Why did the young Qinghai-Tibet Plateau form such a magnificent grand canyon? The direct cause of the formation of the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon is related to the rapid uplift of the crust and deep geological processes in this area in the past 3 million years. Since 654.38+0.5 million years, the uplift speed of the Grand Canyon has reached 30 mm/year, which is one of the fastest areas in the world. The evidence obtained from the latest geological survey shows that the fundamental reason for the formation of the Grand Canyon is the existence of asthenosphere mantle upwelling in this area. The geological characteristics of the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon are basically similar to those of the Colorado Grand Canyon in the United States. Mantle upwelling in the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon may be an important factor for the formation of water vapor channels in the Grand Canyon, or it may be the reason why southeast Tibet, which is centered on this area, has become a so-called "climate start-up area", or it may be an important reason why the zonal distribution of organisms in this area has moved northward by 3 to 5 degrees. The adjustment of lithospheric material and structure characterized by mantle upwelling in the Grand Canyon area obviously restricts the long-term scale of the outer layer of the earth, and it is the most ideal field laboratory to study the coupling effect of the intermediate layer in the earth system.
The combination of peaks, bends and canyons is very rare in the history of world canyon river development, which is a natural wonder in itself. In fact, the Great Bend Canyon is made up of several bends. The Garabaire Peak on the north side of the canyon is also the center of glacier development, and the Liequ Glacier on its east slope is a large valley glacier, extending from the snow line to an altitude of 4,700 meters to an altitude of 2,850 meters.
On the northern slope of the eastern section of Nyainqentanglha Mountain at the entrance of the water vapor passage in the north of the Grand Canyon, there is a Kachin glacier with a length of 33 kilometers. The Laigu Glacier in the upper reaches of Palong Zangbo is 35 kilometers long. The part where they are located is a long valley glacier in China's ocean temperate glaciers. The last part of the glacier extends into the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, with a minimum elevation of about 2,500 meters, forming a unique natural landscape.
In Quaternary, there were many glaciation in the mountains here, leaving a complete U-shaped ancient glacial valley. The dense ice mounds on the valley floor plain are like graves, which are the accumulation relics of ancient glaciers in the specific environment of water vapor passage. On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the world-famous roof, there is a green channel extending southeast along the Yarlung Zangbo River-Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, and the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon is an important part of this green channel. The deep Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is like a green gateway in the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, facing the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, providing a natural passage for warm and humid airflow from the Indian Ocean.
This natural water vapor channel makes the warm and humid air flow from the Indian Ocean form the largest precipitation zone in the world in the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an annual precipitation of 4500-10070 mm; It is this water and gas channel that has accumulated huge hydropower resources in the Grand Canyon. It is this natural water vapor channel that makes the tropical climate zone in the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau move northward by five latitudes. It is this natural water vapor channel that has developed a huge ocean glacier; It is this natural water vapor channel that narrows the obvious difference between the north and south natural belts. 2. It is this natural water vapor channel that drives many thermal drives and plants to move northward. It is this natural water vapor channel that promotes the mixing and communication between the northern and southern creatures in the Himalayas, and it is this natural water vapor channel that provides a safe shelter for many paleontological species from extinction. The water vapor channel of the Yarlung Zangbo River has caused a complete vertical natural belt distribution in the Grand Canyon area, from high to low, from alpine ice and snow to low tropical monsoon rainforest belt, just like from polar to equator or from northeast to Hainan Island.
Special mention should be made of alpine rhododendron, because the alpine shrubs in the Grand Canyon are mainly composed of evergreen rhododendron. There are 154 species of rhododendron in this area, accounting for 26% of the total species of rhododendron in the world (about 60O species). Below the alpine snow line is the alpine shrub meadow belt, then the alpine and subalpine evergreen coniferous forest belt, then the mountain evergreen, semi-evergreen broad-leaved forest belt and evergreen broad-leaved forest belt, and then the monsoon rainforest belt in the low mountain canyon. The monsoon rain forest here is different from the tropical rain forest near the equator. It is a rainforest ecosystem with obvious seasonal changes formed under the conditions of tropical maritime hand winds. This is the most complete and abundant mountain vertical natural belt in the world, and it is also the epitome of global climate change.
Yarlung Zangbo River is the largest river in Tibet, ranking fifth in the country, but its hydraulic resources are second only to Changting, ranking second in the country, and its hydropower reserves per unit area rank first in the world.
The Grand Canyon is the richest place in Xizang Autonomous Region. There are more than 3,500 species of vascular plants in the region, including no less than 1000 species of economic plants with utilization value, which can be divided into medicinal plants, oil plants and fiber plants.
The dense forests and alpine scrub meadows in the Grand Canyon area are the homes of various animals, many of which are rare animals under special state protection. Such as fur animals, otters, minks, clouded leopards, snow leopards, silkworms, ferrets, leopard cats, red pandas, etc. Medicinal animals: musk deer, black bear, pangolin, flying squirrel, snake, silver ring snake, king cobra; Medical animal macaque; Ornamental animals: langur, brown-necked hornbill, red-breasted pheasant, red-bellied horn, pottery parrot, big-breasted parrot, blue-throated sunbird, fire-tailed sunbird, red-billed lovebird, golden pheasant, A?vagho?a in Tibet, black-necked crane, python and antelope. Many of them are on the verge of extinction because of being hunted for a long time.
In the Grand Canyon area, almost all natural areas are occupied by forests except the ice and snow desert and meadow shrubs above the forest line at an altitude of 4200 meters. Daran forest area is vast and rich in forest resources, ranking second in the country, second only to the northeast and southwest.
The Grand Canyon has two basic features: the unique big bend and the largest water vapor channel on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These two features constitute a rare natural wonder in the world, and are also the most distinctive eco-tourism resources of the factory. Spectacular, peculiar, majestic, beautiful, primitive, natural, clean, unique environment and rich resources are unparalleled. The former is best viewed from the air, especially from the air, where you can see its spectacular panorama and beautiful scenery. The water vapor and heat of the latter bring the complete vertical natural belt, biodiversity, the infinite charm and magical beauty of monsoon ocean temperate glaciers, mountains and lakes, and endless unique and magnificent weather to the eco-tourism in the Grand Canyon area.