Knowra Tarim River Tarim River The Tarim River is a river in Xinjiang, northwestern China, formed by tributaries from the Tian Shan and Kunlun Mountains. It flows through the Tarim Basin, an arid region of deserts and oases.
Tarim Basin : An endorheic basin in Xinjiang, China, bounded by the Tian Shan, Pamir, and Kunlun ranges. The river drains this enclosed basin, where water does not reach the sea.
Endorheic basin : A drainage basin whose rivers and runoff do not reach an ocean. The Tarim’s water is consumed, evaporated, or stored within the basin.
Kashgar : A historic oasis city in southwestern Xinjiang, China, near the western edge of the Tarim Basin. The region’s river-fed oasis agriculture depends on water from the Tarim system.
Lop Nur : A former salt lake in eastern Xinjiang, China, that has repeatedly expanded and dried out. Reduced inflow from the Tarim system contributed to its modern desiccation.
Aksu River : A major headwater river of the Tarim system, fed by glaciers and snowmelt in the Tian Shan. Its flow supplies the largest share of the Tarim River’s water.
Glacier melt : Water released as glaciers lose ice through melting. Mountain glacier melt contributes to the river’s seasonal flow.
Aksu : A city in northwestern Xinjiang, China, near the Aksu River and the northern Tarim Basin. Its surrounding agricultural region relies on water from a major Tarim headwater.
Tarim River restoration : Water releases and ecological measures intended to restore degraded reaches of the Tarim River. Restoration efforts send water toward lower-river habitats affected by upstream diversions.
Yarkand River : A river rising in the Karakoram that flows through southwestern Xinjiang toward the Tarim Basin. It is one of the major rivers contributing to the Tarim system.
Snowmelt : Liquid water produced when accumulated snow melts. Seasonal snowmelt from the surrounding ranges feeds Tarim tributaries.
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