Pangong Tso Lake at 6.32 am of October 9, 2014 : Eastern Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
It is the wonder of Pangong Tso lake that it appears so different and dramatic at different times, as this one is really so different from blue hour!!
This is a panoramic view where four photographs were stitched together in a software.
Ladakh Maps ( www.lehladakhindia.com/ladakhmaps )
Pangong Tso (Tibetan for "long, narrow, enchanted lake"), also referred to as Pangong Lake, is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas, located in ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Rutog County, Tibet, China. Its situated at a height of about 14,270 ft. It is 134 km long, having max width 5 km, max depth 328 ft and a surface area of approx.700 km2 . It extends from India to Tibet. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in Tibet. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It is not part of Indus river basin area and geographically a separate land locked river basin.
Formerly, Pangong Tso had an outlet to Shyok River, a tributary of Indus River, but it was closed off due to natural damming. Two streams feed the lake from the Indian side, forming marshes and wetlands at the edges. Strand lines above current lake level reveal a 16 ft thick layer of mud and laminated sand, suggesting the lake has shrunken recently in geological scale.
The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.
Pangong Tso is in disputed territory. The Line of Actual Control passes through the lake. A section of the lake approximately 20 km east from the Line of Actual Control is controlled by China but claimed by India. The eastern end of the lake is in Tibet and is not claimed by India. The western end of the lake is disputed between Pakistan and India as a part of the Kashmir dispute. After the mid-19th century, Pangong Tso was at the southern end of the so-called Johnson Line, an early attempt at demarcation between India and China in the Aksai Chin region.
Flora and fauna
The brackish water of the lake has very low micro-vegetation. Guides report that there are no fish or other aquatic life in the lake, except for some small crustaceans. On the other hand, visitors see numerous ducks and gulls over and on the lake surface. There are some species of scrub and perennial herbs that grow in the marshes around the lake.
The lake acts as an important breeding ground for a variety of birds including a number of migratory birds. During summer, the Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks are commonly seen here. The region around the lake supports a number of species of wildlife including the kiang and the Marmot.
Pangong Tso Lake at 6.32 am of October 9, 2014 : Eastern Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
It is the wonder of Pangong Tso lake that it appears so different and dramatic at different times, as this one is really so different from blue hour!!
This is a panoramic view where four photographs were stitched together in a software.
Ladakh Maps ( www.lehladakhindia.com/ladakhmaps )
Pangong Tso (Tibetan for "long, narrow, enchanted lake"), also referred to as Pangong Lake, is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas, located in ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Rutog County, Tibet, China. Its situated at a height of about 14,270 ft. It is 134 km long, having max width 5 km, max depth 328 ft and a surface area of approx.700 km2 . It extends from India to Tibet. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in Tibet. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It is not part of Indus river basin area and geographically a separate land locked river basin.
Formerly, Pangong Tso had an outlet to Shyok River, a tributary of Indus River, but it was closed off due to natural damming. Two streams feed the lake from the Indian side, forming marshes and wetlands at the edges. Strand lines above current lake level reveal a 16 ft thick layer of mud and laminated sand, suggesting the lake has shrunken recently in geological scale.
The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.
Pangong Tso is in disputed territory. The Line of Actual Control passes through the lake. A section of the lake approximately 20 km east from the Line of Actual Control is controlled by China but claimed by India. The eastern end of the lake is in Tibet and is not claimed by India. The western end of the lake is disputed between Pakistan and India as a part of the Kashmir dispute. After the mid-19th century, Pangong Tso was at the southern end of the so-called Johnson Line, an early attempt at demarcation between India and China in the Aksai Chin region.
Flora and fauna
The brackish water of the lake has very low micro-vegetation. Guides report that there are no fish or other aquatic life in the lake, except for some small crustaceans. On the other hand, visitors see numerous ducks and gulls over and on the lake surface. There are some species of scrub and perennial herbs that grow in the marshes around the lake.
The lake acts as an important breeding ground for a variety of birds including a number of migratory birds. During summer, the Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks are commonly seen here. The region around the lake supports a number of species of wildlife including the kiang and the Marmot.