scholarly journals Growth of a high-elevation large inland lake, associated with climate change and permafrost degradation in Tibet

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liu ◽  
S. Kang ◽  
T. Gong ◽  
A. Lu
Keyword(s):  
High Elevation ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Pan Evaporation ◽  
Precipitation Increase ◽  
Nam Co Lake

Abstract. This study analyzed satellite images and long term climate variables from a high-elevation meteorological station (4730 m) and streamflow records to examine hydrological response of Nam Co Lake (4718 m), the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau, over the last 50 years. The results show the lake area extended by 51.8 km2 (2.7% of the total area) when compared with the area in 1976. This change is associated with an annual precipitation increase of 65 mm (18.6%), annual and winter mean temperature increases of 0.9 °C and 2.1 °C respectively, an annual runoff increase of 20% and an annual pan evaporation decrease of about 2%, during the past 20 years. The year of the change point in annual precipitation, air temperature, annual pan evaporation and runoff occurred in 1971, 1983, 1997 and 1997, respectively. The timing of the lake growth corresponds with the abrupt increase in annual precipitation and runoff since the mid-1990s.

scholarly journals Growth of a high-elevation large inland lake, associated with climate change and permafrost degradation in Tibet

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 5445-5469 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liu ◽  
S. Kang ◽  
T. Gong ◽  
A. Lu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Pan Evaporation ◽  
Inland Lake ◽  
Precipitation Increase

Abstract. This study analyzed satellite images and long term climate variables from a high-elevation meteorological station (4730 m) and streamflow records to examine hydrological response of Nam Co Lake (4718 m), the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau, over the last 50 years. The results show the lake area extended by 51.8 km2 (2.7% of the total area) when compared with the area in 1976. This change is associated with an annual precipitation increase of 65 mm (18.6%), annual and winter mean temperature increases of 0.9°C and 2.1°C respectively, an annual runoff increase of 20% and an annual pan evaporation decrease of about 2%, during the past 20 years. The year of the change point in annual precipitation, air temperature, annual pan evaporation and runoff occurred in 1971, 1983, 1997 and 1997, respectively. The timing of the lake growth corresponds with the abrupt increase in annual precipitation and runoff since the mid-1990s. This study suggests a strong positive water balance in the largest inland lake on the Tibetan Plateau.

scholarly journals Change in Frozen Soils and Its Effect on Regional Hydrology in the Upper Heihe Basin, on the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Gao ◽  
Dawen Yang ◽  
Yue Qin ◽  
Yuhan Wang ◽  
Hongyi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Frozen Ground ◽  
Frozen Soils ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Hydrological Cycles

Abstract. Frozen ground has an important role in regional hydrological cycles and ecosystems, especially on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is characterized by high elevation and a dry climate. This study modified a distributed physically based hydrological model and applied it to simulate the long-term (from 1971 to 2013) change of frozen ground and its effect on hydrology in the upper Heihe basin located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The model was validated carefully against data obtained from multiple ground-based observations. Based on the model simulations, we analyzed the changes of frozen soils and their effects on the hydrology. The results showed that the permafrost area shrank by 9.5 % (approximately 600 km2), especially in areas with elevation between 3500 m and 3900 m. The maximum frozen depth of seasonally frozen ground decreased at a rate of approximately 5.2 cm/10 yr, and the active layer depth over the permafrost increased by about 3.5 cm/10 yr. Runoff increased significantly during cold seasons (November–March) due to the increase in liquid soil moisture caused by rising soil temperature. Areas where permafrost changed into seasonally frozen ground at high elevation showed especially large changes in runoff. Annual runoff increased due to increased precipitation, the base flow increased due to permafrost degradation, and the actual evapotranspiration increased significantly due to increased precipitation and soil warming. The groundwater storage showed an increasing trend, which indicated that the groundwater recharge was enhanced due to the degradation of permafrost in the study area.

scholarly journals Change in Frozen Soils and its Effect on Regional Hydrology in the Upper Heihe Basin, the Northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Gao ◽  
Dawen Yang ◽  
Yue Qin ◽  
Yuhan Wang ◽  
Hongyi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Frozen Ground ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Physically Based

Abstract. Frozen ground has an important role in regional hydrological cycle and ecosystem, especially on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is characterized by high elevation and a dry climate. This study modified a distributed physically-based hydrological model and applied it to simulate the long-term (from 1961 to 2013) change of frozen ground and its effect on hydrology in the upper Heihe basin located at Northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The model was validated carefully against data obtained from multiple ground-based observations. The model results showed that the permafrost area shrank by 9.5 % (approximately 600 km2), especially in areas with elevation between 3500 m and 3900 m. The maximum frozen depth of seasonally frozen ground decreased at a rate of approximately 4.1 cm/10 yr, and the active layer depth over the permafrost increased by about 2.2 cm/10 yr. Runoff increased significantly during cold seasons (November–March) due to the increase in liquid soil moisture caused by rising soil temperature. Areas where permafrost changed into the seasonally frozen ground at high elevation showed especially large changes in runoff. Annual runoff increased due to increased precipitation, the base flow increased due to permafrost degradation, and the actual evapotranspiration increased significantly due to increased precipitation and soil warming. The groundwater storage showed an increasing trend, which indicated that the groundwater recharge was enhanced due to the degradation of permafrost in the study area.

scholarly journals Contrasting Evolution Patterns of Endorheic and Exorheic Lakes on the Central Tibetan Plateau and Climate Cause Analysis during 1988–2017

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 1962
Author(s):  
Zhilong Zhao ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Zengzeng Hu ◽  
Xuanhua Nie
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Mean Temperature

The alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are indicators of climate change. The assessment of lake dynamics on the TP is an important component of global climate change research. With a focus on lakes in the 33° N zone of the central TP, this study investigates the temporal evolution patterns of the lake areas of different types of lakes, i.e., non-glacier-fed endorheic lakes and non-glacier-fed exorheic lakes, during 1988–2017, and examines their relationship with changes in climatic factors. From 1988 to 2017, two endorheic lakes (Lake Yagenco and Lake Zhamcomaqiong) in the study area expanded significantly, i.e., by more than 50%. Over the same period, two exorheic lakes within the study area also exhibited spatio-temporal variability: Lake Gaeencuonama increased by 5.48%, and the change in Lake Zhamuco was not significant. The 2000s was a period of rapid expansion of both the closed lakes (endorheic lakes) and open lakes (exorheic lakes) in the study area. However, the endorheic lakes maintained the increase in lake area after the period of rapid expansion, while the exorheic lakes decreased after significant expansion. During 1988–2017, the annual mean temperature significantly increased at a rate of 0.04 °C/a, while the annual precipitation slightly increased at a rate of 2.23 mm/a. Furthermore, the annual precipitation significantly increased at a rate of 14.28 mm/a during 1995–2008. The results of this study demonstrate that the change in precipitation was responsible for the observed changes in the lake areas of the two exorheic lakes within the study area, while the changes in the lake areas of the two endorheic lakes were more sensitive to the annual mean temperature between 1988 and 2017. Given the importance of lakes to the TP, these are not trivial issues, and we now need accelerated research based on long-term and continuous remote sensing data.

The «rainfall-runoff» system and its long-term fluctuations in the Siverskyi Donets River Basin (Ukraine)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Bolbot ◽  
Vasyl Grebin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
River Runoff ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Spring Flood ◽  
Current Period

<p>The current patterns estimation of the water regime under climate change is one of the most urgent tasks in Ukraine and the world. Such changes are determined by fluctuations in the main climatic characteristics - precipitation and air temperature, which are defined the value of evaporation. These parameters influence on the annual runoff distribution and long-term runoff fluctuations. In particular, the annual precipitation redistribution is reflected in the corresponding changes in the river runoff.<br>The assessment of the current state and nature of changes in precipitation and river runoff of the Siverskyi Donets River Basin was made by comparing the current period (1991-2018) with the period of the climatological normal (1961-1990).<br>In general, for this area, it was defined the close relationship between the amount of precipitation and the annual runoff. Against the background of insignificant (about 1%) increase of annual precipitation in recent decades, it was revealed their redistribution by seasons and separate months. There is a decrease in precipitation in the cold period (November-February). This causes (along with other factors) a decrease in the amount of snow and, accordingly, the spring flood runoff. There are frequent cases of unexpressed spring floods of the Siverskyi Donets River Basin. The runoff during March-April (the period of spring flood within the Ukrainian part of the basin) decreased by almost a third.<br>The increase of precipitation during May-June causes a corresponding (insignificant) increase in runoff in these months. The shift of the maximum monthly amount of precipitation from May (for the period 1961-1990) to June (in the current period) is observed.<br>There is a certain threat to water supply in the region due to the shift in the minimum monthly amount of precipitation in the warm period from October to August. Compared with October, there is a higher air temperature and, accordingly, higher evaporation in August, which reduces the runoff. Such a situation is solved by rational water resources management of the basin. The possibility of replenishing water resources in the basin through the transfer runoff from the Dnieper (Dnieper-Siverskyi Donets channel) and the annual runoff redistribution in the reservoir system causes some increase in the river runoff of summer months in recent decades. This is also contributed by the activities of the river basin management structures, which control the maintenance water users' of minimum ecological flow downstream the water intakes and hydraulic structures in the rivers of the basin.<br>Therefore, in the period of current climate change, the annual runoff distribution of the Siverskyi Donets River Basin has undergone significant changes, which is related to the annual precipitation redistribution and anthropogenic load on the basin.</p>

scholarly journals Snow distribution over the Namco lake area of the Tibetan Plateau

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2023-2030 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Li ◽  
Y. Ma ◽  
Z. Hu ◽  
H. Ishikawa ◽  
Y. Oku
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
State Variable ◽  
Nested Grids ◽  
Snow Distribution ◽  
Surface Skin Temperature ◽  
Modified Surface ◽  
Meteorological Observations

Abstract. The mesoscale snow distribution over the Namco lake area of the Tibetan Plateau on October 2005 has been investigated in this paper. The base and revised experiments were conducted using the Weather Research Model (WRF) with three nested grids that included a 1 km finest grid centered on the Namco station. Our simulation ran from 6 October through to 10 October 2005, which was concurrent with long term meteorological observations. Evaluation against boundary layer meteorological tower measurements and flux observations showed that the model captured the observed 2 m temperature and 10 m winds reasonably well in the revised experiment. The results suggest that output snow depth maximum amounts from two simulated experiments were centered downwind of the Namco lakeshore. Modified surface state variable, for example, surface skin temperature on the lake help to increase simulated credibility.

Long-Term Changes of Lake Level and Water Budget in the Nam Co Lake Basin, Central Tibetan Plateau

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1312-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Wu ◽  
Hongxing Zheng ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Dongmei Chen ◽  
Liping Lei
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Water Budget ◽  
Lake Level ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Nam Co ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Nam Co Lake

Abstract Long-term changes in the water budget of lakes in the Tibetan Plateau due to climate change are of great interest not only for the importance of water management, but also for the critical challenge due to the lack of observations. In this paper, the water budget of Nam Co Lake during 1980–2010 is simulated using a dynamical monthly water balance model. The simulated lake level is in good agreement with field investigations and the remotely sensed lake level. The long-term hydrological simulation shows that from 1980 to 2010, lake level rose from 4718.34 to 4724.93 m, accompanied by an increase of lake water storage volume from 77.33 × 109 to 83.66 × 109 m3. For the net lake level rise (5.93 m) during the period 1980–2010, the proportional contributions of rainfall–runoff, glacier melt, precipitation on the lake, lake percolation, and evaporation are 104.7%, 56.6%, 41.7%, −22.2%, and −80.9%, respectively. A positive but diminishing annual water surplus is found in Nam Co Lake, implying a continuous but slowing rise in lake level as a hydrological consequence of climate change.

scholarly journals Snow distribution over the Namco lake area of the Tibetan Plateau

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 843-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Li ◽  
Y. Ma ◽  
Z. Hu ◽  
H. Ishikawa ◽  
Y. Oku
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Nested Grids ◽  
Snow Distribution ◽  
Surface Skin Temperature ◽  
Modified Surface ◽  
Meteorological Observations

Abstract. The mesoscale snow distribution over the Namco lake area of the Tibetan Plateau on October 2005 has been investigated in this paper. The control and sensitive experiments were conducted using Weather Research Model (WRF) with three nested grids that included a 1 km finest grid centered on the Namco station. Our simulation ran from 6 October through 10 October 2005, which was concurrent with long term meteorological observations. Evaluation against boundary layer meteorological tower measurements and flux observations showed that the model captured the observed 2 m temperature and 10 m winds reasonably well in the sensitive experiment. The results suggested that output snow depth maximum amounts from two simulated experiments were centered downwind shore of Namco lake. Modified surface parameters for example surface skin temperature on the lake help to increase simulated credibility.

Mechanism of Lake Area Variations and Water Level Changes in Nam Co Lake

2013 ◽  
Vol 838-841 ◽  
pp. 1685-1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Du ◽  
Mo Wen Xie ◽  
Man Hu
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Seepage Flow ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Nam Co ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Nam Co Lake

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the best areas for the study because of its geographical location as well as human disturbance. AS one of the largest lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Nam Co Lake seepage underestimated for a long time. By linear regression analysis of hydrological data from 1970-2005, we qualitatively understands the water level operation mechanism. The result shows that the model deviates from 2000, compared with the actual water level. Correlation analysis indicates the Nam Co Lake seepage flow reduces after 2000. The Three Gorges project resulted in the uplift of the downstream water level, which exacerbates the rise of water level of Nam Co Lake. Owing to the non timeliness of underground seepage recharge, water level of downstream lake is difficult to simulate. According to the result and recent research, underground seepage may be a cycle, affecting the water level of all the lakes.

Review on global change status and its impacts on the Tibetan Plateau environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 917-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aamir Latif ◽  
Sana Ilyas ◽  
Yangjian Zhang ◽  
Yuqin Xin ◽  
Lin Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Significant Temperature ◽  
Research Gap

Abstract The Tibetan Plateau (TP) holds fundamental ecological and environmental significances to China and Asia. The TP also lies in the core zone of the belt and road initiative. To protect the TP environment, a comprehensive screening on current ecological research status is entailed. The teased out research gap can also be utilized as guidelines for the recently launched major research programs, i.e. the second TP scientific expedition and silk and belt road research plan. The findings showed that the TP has experienced significant temperature increase at a rate of 0.2°C per decade since 1960s. The most robust warming trend was found in the northern plateau. Precipitation also exhibited an increasing trend but with high spatial heterogeneity. Changing climates have caused a series of environmental consequences, including lake area changes, glacier shrinkage, permafrost degradation and exacerbated desertification. The rising temperature is the main reason behind the glaciers shrinkage, snow melting, permafrost degradation and lake area changes on the TP and neighboring regions. The projected loss of glacial area on the plateau is estimated to be around 43% by 2070 and 75% by the end of the century. Vegetation was responsive to the changed environments, varied climates and intensified human activities by changing phenology and productivity. Future global change study should be more oriented toward integrating various research methods and tools, and synthesizing diverse subjects of water, vegetation, atmosphere and soil.

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