Large Underground Reservoir Discovered in XinjiangChinese geologists have discovered a huge underground water source in the northwestern part of the Turpan-Shanshan-Toksun Basin in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China.It was initially determined that the water sources is located in an area of 140 square kilometers in Kerjian, which is described as the "extreme dry place" in China, because it only has a rainfall of 0.8 mm, but a evaporation capacity of more than 5,800 mm on yearly basis. Three wells dug in the area produce some 290 cubic meters of water per hour, and the water can be drunk directly. This means a huge water source, said experts, who did not give exact figures. A coal mine was found in the area in between the 1960s and 1970s, with total reserve estimated at over 1.4 billion tons. But the coal mine remains undeveloped due to shortage of water. |
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