Lake Manasarovar lies at 4,590 meters
(15,060 ft) above mean sea level, a relatively high elevation for a large
freshwater lake on the mostly saline lake-studded Tibetan Plateau.
Despite claims to the contrary, there are hundreds of higher freshwater lakes
in the world, including a larger and higher freshwater lake at 4,941 meters
(16,211 ft) above sea level and 495 km2 in size, Angpa Tso(also known as Chibzhang Co,
Migriggyangzham Co, East Chihpuchang Hu), further east on the Tibetan Plateau
at 33°24′N 90°17′E.
The largest freshwater lake of its size (290 km2) over
5000 meters elevation is Pumoyong Tso (also known as Puma Yumco,
Po-mo Hu, Pumuoyong Tso), also on the Tibetan Plateau, at 28°34′N 90°24′E at 5,018 metres (16,463 ft)
elevation.
Lake
Manasarovar is relatively round in shape with the
circumference of 88 kilometers (55 mi). Its depth reaches a maximum depth
of 90 m (300 ft) and its
surface area is 320 square kilometers (120 sq mi). It is connected to
nearby Lake Rakshastal by the natural Ganga Chhu channel. Lake Manasarovar is near the
source of the Sutlej,
which is the easternmost large tributary of the Sindhu. Nearby are the sources
of the Brahmaputra
River, the Indus River,
and the Ghaghara,
an important tributary of the Ganges.
Lake
Manas Sarovar overflows in to lake Rakshastal which is a salt-water endorheic lake.
These lakes used to be part of the Sutlej basin and were separated due to
tectonic activity.
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