摘要
Based on the 1∶100 000 and 1∶500 000 topography maps, the authors investigated rivers (hydrology), snow lines, glacier heights and relationships of the lake area and mountain area at different heights in mountain lake basins on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The area of plateau lakes is closely related with that of their catchment mountains (the elevations are >500-750 m above the present lake level in the central and western parts of the plateau and >250 m above the lake level in the eastern part of the plateau). These suggest that mountain precipitation is probably the main source of lake water and that its quality (low temperature) and quantity are the main factors for maintaining the size and stability of the lakes.