The wandering lake of Lobnor and his riddle

On our planet, there are many mysteries that scientists dream of unraveling. The story of a lake wandering from place to place for a long time seemed like a fairy tale, but such reservoirs actually exist.

History of the lake

At the end of the XIX century, the famous traveler NM Przheval'skii went on a new expedition to Central Asia. His first trip to the Ussuri region was an exciting adventure, which hardened the young researcher. Expeditions to Central Asia were incredibly complex, but the scientist stubbornly stood all the trials and led the recordings under the scorching sun and in the burning desert sands.

The new expedition went to the place where Lake Lobnor is located. Today it is marked on the map on the south-eastern part of the Tarim (Kashgar) plain, located in China.

Difficulties of the expedition

The lake, which at that time very few people knew, was depicted on ancient maps by ancient geographers as far back as the 7th century, and new information about it was missing. This trip was accompanied by a suspicious attitude of the Chinese government to the Russian expedition. With great difficulty, Przhevalsky received documents for a new study, but the authorities kept watching his actions and even interfering with him.

Seduced river

Having reached the Tarim River, which spilled into a huge but shallow lake, the travelers stopped. Local residents gave him the name Kara-Buran, which in translation meant "Black Storm". Often in the strongest winds, it would come out of its banks, flooding everything around.

In the east, the river ran low until it disappeared from view. The traveler described his observations as follows: "Leaving Kara-Buran, Tarim decreases in size, because it is crushed by the desert that is in the neighborhood. It absorbs all moisture with its scalding breath.

The river dies, but before its death from last forces it is poured by a small lake, in actual fact turned out to be a marsh, which has long been called Lobnor. "

The lake found

The purpose of the trip was achieved: the lake, which was mentioned by Chinese geographers, stretched for 100 kilometers. Przhevalsky tried to cross it in length, but he could not do it because of the thick reeds covering almost the whole surface of the water.

The indigenous population said that 30 more years ago the lake of Lobnor was distinguished by the depth and lack of thickets. But every year it grew in reeds, and the water, which had nowhere to go, came out of the banks.

Valuable material for science

Carefully studied the entire neighborhood of the scientist gathered a huge material that is of scientific value. In the report, the researcher indicated that the lake itself has fresh water, and near the coast has a salty taste, as it dissolves soil salts. He compiled a detailed map, which caused the location of Lake Lobnor and the Tarim River.

The material became a real sensation in the learned world and was translated into different languages. Description of the amazing reservoir has sunk into the souls of other researchers, including the German connoisseur of China - Richthofen.

Differences of scientists

He came up with the assumption that the Russian traveler was mistaken when he described Lake Lobnor. The main reason for his doubts was the ancient maps on which the reservoir was noted elsewhere, much further from where he was found by the scientist. The Germans were also embarrassed by Przewalski's statement about fresh water, because earlier it was believed that it should be salted.

The Russian scientist pointed out errors in Chinese geographical maps, noting their imperfection.

For a long time there were heated debates about who was right after all. Several foreign expeditions were collected in the tracks of Przewalski's journey to establish the winner. The Russian explorer, along with his assistants, set off on a new path to the lake, which was haunted.

The enigma of Lake Lobnor

The successor of the scientist Kozlov turned out to be the very person who put a stop to all disputes. Considering the map made by Przewalski, he drew attention to the dried up riverbed in the east, which the locals called sandy, and came to the conclusion that earlier the map of the surroundings of Lobnor was completely different.

Tarim, devoid of the source of water that once gave him life, fell into decay, which affected Lake Lobnor, disappearing before our eyes. Surprisingly, with its drying, another reservoir was revived, which was exactly where it was represented by Chinese scientists. It turns out that in the dispute there were no losers, each of the researchers was right in their own way.

The lake Lobnor, which has shifted for 30 kilometers, turned out to be a very rare natural phenomenon, wandering from one place to another and submitting to a river that changed its course.

Research continues

In 2014, a large-scale study by Chinese researchers of a missing lake began, which repeats the fate of the Aral Sea. Remains of an ancient civilization were discovered in the vicinity of Lobnor. It is believed that the Great Silk Road passed along its banks.

The wandering lake of Lobnor attracts the keen interest not only of Chinese specialists, but also of scientists around the world trying to unravel the mysteries of the disappearance of the kingdom of Loulan, which was near the reservoir and turned into ruins. And let's hope that new research will shed light on many of the riddles of civilization.