Statistical features of the drainage network in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the effect of the uplift

LIU Le; WANG Zhaoyin; YU Guoan; LI Teng

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Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology) ›› 2015, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (9) : 964-970.

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Statistical features of the drainage network in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the effect of the uplift

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Abstract

The continued uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since the Late Cenozoic Era has not only tremendously influenced the plateau topography, but has also resulted in unique river networks in this area. The features of the stream networks and the influence of the plateau uplift on the river morphology were studied by measuring the number of streams, stream lengths, slopes and areas of the drainage basins for the Yalutsangpo, Jinsha, Yalong, Lancang, Nujiang, and upper Yellow River from shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) data. The networks of the 6 rivers were mapped and analyzed by comparisons with the Horton Laws. The networks are represented by the Horton Laws for the streams from the first to sixth orders but deviate dramatically at the highest order. The results show that the plateau uplift is uniform in the inner part but the very different uplift speed at the plateau edge disrupts the stream networks.

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stream network / Qinghai-Tibet Plateau / Horton Law / bifurcation ratio

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LIU Le, WANG Zhaoyin, YU Guoan, LI Teng. Statistical features of the drainage network in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the effect of the uplift[J]. Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology). 2015, 55(9): 964-970

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