NGARI, Tibet, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Scientists and researchers participating in China's second scientific expedition of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have entered Ngari Prefecture in Tibet Autonomous Region.
The team will inspect more than ten major lakes and rivers in Ngari and Xigaze prefectures and study the local climate, lake sediment, lake floors and biodiversity of the region.
The expedition is expected to provide scientific data about the region's water distribution, vegetation and geological structure that was not included China's first comprehensive scientific expedition to the plateau due to poor transportation and geographic restrictions at that time.
"Our technology and logistical support have improved a lot, so the main task for this expedition is to fill in the gaps. For example, Nganglha Ringtso Lake is an important lake in Changtang region, but we have almost no data on it, " said Wang Junbo, associate researcher at Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Data collected during the expedition will be used in the building of the proposed Third Pole National Park.
"We are collecting sediment cores from rivers to explore changes in the local climate," Wang said. "It will help us predict future climate change and provide scientific data required for the national park."
The second scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau began in June and will continue for five to 10 years.
China's first comprehensive scientific expedition to the plateau took place in the 1970s and covered more than 50 disciplines including structural geology, paleontology, geophysics, climatology, zoology and botany. Enditem
