Zepu Glacier

Zepu Glacier (Chinese: 则普冰川, Tibetan: རྫ་ཕུ་གངས་རི, Zapu Gangri), is located in Yüxü Township, Bomi County, Tibet Autonomous Region, this 20 km-long Tertiary glacial remnant spans 90 km² within the Gangrigabu Range.[1] As a maritime glacier, it terminates at 3,420 m elevation, forming the 9 km² Luobu Co moraine lake. The glacier exhibits layered ice structures dating to the Last Glacial Maximum, with visible ablation zones and lateral moraines exceeding 200 m height.[2]

Geography

Ecologically, it sustains alpine meadows and coniferous forests, hosting rare species like snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and Tibetan snowcocks (Tetraogallus tibetanus). Its meltwater feeds the Potong Zangbo River, a primary tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo.[3] Culturally significant to local Tibetan communities, the glacier is central to annual Kora rituals during the Saga Dawa festival, symbolizing purification in Bon traditions. Designated a national glacial research site in 2022, it receives limited tourism (≈1,200 visitors annually) with access restricted to scientific expeditions.[4][5]

References

1. "波密县发现青藏高原最大冰川群_西藏自治区人民政府". 西藏自治区人民政府. 2018-12-16. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
2. 中国科学院. 青藏高原综合科学考察队 (1986). 西藏冰川. 青藏高原科学考察丛书 (in Chinese). 科学出版社. p. 218. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
3. "波密这6条遗世独立的最美冰川". 波密县人民政府网. 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
4. "念青唐古拉". 中国国家地理网 (in Chinese). 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
5. "藏东南，冰川的行囊". 人民网_网上的人民日报 (in Chinese). 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2025-02-13.