

The Chang Tang is bordered to the northwest by the Kunlun Range which separate it from the Tarim Basin, and to the northeast by the Qilian Range which separates the plateau from the Gobi Desert. In the south the plateau is delineated by the Brahmaputra river valley which flows along the base of the Himalayas, and by the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain. To the east and southeast the plateau gives way to the forested gorge and ridge geography of the mountain headwaters of the Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze rivers in western Sichuan. In the west it is embraced by the curve of the rugged Karakoram range of northern Kashmir. Region containing Kunlun Mountains Karakash River in the Western Kunlun Shan, seen from the Tibet-Xinjiang highway Peak in Kunlun range View of Western Kunlun Shan from the Tibet-Xinjiang highway The Kunlun mountain range (Simplified Chinese: 昆仑山; Traditional Chinese: 崑崙山; Pinyin: KÅ«nlún Shān) is one of the longest... Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin. ... The Qilian mountain range (祁连山) is located in the south of the Gansu province of northern China. ... The Gobi (Chinese: [GÄ“bì (Shāmò)]; Mongolian: Говь [Gowi]) is a large desert region in China and southern Mongolia. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Perspective view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Map of the Indo-Gangetic River basin system (as opposed to Indo-Gangetic Plain} The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a rich, fertile and ancient land encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, and virtually all of Bangladesh. ... The Salween River (also spelt Salwin, a. ... Map of the Mekong River watershed. ... Length 6,380 km Elevation of the source  ? m Average discharge 31,900 m³/s Area watershed 1,800,000 km² Origin Qinghai Province and Tibet Mouth East China Sea Basin countries China The Chang Jiang (Simplified Chinese: 长江; Traditional Chinese: 長江; pinyin: Cháng Jiāng...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: SzÅ­4-chuan1; Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in the central-western China with its capital at Chengdu. ... Located in the mountainous regions of Gilgit, Ladakh & Baltistan, Gilgit and Baltistan are in Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ...

The tectonic uplift of the plateau is thought to have had a significant effect on climate change, and it is believed to affect the Asian monsoon. In the Indian monsoon season (June to October) when the winds bring humid, tropical air from the south, the Himalayas create a rain shadow which makes northern India very wet and keeps the Tibetan Plateau very dry. As the winds continue over the plateau, they drop what little moisture remains in the air, becoming drier as they move northwards and creating deserts such as the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert. It has been suggested that Global warming in popular culture be merged into this article or section. ... Monsoon in the Vindhya mountain range, central India A monsoon is a wind pattern that changes direction depending on the specific season. ... The climate of India is difficult to lay due to the countrys large geographic size and varied topography. ... For the television series see Rain Shadow. ... Dust storm in Taklamakan from space, June 25, 2005 The Taklamakan (also Taklimakan) is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Gobi (Chinese: [Gēbì (Shāmò)]; Mongolian: Говь [Gowi]) is a large desert region in China and southern Mongolia. ...

Rivers

Several of the world's longest rivers originate on the Tibetan Plateau:

• Yangtze River (or Chang Jiang)
• Huang He (or Yellow River)
• Indus River
• Satluj River
• Brahmaputra, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet
• Mekong
• Irrawaddy River
• Salween River

Between them, these rivers carry 25% of the world's soil erosion to the sea. Afternoon light on the jagged grey mountains rising from the Yangtze River gorge The Yangtze River or Chang Jiang (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: )   is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. ... For other Yellow Rivers, see Yellow River (disambiguation). ... The position of the Sindhu River in Iron Age (Vedic) India. ... Sutlej River (Sanskrit: IAST: , Punjabi: , Urdu: ‎, also known as Satluj), is the longest of the five rivers that flow through Indian Punjab in northern India. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Map of the Mekong River watershed. ... The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) is a river that flows through Burma (Myanmar). ... Salween River Delta, October 1994 The Salween River (also spelled Salwin) rises in Tibet, after which it flows through Yunnan, where it is known as the Nujiang river (Chinese: 怒江; Pinyin: Nù Jiāng), although either name can be used for the whole river. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and so forth) by the agents of wind, water, ice, or movement in response to gravity. ...

Lakes

• Tso Ngonpo
• Nam Tso
• Dagze Tso
• Lake Yamzho Yumco
• Lake Puma Yumco
• Lake Paiku

Qinghai Lake from space, November 1994 Qinghai Lake or Lake Kokonor (Tibetan: mtsho khri shor rgyal mo and mtsho sngon po; The Blue Sea, Mongolian: Хөхнуур [Höhnuur], []; Chinese: 青海湖;, pinyin: QÄ«nghÇŽi Hú) is the largest and highest lake in China. ... Pastoral nomads camping near Namtso (2005) Namtso (Nam Tso, Nam Co; 30°42′ N 90°33′ E) is a mountain lake in central Tibet. ... Satellite picture of Dagze Co. ... Lake Yamzho Yumco (at the top) and Lake Puma Yumco from space, November 1997 Lake Yamzho Yumco is a lake located on the southern Tibetan Plateau (28°56′ N 90°41′ E) which is over 72 km (45 miles) long. ... Lake Puma Yumco (centre) and Lake Yamzho Yumco from space, November 1997 Lake Puma Yumco is a lake located on the southern Tibetan Plateau (28°34′ N 90°25′ E). ... Lake Paiku from space, May 1997 Lake Paiku is located on the Tibetan Plateau, “The Roof of the World”, at 4591 meters (15070 feet) (28°55′ N 85°35′ E). ...

Reference

• The End of Earth's Summer

See also

• Geography of Tibet

The geography of historical Tibet Tibet, located in central Asia, is a region in Asia which is currently, for the most part, part of China. ...

External links

• www.PlateauPerspectives.org
• Leaf morphology and the timing of the rise of the Tibetan Plateau
• todays weather in the eastern Chang Tang