Hami Basin

Hami Basin

 

an intermontane desert basin in Northwest China, south of the eastern extremity of the Tien-Shan and northwest of the upland of the Pei Shan. The Hami Basin is approximately 300 km long and reaches a width of 100 km. It consists of three closed depressions with a minimum elevation of 81 m. The basin has so-lonchaks and extensive tracts of sand. In the west is a region of fierce local winds (the Valley of Devils) with areas of deflation landforms. Oases, in which melons and grapes are raised, are found along the northern margin. There are coal deposits in the basin. The city of Hami is located in the northeastern part of the Hami Basin.