Suraj Tal
Suraj Tal Surya Tal | ||
---|---|---|
Primary inflows Glacier and Snow melt | | |
Primary outflows | Bhaga River | |
Basin countries | India | |
Shore length1 | 4 km (2.5 mi) | |
Surface elevation | 4,883 m (16,020.3 ft) | |
Frozen | During winter | |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Suraj Tal, also called Tso Kamtsi or Surya Tal, is an 800 m (2,600 ft) long lake that lies just below the 4,890 m (16,040 ft) high
Access
Suraj Tal is 65 km (40 mi) from
Physical description
Terrain
The glaciers and nullahs (streams) that from the Bara-lacha-la pass feed the lake. The pass is 8 km long and is also called the "Pass with Crossroads on Summit" since roads from Zanskar, Ladakh, Spiti, and Lahaul meet at this pass.[4] In addition to the Bhaga River that originates from it and flows through Suraj Tal, Bara-lacha-la Pass is also the source of the Chandra and Yunan Rivers in the southeast and north, respectively.[4]
The lake is situated in the Upper Himalayan Zone, or High Latitudinal Zone part of the
Geology
The lake's geology is similar to thet of the nearby Bara-lacha-la Pass, which is reported to be an early rifting event on the northern Indian passive margin, and the Basalts which are emplaced along the trans–tensional faults indicate that.[8]
Bhaga Valley
The Bhaga River originates in Bara-Lacha La and flows north-west through Suraj Tal to Tandi, the confluence point with the Chandra River. The Bhaga Valley (Tod or Stod Valley) is 72 km (45 mi) long.[3] The valley, which is a narrow gorge, is devoid of any vegetation up to Darcha, and thereafter it widens up to its confluence with the Chandra River at Tandi. There are terraces between Darcha and Tandi which are under cultivation in the lower slopes, with the middle slopes having grasslands. Plantations of trees and shrubs to meet fuel wood and fodder requirements have been done on the hill slopes.[9]
Tourism
Lahaul-Spiti Valley is a common destination for Indian and foreign tourists on road trips, trekking, and motorcycling. The NH 21 route from Manali to Leh covers the Suraj Tal Lake and the Bara-lacha-la pass.[10]
Trekking
Trekking tours are common. One trek route is the Zingzingbar–Suraj Tal–Bara-lacha-la. This involves trekking along the Bhaga River for 3 km (1.9 mi), crossing a bridge to the north bank, then a further climb of 2.5 km (1.6 mi) from the bridge, followed by a steep foot trail up to Suraj Tal.[11]
References
- ^ The Highest Lake in the World
- ^ a b Lakes
- ^ a b Harcourt, A.F.P. (1871). The Himalayan Districts of Kooloo, Lahoul and Spiti. London: W.H. Allen & Sons. pp. 16–23.
- ^ a b c d Sharad V. Oberoi & P. Mathur, "Training Report on Feasibility Study of Existing Manali-Darcha Highway and Proposed Darcha-Padam Road Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques", SASE, Chandigarh, India, (pages 11-13), 22 Jun 2004 Archived 22 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 81-7387-113-2.
- ^ Lahaul and Spiti District Archived 13 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Lahaul & Spiti District, Himachal Pradesh, India". Archived from the original on 13 July 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
- ^ "The Carboniferous Baralacha la basaltic dykes (Upper Lahul, Ladakh): remnants of an early rifting event along the Indian northern plate". Archived from the original on 8 October 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
They derive from the partial melting of an enriched OIB mantle source, characterized by a HIMU component, and contaminated by the lower continental crust.
- ^ Indian Himalayas, Lahaul and Spiti
- ^ Suraj Tal
- ^ Darcha Baralacha Pass Trek Lahaul