Whenever I am visiting a new place, I like to look at the geological statistics of the place which is not limited to the climate conditions, especially in an exciting ecosystem like the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. Although my area of study revolves around climate change, environmental vulnerabilities and anthropogenic impacts on the environment, much of this is built on the foundations of the eco-dynamics of a place. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is colloquially referred to as “The Roof of The World”. Geologists refer to QTP as a natural geological museum. Background studies have brought to light that 200 million years ago, at a time when the continents were drifting in the oceans, the Eurasian continent and the Indian sub-continent collided into one another and as a result of which the Himalayas and the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau arose.
Some interesting facts about the QTP collected from various sources:
– QTP is the highest plateau in the world with an average altitude of 14,800′.
– The world’s highest mountains peaks – Mt. Everest (29,029′)and Mt. Ketu (28,251′) are both located in the QTP region.
– The QTP region is geologically active zone frequented by earthquakes and glacier movements and its geomorphic nature creates and alters climatic conditions in the Asian continent.
Very appropriately termed as “The Roof of The World”.
