Where is Lop Nur located?
Lop Nor is a lake in the southeastern part of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is located at the lowest point in the eastern part of the Tarim Basin, at the easternmost edge of the Taklimakan Desert, in the north of Ruoqiang County, and in the southeast of the Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. The center is located at 40.5° north latitude and 90.3° east longitude. The Tarim River, Kongque River, Cheerchen River, Shule River, etc. gather here, making it the second largest saltwater lake in China, covering an area of about 2,400 to 3,000 square kilometers.
Because its shape is like a human ear, it is known as the "Ear of the Earth", also known as the "Sea of Death", also known as Luo Bu Nao (nào), and "The Book of Mountains and Seas" calls it "Youze" "It is also called Zize, Yanze, Puchang Sea, Laolan Sea, Furi Sea, Linhai, Luopu Pool, Luobu Pool and many other names.
Geographical environment
Lop Nur is located in the northeast of Ruoqiang County. It was once the second largest inland lake in China, with an altitude of 780 meters. Lop Nur has had many names, some were named for its characteristics, such as Aoze, Yanze, Dry Sea, etc., and some were named for its location, such as Puchang Sea, Laolan Sea, Peacock Sea, and Luopu Pool. wait. After the Yuan Dynasty, it was called Luobu Nur. In the mid-to-late 20th century, due to the reduction in the flow of the Tarim River, the surrounding desertification was severe and rapidly degraded until it completely dried up in the late 1970s. (Before the 1970s, it was the second largest saltwater lake in China. Since Lop Nur dried up, Namtso has become the second largest saltwater lake in China. Saltwater lakes, the largest is Qinghai Lake).
Rivers in the basin, such as the Tarim River, Kongque River, Cheerchen River, Shule River, etc., gathered here and once formed huge lakes. After that, the lake water decreased and Loulan City fell into ruins. In 1931, Chinese scholar Chen Zongqi and German geologist Hornier conducted on-site inspections of the waters newly formed in Lop Nur since the Tarim River was diverted in 1921. In 1931, they completed the measurement of the entire lake area. The measured water area of Lop Nur was 2,375 hectares. square kilometers, the water source comes from the Kongque River, enters the lake from the north end, enters the center of the lake, expands eastward, shaped like a "boot", 85 kilometers long from north to south, 20 kilometers wide from east to west in the north of the lake area, and 45 kilometers wide from east to west in the south. The lake is very shallow, and it is even impossible to sail boats in some areas. It is sometimes stranded. There is a river in the southwest connected to Karaheshun Lake.
Climate
The climate in the Lop Nur area is extremely dry and hot, with an average annual temperature of 11.6°C, a maximum temperature of >40°C in summer, a minimum temperature of -20°C or less in winter, and an annual precipitation of 20 mm. The evaporation volume is >3000 mm, the annual sunshine hours are >3200h, and the annual accumulated temperature is >4500℃. Moreover, wind erosion is strong, and the prevailing wind direction throughout the year is NE. The windy season is from March to May, and the gale season is from June to August. Windy days of level 8 >60 days often cause sandstorms. Ruoqiang and Ruoqiang are located in the downwind direction of Lop Nur. There are 115 to 193 days of dusty weather in this area every year.