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Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains

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The Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains are a massive mountain range in Tibet. They are located within the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. This range is a subrange of the Transhimalaya System.

2 2 himal tecto units
2 2 himal tecto units

The Transhimalaya runs parallel to the Himalayas. It sits to the north of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The mountains stretch from Nyêmo County in the west to Ranwu County in the east. This range is a vital part of the geography of the Tibetan plateau.

The physical structure of the range is very distinct. The southern side of the mountains is precipitous. This means it falls away very steeply by about 1,000 meters. In contrast, the northern side is fairly level. It descends by only about 500 meters. Most of the mountains in this range stay below 5,000 meters in height. However, the range contains many extremely high peaks. The highest point is Mount Nyenchen Tanglha, also known as Nyainqêntanglha Feng. It reaches an elevation of 7,162 meters and sits northwest of Lhasa.

The range is divided into two main sections by the Tro La Pass. This pass is located near Lhari Town. The first section is the West Nyenchen Tanglha. This area lies southeast of Namtso. It forms part of the northern watershed for the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The northeastern section of this part is drained by the Lhasa River. The Lhasa River is the largest tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The West Nyenchen Tanglha includes the four highest peaks in the entire range. These peaks are all above 7,000 meters. They are Mount Nyenchen Tanglha, Nyenchen Tanglha II, Nyenchen Tanglha III, and Jomo Gangtse. These mountains separate the Yarlung Tsangpo basins from the endorheic basins of the Changtang in the north.

The second section is the East Nyenchen Tanglha. This part is located across Nagqu, Chamdo, and Nyingchi. It acts as a water divide. It separates the Yarlung Tsangpo to the south from the Nak Chu river to the north. The Nak Chu river eventually becomes the Nujiang and Salween rivers. This eastern section is very rugged and heavily glaciated. It contains more than 240 peaks that rise over 5,000 meters. One notable peak is Sepu Kangri. It has a height of 6,956 meters and a topographic prominence of 2,213 meters.

Nyainqentanglha
Nyainqentanglha

Glaciers are a major feature of this landscape. One source states the range contains 7,080 glaciers. These glaciers cover a total area of 1,500 square kilometers. Another source from the Langzhou Glaciers Research Institute lists 2,905 glaciers covering 1,100 square kilometers. Most of the ice is in the eastern section. Two-thirds of the glaciers are found there. These glaciers account for five-sixths of the total glacial area. There are thirty-two glaciers in the range that are over 10 kilometers long. The Kyagquen Glacier is the largest. It covers 100 square kilometers and extends for 10 kilometers. The foot of the Qiaqing glacier is located in an area of mountain forests.

Weather patterns help create these massive glaciers. The eastern section receives the southwest monsoons. These winds enter the plateau at the Grand Bend of the Yarlung Zanbo river. The terrain forces the moist air to rise upward. This process yields the highest rainfall and the moistest air on the plateau. This moisture feeds the development of the glaciers. The mountains also influence local rivers. The Drukla Chu river rises here as the Song Chu river. It joins the Gyamda Chu river. These rivers flow southeast to the Yarlung Tsangpo.

Many peaks in the East Nyenchen Tanglha are unclimbed. This area is often called the "Alps of Tibet." Sepu Kangri was a famous target for climbers. Chris Bonington and Charles Clarke attempted the peak in 1997 and 1998. They wrote a book about it titled "Tibet's Secret Mountain." The summit was finally reached on October 2, 2002, by Mark Newcomb and Carlos Buhler. Other notable climbs include Kajaqiao in 2005. In 2007, climbers reached Manamcho. This peak is known as the "Matterhorn of the East."

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File:2 2 himal tecto units.png
2 2 himal tecto units.png
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