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LiveScience
LiveScience
Harry Baker

Shapeshifting 'braided river' in Tibet is the highest in the world, and is becoming increasingly unstable — Earth from space

A satellite photo of the Yarlung Zangbo river, showing its many braids winding through mountains .
QUICK FACTS

Where is it? Yarlung Zangbo River, Tibet Autonomous Region of China [29.2814054, 91.3256581]

What's in the photo? The braided branches of a river winding through the Tibetan Plateau

Which satellite took the photo? Landsat 9

When was it taken? Feb. 8, 2025

This striking satellite photo shows a particularly convoluted section of a record-breaking "braided river" in China, which drastically changes shape every year and could become more unstable over the coming decades due to climate change.

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