Dagze Co (Lake) is one of many inland lakes in Tibet, with a present area of 260 km2 (100 square miles). In glacial times, the region was considerably wetter, and lakes were correspondingly much larger. Changes in climate have resulted in greater aridity on the Tibetan Plateau. The numerous concentric rings that circle the lake are fossil shorelines, and attest to the historical presence of a larger, deeper lake.
The image covers an area of 36.4 x 30.5 km, and was acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite on October 8, 2001.
Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team