%0 Dataset
%T Hydrology and Limnology in Central Asia
%J Arid Land Ecology and Resources Science Data Center
%I Arid Land Ecology and Resources Science Data Center(data.dcxjegi.cn)
%U https://data.dcxjegi.cn/portal/metadata/2523d411-c8c8-4e96-b0aa-51c34f2799b8
%W NCDC
%R 10.12389/ariddc.01579
%A Documentation Information Center
%K Water resources;Lakes
%X The water resources of Central Asia are formed primarily in mountainous regions, which account for more than 20% of the Aral Sea basin area (350,000 square kilometers). Approximately 90% of the region's surface runoff originates there, with an average annual water volume of about 115 billion cubic meters in a normal-water year. These resources are mainly concentrated within the two major river systems of the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.Lakes are important sources of water resources, organic matter, and mineral raw materials. They are used for water supply, irrigation, livestock watering, and fisheries development. Some saline lakes contain valuable mineral resources of importance to the chemical, food-processing, and other industries, including sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and sodium sulfate. In addition, most highly mineralized lakes contain large quantities of therapeutic mud (mineral mud) with significant value for health and spa treatment. Some lakes also possess considerable recreational value.Lakes are unique aquatic complexes and constitute one of the most important elements of natural landscapes. They differ from the surrounding terrestrial natural complexes. Tens of thousands of lakes of various sizes are distributed throughout Central Asia and northwestern China, occurring in both plains and mountainous areas. Central Asia contains more than 51,000 lakes with a total area of 14,571 square kilometers. These lakes are distributed across the basins of the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Chu River, and Talas River, as well as in the Issyk-Kul region, the Eastern Pamirs, the Tianshan Mountains, and the endorheic areas of Turkmenistan. In the arid region of northwestern China, there are about 700 lakes, of which 29 have an area exceeding 10 square kilometers.Limnology is an independent interdisciplinary science concerned with continental water bodies characterized by slow water exchange, such as lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. It belongs to the field of geography. T