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Why is the Turfan Depression one of the lowest places in China?
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Xinjiang
Pagoda close to Tian Lake, Ürümqi, Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China.
The Turfan Depression is one of the lowest places in China because it is a fault trough—a type of tectonic landform created by the movement of the Earth's crust.
Specifically, the depression was formed by tectonic processes involving crustal extension and thinning, where blocks of the Earth's crust moved apart. As the intervening segment of the crust thinned, its surface subsided, creating a deep basin. This subsidence has resulted in the depression descending to approximately 508 feet (155 meters) below sea level, making it the lowest point in China.12