The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, now dotted with glaciers and lakes, was a lot different from what it was like tens of millions of years ago and its landscape may continue to change, according to the findings of Chinese scientists.

At the ongoing Fourth China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo, Yao Tandong, chief scientist on China's second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, shared some of the initial discoveries of the expedition.

Known as Asia's water tower, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the source of a dozen major rivers of Asia, said Yao, stressing finding the secrets of its evolution and ecosystem was essential to the well-being of Asians.

The expedition set off in June 2017 and was the second of its kind in 40 years. Lasting five to 10 years, the expedition will conduct a series of studies focusing on the Plateau's glaciers, biodiversity, and ecological changes, and will also monitor changes in the region's climate.

In a study concerning the impact of the rise of the Himalayas and Gangdise Mountains over the environment, researchers Ding Lin and Deng Tao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the mysterious past of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.