Lop Nur, the "big ear" mystery (Photos)

70s of last century, scientists discovered in the remote sensing images show magic dry Lop ear shape, its causes has attracted wide attention. Our scientists found that in remote sensing images show the "big ears" shape of the ancient Lop Nur Lop Nur Lake is the western half of the divided West covered, making the original shoreline traps were partly cut and cover, so the image can be seen in remote sensing copies of ancient eastern half of East Lake, it presents the "ear" shape.

Use of radar remote sensing technology perspective aeolian deposits and the ability of extremely dry salt crust, scientists have discovered buried under the Xihu lake sediments of the ancient East Lake shore line, confirming the continuous westward extension of the ancient East Lake shore line exists, that the West Lake (salt and fresh water mix) is superimposed on the old East Lake (salt water) above. The scientific findings indicate that the original shoreline is the ancient Lop Nor was the state of the trap, not just the "ear"-shaped.

In the field investigation, the scientists also found the Lop Nur Lake in the north and west of the ancient shoreline, confirming the boundaries of Lop Nur, which speculated that the ancient Lop Nur Lake range measurement may be much larger than the original 5350 square kilometers, more than initial estimates 10,000 square kilometers.

Scientists will be ancient Lop Nur Lake in the dry process is divided into six, in the radar images showed light and dark bands 6. Ming band for high salt content of lake sediments, representing a more intense contraction of Lop Nur lake rapid shrinking fast crystallization of salt. Dark band of low salinity for the lake sediments, represents a relatively weak contraction Lop Nur lake narrowed, but the process is slow. Repeated and continuing this process forward, is the ancient lake of Lop Nur the true record of smaller, indicating the gradual decline in the Lop Nur, the process of drying appeared six times in the lake sediments of environmental change. (Photo for the Lop Nur radar satellite image and Landsat TM satellite image contrast)

(Manuscript are derived from the Chinese Academy of Sciences)