The cold desert Ladakh


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

The cold desert Ladakh

The cold desert- Ladakh:

Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir. The Karakorma Range in the north and the Zanskar Mountain in the south enclose it. Several rivers flow through Ladakh, Indus being the most important among them. The rivers form deep valleys and gorges. Several glaciers are found in Ladakh, for example the Gangri glacier.

The altitude in Ladakh varies from about 3000m in Kargil to more than 8,000m in Karakoram. Due to its high altitude, the climate is extremely cold and dry. The air at this altitude is so thin that the heat of the sun can be felt intensely. The day temperatures in summer are just above Zero degree and the night temperature well below- 300C. it is freezing cold in winters when the temperatures may remain below- 400C for most  of the time. As it lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, there is little rainfall, as low as 10 cm every year. The area experiences freezing winds and burning hot sunlight. You will be surprise to know that if you sit in the sun with your feet in the shade, you may suffer from both sunstroke and frost bite at the same time.

NOTE: Mt Godwin Austen (k2) is the second highest peak in the world. it is located in the karakoram range and is the highest peak of the range.

 
 


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