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37-565: Golmud , also known by various other romanizations , is a county-level city in the Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province , China. It is now the second-largest city in Qinghai and the third largest in the Tibetan Plateau (after Xining and Lhasa ). The population in 2020 is 221,863. Golmud is a romanization of a Mongolian word meaning "rivers". Ge'ermu

74-563: A refinery at Golmud. The refinery has a capacity of 1 million metric tons a year; is able to produce 100,000 metric tons a year of methanol and 20,000 MT/yr of polypropylene ; and has a 100,000 MT/yr gas fractionator . According to the National Ethnic Affairs Commission , the per capita disposable income in Golmud was 6,852 yuan in the first quarter of 2017, a 9.3% increase from the one year prior. Golmud has been one of

111-524: A "county-level city" from its actual urban area (the traditional meaning of the word "city"), the term " 市区 " (shìqū) or "urban area", is used. While the idea of a "city" being a unit consisting of several "towns" is not a common one in English-speaking world , a somewhat similar naming convention is used for local government areas in some parts of Australia. For example, in New South Wales such

148-543: A city, which is a municipal entity, and a county, which is an administrative division of a prefecture. Most county-level cities were created in the 1980s and 1990s by replacing denser populated counties . County-level cities are not " cities " in the strictest sense of the word, since they usually contain rural areas many times the size of their urban, built-up area. This is because the counties that county-level cities have replaced are themselves large administrative units containing towns , villages and farmland. To distinguish

185-498: A cold arid climate ( Köppen BWk ), with long, cold winters, and warm summers. The monthly 24-hour average temperature drops to −8.4 °C (16.9 °F) in January and rises to 18.5 °C (65 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 5.76 °C (42.4 °F). Precipitation is very low, totaling only 45 millimetres (1.77 in) per annum, falling on 28 days, most of which are during

222-571: A crucial role as a keystone species by regulating phytoplankton and bacterioplankton levels. The Artemia species also serves as an intermediate host for helminth parasites that affect migratory water birds like flamingos, grebes, gulls, shorebirds, and ducks. Vertebrates in saline lakes include certain fish and bird species, though they are sensitive to fluctuations in salinity. Many saline lakes are also alkaline, which imposes physiological challenges for fish, especially in managing nitrogenous waste excretion. Fish species vary by lake; for instance,

259-1230: A unit may often be called a "city" (rather than a traditional "shire"), and consist of "towns". E.g. City of Blue Mountains is made of a number of towns ( Katoomba , Springwood , etc.). Provinces Autonomous regions Sub-provincial autonomous prefectures Autonomous prefectures Leagues (Aimag) (abolishing) Prefectures Provincial-controlled cities Provincial-controlled counties Autonomous counties County-level cities Districts Ethnic districts Banners (Hoxu) Autonomous banners Shennongjia Forestry District Liuzhi Special District Wolong Special Administrative Region Workers and peasants districts Ethnic townships Towns Subdistricts Subdistrict bureaux Sum Ethnic sum County-controlled districts County-controlled district bureaux (obsolete) Management committees Town-level city Areas Villages · Gaqa · Ranches Village Committees Communities Capital cities New areas Autonomous administrative divisions National Central Cities History: before 1912 , 1912–49 , 1949–present As of 3 April 2023, there are 408 county-level cities in total: A sub-prefectural city

296-549: Is a county-level city with powers approaching those of prefecture-level cities . Examples include, Xiantao ( Hubei ), Qianjiang ( Hubei ), Tianmen ( Hubei ) and Jiyuan ( Henan ). Salt lake (geography) Salt lakes are classified according to salinity levels. The formation of these lakes is influenced by processes such as evaporation and deposition. Salt lakes face serious conservation challenges due to climate change, pollution and water diversion. The primary method of classification for salt lakes involves assessing

333-704: Is a hyposaline lake. Mesosaline lakes have a salinity level ranging from 3 to 35 g/L. An example of a mesosaline lake is Redberry Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada . Hypersaline lakes possess salinities greater than 35 g/L, often reaching levels that can exceed 200 g/L. The extreme salinity levels create harsh conditions that limit the diversity of life, primarily supporting specialized organisms such as halophilic bacteria and certain species of brine shrimp . These lakes can have high concentrations of sodium salts and minerals, such as lithium, making such lakes vulnerable to mining interests. Hypersaline lakes can be found in

370-590: Is at an elevation of 2,809 m (9,216 ft). It grew up alongside the Golmud River , which gave it its name. North of Golmud is the Qarhan Playa , a 5,856 km (2,261 sq mi) salt flat with about ten perennial salt lakes . The largest is Dabusun Lake , which receives the waters of the Golmud. The more important smaller lakes are Suli , South Suli , Dabiele , Xiaobiele , Tuanjie , Xiezuo , Dongling , and North and South Hulsan , which receive

407-496: Is not limited to the Aral Sea; salt lakes around the world are shrinking due to excessive water diversion, dam construction, pollution, urbanization, and rising temperatures associated with climate change. The resulting declines cause severe disruptions to local ecosystems and biodiversity, degrades the environment, threatens economic stability, and displaces communities dependent on these lakes for resources and livelihood. In Utah, if

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444-614: Is the pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of the same name's transcription into Chinese characters ; it is sometimes misspelled Geermu . Ko-erh-mu was the same name romanized using the Wade–Giles system ; Golmot was the romanization used by the Chinese Postal Map . The Wylie romanization of the Tibetan form of the name is Nagormo . Golmud is a rather young city. It

481-705: The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, where salinity can reach ≈440‰. Salt lakes form through complex chemical, geological, and biological processes, influenced by environmental conditions like high evaporation rates and restricted water outflow. As water carrying dissolved minerals ( sodium , potassium , and magnesium ) enters these basins, it gradually evaporates, concentrating these minerals until they precipitate as salt deposits. Then, specific ions interact under controlled temperatures, which leads to solid-solution formation and salt crystal deposition within

518-454: The People's Republic of China . County-level cities have judicial but no legislative rights over their own local law and are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions , but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions . A county-level city is a "city" ( 市 ; shì ) and "county" ( 县 ; xiàn ) that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such, it is simultaneously

555-498: The Sanhu 's supplies of lithium and rare earths for modern personal electronics and electric cars. In 2016, over 85% of goods movement with Tibet passed through Golmud. Golmud is divided into 5 subdistricts , 2 towns , 2 townships : Others: In 2017, the population of the total area of Golmud was approximately 240,494. A 2018 publication by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission reported that ethnic Han Chinese comprise 69.82% of

592-467: The Great Salt Lake is not conserved, the state could face potential economic and public health crises, with consequences for air quality, local agriculture, and wildlife. According to “Utah’s Great Salt Lake Strike Team”, in order increase the lake's level within the next 30 years, see average inflows must increase by 472,00 acre-feet per year, which is about a 33% increase in the amount that has reached

629-483: The Salton Sea is home to species such as carp, striped mullet, humpback sucker, and rainbow trout. Stratification in salt lakes occurs as a result of the unique chemical and environmental processes that cause water to separate into layers based on density . In these lakes, high rates of evaporation often concentrate salts, leading to denser, saltier water sinking to the lake's bottom, while fresher water remains nearer

666-603: The areas included in China's Targeted Poverty Alleviation program , which the Commission states has entailed the reconstruction of houses in the city with subpar living conditions, and subsidizing low-income students in the city. The commission also states that the government has been developing the production of traditional woodworking, embroidery, and other local crafts through designated "demonstration areas" ( Chinese : 示范区 ; pinyin : shìfàn qū ). Statistics for 2001 show that

703-506: The chemical composition of the water within the lakes, specifically its salinity, pH , and the dominant ions present. Subsaline lakes have a salinity lower than that of seawater but higher than freshwater , typically ranging from 0.5 to 3 grams per liter (g/L). Hyposaline lakes exhibit salinities from 0.5 to 3 g/L, which allows for the presence of freshwater species along with some salt-tolerant aquatic organisms. Lake Alchichica in Mexico

740-531: The city's nominal GDP totaled 2.213 billion RMB, a rise of 31.9% from the previous year and the highest growth rate since 1990. Golmud lies along the Qinghai–Tibet railway , a 1,956 km (1,215 mi) railway that starts from Xining and ends at Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region . The Golmud-Lhasa section, with a length of 1,142 km (710 mi), was the last and most challenging part of

777-493: The city's population, and minority ethnic groups comprise 30.18%. The city's is home to 33 ethnic minorities, of which, the largest are the Mongols , Tibetans , and Hui people. Golmud is part of Haixi Prefecture in western Qinghai Province . Despite being nominally a "city", the built-up urban area of Golmud comprises only 72 km (28 sq mi) of the county's 124,500 square kilometres (48,100 sq mi). Most of

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814-629: The county lies in the southern Qaidam Basin and in the foothills of the Kunlun Mountains . A large southern exclave is administered as the " town " of Tanggula , separated from the rest of the county by the western panhandle of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture . The northern part borders Xinjiang to its northwest; the southern exclave borders the Tibetan Autonomous Region to its southwest. Golmud proper

851-479: The lack of vertical mixing. Extremophiles , including specific bacteria and archaea , inhabit the hypersaline and oxygen-deficient zones at lower depths. Bacteria and archaea, for example, rely on alternative metabolic processes that do not depend on oxygen. These microorganisms play a critical role in nutrient cycling within salt lakes, as they break down organic material and release by-products that support other microbial communities. Due to limited biodiversity,

888-400: The lake bed. This cycle of evaporation and deposition is the main process to the unique saline environment that characterizes a salt lake. Environmental factors further shape the composition and formation of salt lakes. Seasonal variations in temperature and evaporation drive mineral saturation and promote salt crystallization . In dry regions, water loss during warmer seasons concentrates

925-428: The lake in recent years. Water conservation is viewed as being the most cost-effective and practical strategy to save salt lakes like the Great Salt Lake. Implementing strong water management policies, improving community awareness, and ensuring the return of water flow to these lakes are additional ways that may restore ecological balance. Other proposed methods of maintaining lake levels include cloud seeding and

962-475: The lake's chemistry, supporting only specialized microbial life adapted to extreme environments with high salinity and low oxygen levels. The restricted vertical mixing limits nutrient cycling , creating a favorable ecosystem for halophiles (salt-loving organisms) that rely on these saline conditions for stability and balance. The extreme conditions within stratified salt lakes have a profound effect on aquatic life , as oxygen levels are severely limited due to

999-548: The lake's salts. This creates a dynamic environment where seasonal shifts affect the salt lake's mineral layers, contributing to its evolving structure and composition. Groundwater rich in dissolved ions often serve as primary mineral sources that, combined with processes like evaporation and deposition, contribute to salt lake development. Salt lakes host a diverse range of animals, despite high levels of salinity acting as significant environmental constraints. Increased salinity worsens oxygen levels and thermal conditions, raising

1036-627: The mineral resources in the playa were estimated to be worth over 15 trillion renminbi (RMB) as of 2002. The area's salt has also trapped valuable hydrocarbons. The Sebei-1 and Sebei-2 fields near Suli Lake are also China's 4th-largest onshore reserves of natural gas and the entire area may have reserves as high as 1 trillion m³ (35 trillion cu. ft.). The larger Sanhu Depression includes East and West Taijinar , which hold China's largest reserves of lithium . The surrounding countryside also produces gold , copper , jade , lead , and zinc . A pipeline delivers crude oil from Huatugou Oilfield to

1073-879: The railway to be completed. After five years of construction, the first train for Lhasa left Golmud on 1 July 2006. In October 2012 construction started on the Golmud–Dunhuang Railway . It will actually branch off the Qinghai–Tibet Railway at the Yinmaxia station north of Golmud, and will cross the Qaidam Basin and the Altyn-Tagh / Qilian system on the way to Dunhuang in the neighboring Gansu province. The Golmud-Korla Railway running north west from Golmud into Korla , Xinjiang began construction in November 2014 and

1110-417: The restrictive environment limits biodiversity , allowing only specially adapted life forms to survive, which creates unique, highly specialized ecosystems that are distinct from freshwater or less saline habitats. Salt lakes declined worldwide in recent years. The Aral Sea , once of the largest saline lakes with a surface area of 67,499 km in 1960, diminished to approximately 6,990 km in 2016. This trend

1147-401: The summer. Relative humidity averages only 32%, with all months below 40%, some of the lowest levels nationally. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 62% in July to 81% in November, the city receives 3,096 hours of bright sunshine annually. The Qarhan Playa has China's largest reserves of salt , potassium , and magnesium , as well as other valuable minerals. Taken together,

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1184-462: The surface. These seasonal changes influence the lake's structure, making stratification more pronounced during warmer months due to increasing evaporation, which drives separation between saline and fresher layers in the lake, leading a phenomenon known as meromixis (meromictic state), primarily prevents oxygen from penetrating the deeper layers and create the hypoxic (low oxygen) or anoxic (no oxygen) zones. This separation eventually influenced

1221-433: The water's density and viscosity , which demands greater energy for animal movement. Despite these challenges, salt lakes support biota adapted to such conditions with specialized physiological and biochemical mechanisms. Common salt lake invertebrates include various parasites, with around 85 parasite species found in saline waters, including crustaceans and monogeneans . Among them, the filter-feeding brine shrimp plays

1258-461: The waters of smaller inflowing streams. Qarhan is part of the larger Sanhu Depression , which includes East and West Taijinar Lakes . Other major lakes in the southern exclave of Golmud include Ulan Ul Lake  [ zh ] ( Chinese : 乌兰乌拉湖 ; pinyin : Wūlán Wūlā Hú ) and Migriggyangzham Co  [ zh ; ru ] ( Chinese : 赤布张错 ; pinyin : Chìbùzhāng Cuò , Standard Tibetan : མི་རིག་རྒྱང་གྲམ་མཚོ ). Golmud has

1295-430: Was completed in 2020. Golmud is twinned with: The Golmud Railway is featured as an online multiplayer map in the video game Battlefield 4 . County-level city A county-level municipality ( Chinese : 县级市 ), county-level city or county city , formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: 专辖市 ; 1970–1983: Chinese : 地辖市 ), is a county-level administrative division of

1332-589: Was first established in 1954 when the Transportation regiments of Qinghai-Tibet Corps set up a food distribution base, staffed by 10 people, at the current location, and in May of that year, construction on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway commenced. Scientific exploration of the mineral resources of Qarhan were undertaken in the 1950s, leading to the discovery of the area's potash and gas fields . Systematic surveying

1369-405: Was undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s, with the railway permitting industrial exploitation from the 1980s. The first oil pipeline and potassium fertilizer factory were opened in 1989. The 28 km (11 sq mi) Golmud Kunlun Economic Development Zone was opened in 1992. In 2004, a second pipeline arrived. In the 2010s, an influx of further investment followed realization of the importance of

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