There are many mysteries on our planet that scientists dream of unraveling. The story of a lake wandering from place to place seemed like a fairy tale for a long time, but such reservoirs actually exist.
History of the study of the lake
At the end of the 19th century, the famous traveler N. M. Przhevalsky set off on a new expedition to Central Asia. His first trip to the Ussuri region was an exciting adventure that hardened the young explorer. Expeditions to Central Asia were incredibly difficult, but the scientist steadfastly withstood all the tests and kept records under the scorching sun and in the burning sands of the desert.
A new expedition set off to where Lop Nor Lake is located. Today it is marked on a map in the southeastern part of the Tarim (Kashgar) Plain, located in China.
Difficulties of the expedition
The lake, which at that timefew people knew, it was depicted on ancient maps by ancient geographers as early as the 7th century, and there was no new information about it. This journey was accompanied by a suspicious attitude of the Chinese government towards the Russian expedition. With great difficulty, Przhevalsky received documents for a new study, but the authorities monitored his actions all the time and even interfered with him.
Shoaling river
Having reached the Tarim River, which overflowed into a huge but shallow lake, the travelers stopped. The locals gave it the name Kara-Buran, which means "Black Storm" in translation. Often, with the strongest winds, it overflowed its banks, flooding everything around.
In the east, the river grew smaller until it was completely out of sight. The traveler described his observations as follows: “Leaving Kara-Buran, the Tarim decreases in size, as the neighboring desert presses on it. She absorbs all the moisture with her burning breath.
The river dies, but before dying, with the last of its strength, it overflows into a small lake, which turned out to be a swamp, which has long been called Lop Nor.”
Found lake
The goal of the trip was achieved: the lake mentioned by Chinese geographers stretched for 100 kilometers. Przhevalsky tried to cross it in length, but could not do it because of the thick reeds covering almost the entire water surface.
Indigenous people said that 30 years ago, Lop Nor Lake was distinguished by its depth and lack of thickets. But every year it growsreeds, and the water, which had nowhere to go, overflowed the banks.
Valuable material for science
A scientist who carefully studied all the surroundings collected a huge amount of material of scientific value. In the report, the researcher indicated that the water in the lake itself is fresh, and near the shores it has a s alty taste, as it dissolves the s alts of the soil. He made a detailed map, on which he plotted the location of Lop Nor Lake and the Tarim River.
The material became a real sensation in the scientific world and was translated into different languages. The description of the amazing reservoir sunk into the souls of other researchers, including the German connoisseur of China - Richthofen.
Disagreements between scientists
He suggested that, after all, the Russian traveler made a mistake when describing Lake Lop Nor. The main reason for his doubts were old maps, on which the reservoir was marked in a different place, much further from where the scientist found it. The German was also embarrassed by Przhevalsky's statement about fresh water, because it was previously believed that it should be s alty.
A Russian scientist pointed out errors in Chinese geographical maps, noting their imperfection.
For a long time there were heated debates about who turned out to be right after all. Several foreign expeditions were assembled in the wake of Przewalski's journey to determine the winner. The Russian explorer, along with his assistants, set off on a new path to the lake, which did not give rest.
The Mystery of Lake Lop Nor
The successor of the scientist Kozlov turned out to be the very person whoput an end to all disputes. Looking at the map made by Przhevalsky, he drew attention to the dried-up river bed in the east, which the locals called sandy, and came to the conclusion that earlier the map of the Lop Nor area was completely different.
Tarim, deprived of the source of water that once gave it life, fell into decay, which affected the lake Lop Nor, disappearing before our eyes. Surprisingly, with its drying up, another reservoir was reborn, which was located exactly where the Chinese scientists depicted it. It turns out that there were no losers in the dispute, each of the researchers was right in his own way.
Lop Nor Lake, which has shifted 30 kilometers, turned out to be a very rare natural phenomenon, wandering from one place to another and obeying the changing course of the river.
Research continues
In 2014, Chinese researchers began a large-scale study of the missing lake, which repeats the fate of the Aral Sea. Remains of an ancient civilization have been discovered in the Lop Nor area. It is believed that the Great Silk Road passed along its banks.
The roaming Lop Nor Lake is of great interest not only to Chinese specialists, but also to scientists around the world who are trying to unravel the mysteries of the disappearance of the Loulan kingdom, which was located next to the reservoir and turned into ruins. And let's hope that new research will shed light on many of the mysteries of civilization.
