Why are the water resources in the Taklamakan Desert far superior to those in other deserts in the world?

The world's largest deserts, such as the 7.77 million square kilometers Sahara Desert and the 65 square kilometers Rub' al Khali Desert, have almost no decent rivers. In contrast, the Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin of my country, with an area of ​​about 340,000 square kilometers, is "crisscrossed with rivers and dense water networks."

The Tarim Basin is surrounded by the Tianshan Mountains, the Pamir Plateau, the Kunlun Mountains, and the Altun Mountains in a counterclockwise direction. The Tarim Basin is elliptical, about 1,500 kilometers long from east to west and about 600 kilometers wide from north to south, with a total area of ​​about 530,000 square kilometers. The Tarim Basin has an altitude of 800 to 1,300 meters, with high terrain in the west and low terrain in the east. Lop Nur in the east is the lowest point in the basin and the center of salt accumulation, with an altitude of about 780 meters.

The edge of the Tarim Basin is surrounded by foothills, Gobi Desert and oasis (alluvial plain), and the middle part is the Taklimakan Desert, which is the farthest place from the ocean in the world. As the Tarim Basin is surrounded by high mountains, it is difficult for the humid air currents from the ocean to reach it, and the annual rainfall in the basin is very small, and the Taklimakan Desert has almost no rain all year round.

The Taklimakan Desert is the tenth largest desert in the world, about 1,000 kilometers long from east to west and about 400 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of ​​about 340,000 square kilometers. The Taklimakan Desert is not entirely sand, but is surrounded by rivers, and even has rivers running through it from north to south. These rivers flow into the Tarim River.

The main source of the Tarim River is the Yarkand River, which originates from the southeast foot of the Telimukanli Peak in the Karakoram Mountains and flows into Lop Nur along the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. It is 2,327 kilometers long and is the longest inland river in China. The Yarkand River, Kashgar River, Aksu River, and Hotan River merged into the Tarim River, which is then divided into three sections: upper, middle, and lower.

The section above Yangjibaza is the upper section, where the riverbed does not branch, side erosion is severe, meanders are well developed, and the riverbed is unstable; the section from Yangjibaza to Qunke is the middle section, where there are many forks and lakes, and during floods the water overflows and disperses, with the mainstream often changing course; the section below Qunke is the lower section, where the river channel is restored and unified.

The Tarim River flows entirely through desert areas, and the riverbed is generally silt sand and sandy loam, which is very easy to scour. The middle reaches of the Tarim River often change course, and the river channel has a large amount of sand, about 4.1-5.0 kg/cubic meter. The middle reaches of the river are frequently eroded and silted, forming an alluvial plain hundreds of kilometers wide from north to south.

The main source and important tributaries of the Tarim River: Yarkand River, Kashgar River, Hotan River and Kongque River.

The Yarkand River originates from the Telamukanli Glacier on the southeast foot of the Telamukanli Peak at an altitude of 7,464 meters on the northern slope of the Karakoram Mountains. It is about 1,280 kilometers long and has an average flow of about 210 cubic meters per second.

The Kashgar River, whose upper reaches are the Kizilsu River, is renamed the Kashgar River in Kashgar. It is about 1,200 kilometers long and has an average flow of about 146 cubic meters per second.

The Hotan River originates from the Kailas Mountain at the southern end of the Karakoram Mountains near Shenxian Bay. Its main source is the Karakax River. It passes through the Aksai Chin Basin, through the Moyu Oasis, and merges with the Yulong Kashi River to form the Hotan River. After it merges with the Yarkand River, it is called the Yarkand River.

The Hotan River is about 1,127 kilometers long and runs through the desert from south to north. It flows into the Tarim River during the flood season, but the Hotan River only flows north of Hotan for about 9-10 months a year and then dries up. The average flow is about 73 cubic meters per second.

The Aksu River, formed by the confluence of the Toshgan River and the Kunmarak River, is 224 kilometers long with an average flow of about 249 cubic meters per second. It is the largest first-level tributary of the Tarim River.

The Kongque River, with its source in Bosten Lake, is about 785 kilometers long and has an average flow of about 38 cubic meters per second. The water volume in the lower reaches of the Tarim River is decreasing. In ancient times, it was still called the Kongque River after it merged with the Kongque River and flowed into Lop Nur. Now the Tarim River has been diverted to the southeast, and an artificial river has been built from the Kongque River to the Tarim River. The Kongque River no longer flows into Lop Nur, but the water of the Tarim River can flow into Taitema Lake in the southeast.

In general, the Tarim Basin is surrounded by many high mountains and abundant meltwater from ice and snow, which is beyond the reach of the Sahara Desert, the Rub' al Khali Desert and other deserts.

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