FIELD NOTE 04 · NAMTSO / 2025

Field sampling on Namtso's northern shore.

Late September 2025. Field sampling in the Namtso area, with records of the approach, the lakeshore, and observations between tasks.

Recorded 2025.09.28–09.30Fieldwork · Namtso4 min read

Northern shore of Namtso · Photographed by Lin on 2025.09.29 · AI-assisted edit

In late September 2025, I traveled to the Namtso area for field sampling. The camera roll does not document the full workflow; it retains mostly the approach, the lakeshore, and details noticed between tasks.

This article includes only what can be confirmed from the photographs. For sample types, sampling locations, methods, and results, refer to the formal project records.

The Lake Ahead

Before noon on September 29, the lake first appeared as a narrow band of blue beyond the open ground. The snow-covered mountains stood farther back, giving the scene a strong sense of distance.

A blue band of Namtso beyond open ground, with snow-covered mountains in the distance — Before noon on September 29, looking toward the lake and mountains while en route.

The photographs record the passage, not a reconstructed route.

Later that afternoon, the road, utility poles, clouds, and mountains slid past the vehicle window. The reflections remain as part of how the photograph was made.

Utility poles crossing the plateau beneath clouds, with snow-covered mountains in the distance — September 29, an in-motion view from the road along the northern side of the lake.

At the Water's Edge

The next photographs were taken from the gravel shore. The near-shore water was clear; the stones below, the lake surface, and the distant mountains could all be seen in the same frame.

Clear lake water over near-shore gravel, with mountains spanning the horizon — Clear shallow water and the gravel bed on Namtso's northern shore.

These photographs were made during the fieldwork. The public version does not disclose precise locations, nor does it infer procedures or findings from environmental photographs.

Deep-blue Namtso with snow peaks beneath clouds on the opposite shore — Looking across the lake toward the snow peaks opposite the northern shore.

A Closer Look

A slightly wider view retained the lake, distant mountains, and nearby landform. The series then shifts from the horizon to details at hand.

Namtso, distant snow-covered mountains, and a low headland at the right edge — A supplementary record of the water, distant mountains, and nearby shore.

A reddish-brown rock with pale markings was photographed from several angles. The images show only that it was observed on site; they do not establish its composition or whether it was removed from the shore.

Pale markings across the surface of a reddish-brown rock held in one hand — Color and surface texture observed at the lakeshore.

A reddish-brown rock held above shallow water and the gravel shore — The rock recorded together with its lakeshore setting.

Photographs preserve observations. Project records preserve methods and results.

The Following Morning

On the morning of September 30, the camera roll paused on open high ground. A flock was scattered below a low hill—the final photograph in this set.

A flock scattered across a brown plateau slope beneath a blue sky — September 30, high ground and a grazing flock.

The image does not mark the completion of sampling or the journey home. The visual record simply ends here; operational details remain in the project records.