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31-796: The Yangbajain geothermal field is in a plateau basin on the southern slopes of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains , near to the Qinghai–Tibet Highway ( China National Highway 318 ) in Damxung County. The Qinghai–Tibet Railway , which terminates in Lhasa, also passes through Yangbajain. The field covers 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi). It delivers natural thermal energy at the ground surface of up to 107,000 kilocalories per second. Yangbajain Geothermal Field

62-533: A 2,213 m topographic prominence and is 166 kilometres (103 mi) away from a higher point. Large areas of the eastern sector are snow-covered. Two-thirds of the glaciers, accounting for five-sixths of the area, lie in the eastern section. This section receives the southwest monsoons, which enter the Tibetan plateau at the Yarlung Zanbo river's Grand Bend. The air is forced up by the terrain, and yields

93-682: A 700-kilometre (430 mi) long mountain range , and subrange of the Transhimalaya System, located in Tibet and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China . One source says the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains range is about 1,000 km (620 mi) in length. Its highest point is 7,090 m (23,260 ft) located 100 km (62 mi) to the northwest of Lhasa . The range is parallel to

124-456: A deep reservoir with temperatures up to 329 °C (624 °F). The deep reservoir included an upper section between 950 and 1,350 metres (3,120 and 4,430 ft) deep and a lower and hotter section below 1,850 metres (6,070 ft). Both the upper and lower reservoirs contained sodium chloride thermal water. The shallow reservoir covers 148 square kilometres (57 sq mi) and is mostly hosted in porous Quaternary alluvium. Its basement

155-769: A longitude between 90°E and 97°E. Together with the Gangdise Shan located further west, it forms the Transhimalaya which runs parallel to the Himalayas north of the Yarlung Tsangpo River . The Drukla Chu river rises in the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, where it is called the Song Chu river, and joins the Gyamda Chu river. The combined rivers run about 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast to

186-444: Is Himalayan granite and tuff. The water is a mixture of cold groundwater and deep thermal water. The deep reservoir was thought to have an area of 3.8 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi) below 750 metres (2,460 ft), contained in fractured bedrock. The thermal water is held in tectonic fissures and fracture zones. The isotopic composition of the thermal waters indicates local meteoric origin (rain and snow), including run-off from

217-571: Is at 30°23′00″N 94°49′58″E  /  30.3833°N 94.8329°E  / 30.3833; 94.8329 . According to the Langzhou Glaciers Research Institute, there are a total of 2,905 glaciers in the range covering a total area of 5,898 square kilometres (2,277 sq mi). Most of the peaks in East Nyenchen Tanglha, called the " Alps of Tibet", are unclimbed. Sepu Kangri itself

248-757: Is currently the largest proven geothermal field of its nature in China. It has an estimated power generation potential of 150,000 kW. The Yangbajing Basin lies between the Nyainquentanglha Range to the northwest and the Yarlu-Zangbo suture to the south. The geothermal field is in the central part of a semi-graben fault-depression basin caused by the foremontane fault zone of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. The SE-dipping detachment fault began to form about 8 Ma. Most of

279-549: Is the largest geothermal steam power plant in China. 4,000 kW of electricity from Yangbajain began to be delivered to Lhasa in 1981 along a transmission line that runs southeast along the Duilong River . It was the main source of power for Lhasa until the Yamdrok Hydropower Station came into operation in 1998. The highest temperature inside the drilling hole is 125.5 °C (257.9 °F). By

310-638: Is the largest tributary of the Lhasa River, with a length of 137 kilometres (85 mi) and a basin area of 4,988 square kilometres (1,926 sq mi). The valley of the Duilong River leads south to the Lhasa River, and is contained by two ridges of the Nianqing Tanggula Mountains . The Duilong has hydro-electrical power generation capacity of 4,000  KW. The non-monsoon season lasts from October to May each year, and

341-591: The Himalayas in the Transhimalayas , and north of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Another source says the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains extend 460 miles (740 km) from Nyêmo County in the west to Ranwu County (the southwestern part of Baxoi County ) in the east. Its highest peak is Mount Nyenchen Tanglha ( Nyainqêntanglha Feng ) at 7,162 metres (23,497 ft). The southern side of

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372-590: The Lhasa River , the largest tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo. West Nyenchen Tanglha includes the four highest peaks in the range, all above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft): Mount Nyenchen Tanglha (7162m), Nyenchen Tanglha II (7117m), Nyenchen Tanglha III (7046m) and Jomo Gangtse (7048m), all located in Damxung County of Lhasa. West Nyenchen Tanglha separates the basins of the Yarlung Tsangpo in

403-530: The Matterhorn of the East Nyenchen Tanglha. Duilong River The Duilong River , or Duilong Qu (Toelung, Tibetan : སྟོད་ལུང་ཆུ , Wylie : stod lung chu ; Chinese : 堆龙河 ), is a right tributary of the Lhasa River , which it enters just below the city of Lhasa , Tibet, China. The river is about 137 kilometres (85 mi) in length. Water quality may be compromised by dissolved substances including arsenic from geothermal springs. The Duilong

434-667: The Nyainquentanglha Range. The water runs down through the fractured rock, and is gradually warmed, with the warmer water rising towards the surface. Yangbajing has been called "the highest-altitude hot springs in the world." It includes hot springs and boiling springs, geysers and hot water lakes. Various facilities for tourists have been developed in the field. A resort developed by government agencies in 1998 has hot spring baths that are reputed to have curative powers. There are two warm indoor pools and an outdoor pool where tourists can relax in spectacular mountain surroundings. A 7,300 square metres (79,000 sq ft) hot water lake lies to

465-420: The Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains is precipitous, and falls by around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), while the northern side is fairly level and descends about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). Most of the mountains are below 6,500 metres (21,300 ft). They contain 7080 glaciers covering an area of 10,700 square kilometres (4,100 sq mi). The Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains have an average latitude of 30°30'N and

496-531: The Yarlung Tsangpo river. The range is divided into two main parts: the West and East Nyenchen Tanglha, with a division at the 5,432 metres (17,822 ft) high Tro La Pass near Lhari Town . The West Nyenchen Tanglha lies to the southeast of Namtso . The range trends to the northeast, and forms part of the northern watershed of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The northeastern section is drained by

527-595: The conflicting demands for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. It could not be built in the lower reaches, where the river is paralleled by the Qinghai-Xizang Road, or in the middle reach where it would cover the Yangbajain geothermal field. The chosen location was therefore upstream, controlling a catchment area of 1,580 square kilometres (610 sq mi) with an annual normal runoff of 394,000,000 cubic metres (1.39 × 10  cu ft). If

558-575: The east of the geothermal ground, from which steam rises high in the air on a clear day. The lake is 15.5 metres (51 ft) deep, with water temperatures of 49 to 57 °C (120 to 135 °F). The local people have made pools for bathing in the west of the lake. The geothermal field is also used to operate greenhouses. The Yangbajain Geothermal Station was established in 1977. It is the first geothermal power station to be built in Tibet and

589-719: The end of 2000 eight steam turbo generators had been installed at the Yangbajain Geothermal Station, each with capacity of 3 MW, giving a total of 25 MW. The geothermal field delivers 25.181 MW, or 100 GWh annually, to the city of Lhasa to the south. As of 2000 the Yangbajing power plants were using 1,200 tons per day of water from the shallow reservoir, but pressure was falling fast and the turbines could not operate at full capacity. Deeper wells were being drilled to tap into lower-lying thermal fluid. Although rivers in Tibet are generally considered to be clean,

620-413: The geothermal field. Other evidence, however, indicates that if there is a magmatic heat source vertically below the field, it must be over 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) below. A 1996 paper proposed that the magmatic heat source lies to the southeast of the field at a depth of 10 to 12 kilometres (6.2 to 7.5 mi). In the area north of the highway, thermal fluids from this depth rises through a deep fault to

651-488: The highest rainfall and moistest air of the plateau, which feeds the development of glaciers. There are thirty-two glaciers that are over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long. Kyagquen Glacier is the largest, covering 207 square kilometres (80 sq mi) and extending for 35.3 kilometres (21.9 mi). The end of the Qiaqing glacial tongue is at 2,530 metres (8,300 ft) in an area of mountain forests. The glacier foot

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682-529: The levels of arsenic in the river, at 205.6 μg/L were higher than the WHO guideline of 10 μg/L for drinking water. The source of the pollution seems to be untreated water from the Yangbajain Geothermal Field power station. It can be detected 90 kilometres (56 mi) downstream from this site. A 1995 paper concluded that proposed Yangjinshi Reservoir would provide a good balance between

713-751: The main stages of magmatic intrusion were the Yanshanian granitic intrusion (88.7 Ma), the Yanshanian dioritic intrusion (88.0 Ma), and the Later Himalayan granitic intrusion (29.7 Ma). The field is part of the Himalayan Geothermal Belt in the Lhasa-Gangdise terrane . The geothermal reservoir is basically a Quaternary basin underlaid by a large granite batholith . The basin has been filled with glacial deposits from

744-614: The monsoon season from June to October. 80% of the precipitation is in the monsoon season, when warm and moist air is transported to the Tibet Plateau from the south Indian Ocean. The Qinghai–Tibet Railway approaches Lhasa from the northwest. It descends from the Amdo grasslands to Nagchu and Damshung , and then follows the Toelung River from Yangpachen through Toelung Dechen county into west Lhasa. A new railway bridge

775-423: The north and alluvial-pluvial sediments from the south. Fluid flows horizontally into the reservoir through the faults around the basin. A drill hole in the northern part of the field with a final depth of 2,006 metres (6,581 ft) found thermal fluid with a maximum temperature of 329 °C (624 °F). Chemical analysis of the thermal fluid indicate that there is shallow-seated magmatic activity not far below

806-468: The outcropped rocks are metamorphosed lower Paleozoic rocks, Paleogene volcano-clastic rock series, Neogene conglomerates and loose sediment accumulations from the Quaternary . The fault structures in the region run NE, NW, and nearly N-S. The NE faults are the largest and oldest, and usually have been cut by later fractures and faults. Although there still seems to be frequent magmatic activity,

837-673: The south from the endorheic basins of the Changtang in the north. East Nyenchen Tanglha, located in Nagqu , Chamdo and Nyingchi , marks the water divide between the Yarlung Tsangpo to the south and the Nak Chu river (which becomes the Nujiang and Salween in its lower reach) to the north. The rugged and heavily glaciated range counts more than 240 peaks over 6,000 metres (20,000 ft), culminating with Sepu Kangri (6,956 m) which has

868-409: The surface. In the area south of the highway, thermal fluid in the surface zone is heated by mixing with fluids that in turn are heated by deep circulation near the magmatic heat source. Carbon dioxide in the hot spring gases is probably largely organic, from the sedimentary rocks of the field. A 2000 paper presented evidence for a shallow reservoir with temperatures up to 165 °C (329 °F), and

899-780: The water of the Duilong River is not. A 2015 study reported that during the non-monsoon season the levels of arsenic in the river, at 205.6 μg/L were higher than the WHO guideline of 10 μg/L for drinking water. The source of the pollution seems to be untreated water from the Yangbajain Geothermal Field power station. It can be detected 90 kilometres (56 mi) downstream from this site. Nyainqentanglha Mountains 30°30′0″N 94°30′00″E  /  30.50000°N 94.50000°E  / 30.50000; 94.50000 The Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains (officially spelt Nyainqêntanglha Mountains in Chinese) are

930-438: Was attempted twice by Chris Bonington and Charles Clarke in 1997 and 1998, about which experience Bonington and Clarke wrote the book Tibet's Secret Mountain: The Triumph of Sepu Kangri ( ISBN   0756762308 ). The summit was finally reached on 2 October 2002 by Mark Newcomb and Carlos Buhler . In 2005 Mick Fowler and Chris Watts climbed Kajaqiao, and in 2007 Fowler returned with Paul Ramsden to climb Manamcho, known as

961-564: Was built over the Lhasa river to link the station in Liuwu township on the south side of the river to central Lhasa on the north side. The southern Tibetan Plateau is tectonically active, and contains many geothermal springs. Although rivers in Tibet are generally considered to be clean, the water of the Duilong is affected by these springs. A 2015 study reported that during the non-monsoon season

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