Under the joint auspices of National 973 Project and Deutsch ForschungsGemainschaft (DFG)’s Priority Programme “Tibetan Plateau:Formation-climate-ecosystems”, research staff of limnological paleo-climatology of the ITP went on an expedition to lakes along the South Tibetan Plateau profile, conducting lake measurement and sediment sampling together with German colleagues. The expedition started on Aug. 16, 2009, from Chengdu, the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, headed toward Lhasa along the Sichuan-Tibet high way, and reached Pulan County, Ngari on Sep. 30, 2009, covering nearly 8000 km for investigation and sampling of selected lakes.

Within the over-one-month expedition, scientists succeeded in measuring the depth of selected lakes, testing lake water quality, measuring limnological sedimentat depth, and collecting lake surface sediment, apart from obtaining short lake sediment cores, and lake shore terrace samples. Acquisition and latter analysis of these samples was expected to shed light on a comprehensive study of limnological paleo-environment reconstruction in the next step. It would also greatly enhance human understanding of interactions between lakes and environmental changes on the Tibetan Plateau.

Sampling route and sites

GPS radar fixed to one site of the rubber boat

Satellite image of Dangre Yumbo 

Lake shore terrace in Dangre Yumco

Manipulation of a gravity sampler during lake sediment coring