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Aydingkol Lake. Although referred to as a lake, its average depth is only 0.8 meters, and often much of the lake is dry. No life can survive here due to the high salinity creating a harsh environment. |
Chinese scientists will re-measure the lowest point on land in the country, which is also the second lowest point in the world – Aydingkol Lake, located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China.
The re-measurement project will be approved and initiated by the central government next year, according to Liu Geqing, a senior official of the Land Surveying and Mapping Bureau of the Autonomous Region.
Situated in the Turpan Basin in eastern Xinjiang, the saline Aydingkol Lake is the lowest point in China and the second deepest lake in the world, second only to the Dead Sea. It is also dubbed the Dead Sea of China due to its elevation above sea level being slightly higher than that of its counterpart in West Asia.
The re-survey will help determine the lake’s accurate depth. In 1978, the lake was measured to be 155 meters below sea level, although various documents have indicated differing figures.
Aydingkol Lake was formed during the rise of the Himalayas around 200 million years ago. Since the measurement in 1978, new geological features may have emerged due to changes, but Liu noted that these alterations are unlikely to be significant.
