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Aydingkol Lake. Despite being called a lake, its average depth is only 0.8 meters, and often much of the lakebed is dry. Nothing can survive here due to the high salinity creating a harsh environment. |
Chinese scientists are set to remeasure 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 resurvey project will be approved by the central government and is scheduled to begin next year, according to Liu Geqing, a senior official from the Land Surveying and Mapping Bureau of the Autonomous Region.
Situated in the Turpan Basin in Eastern Xinjiang, Aydingkol Lake is the lowest point in China and the second deepest lake in the world, surpassed only by the Dead Sea. It is also referred to as China’s Dead Sea due to its elevation being just slightly higher than that of the “champion” in Western Asia.
The resurvey will provide an accurate measurement of the lake’s depth. In 1978, the lake was recorded to be 155 meters below sea level, although various documents suggest different figures.
Aydingkol Lake was formed during the rise of the Himalayas approximately 200 million years ago. Since the last measurement in 1978, new geological changes may have occurred, but Liu noted that these changes are likely to be minimal.