Dr. Amanda Henck from Oberlin College paid a visit to IHB on Nov.23.

During her visit, Dr. Henck  made a presentation entitled “Spatial patterns of erosion in Western China and Tibet”.  She explained the effects that erosion, rainfall and  relief could have on the drainage basins of Salween River, known as Nu River in China  (the river that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia), Jinsha River (westernmost of the major headwater streams of the Yangtze River) and Mekong River, known as Lancang River in China (the longest river in China which takes its source from the Zhaqu of the Guangguori Peak of Tanggula Mountain Range in Qinghai Province). Based on the analysis of the sand samples collected in different sampling points of the three rivers, Dr. Henck found that erosion rates increase downstream and decrease from west to east . Moreover, she analyzed the relationship between the three parameters, i.e., mean annual rainfall,  mean local relief, basin area, and erosion rate of Nu River, Jinsha River and Lancang River, revealing that  mean annual rainfall of Yangtze River and Lancang River correlates well with their erosion rate while  mean local relief of Lancang River and Nu River correlates well with their erosion rate.  

Later, IHB researchers exchanged views with Dr. Henck on further cooperation insome fields of mutual interest.