Abstract
Abstract The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is a regional Earth system showing very strong interactions among its lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and anthrosphere. These interactions manifest TP's impact on surrounding regions and reflect TP's response to the global change. Quantifying the multispherical interactions is critically important to understand the TP environment. Our recent years researches including the ongoing program entitled ‘Tibetan Multi-Spheres Interactions and Their Resource-Environment Significance (TIMI)’, the completed program entitled. ‘Paleo-Altitudes of Tibetan Plateau and Environment (PATE)’, as well as the other relating projects have focused on multidisciplinary research approaches and emphasized on three major pathways: Eurasia-Indian plates collision on deep-Earth dynamics, uplift impact on Earth's mantle–crust dynamics, and contemporary interface on land surface and atmospheric dynamics. Our researches have taken in situ measurement as priority and developed several platforms of data acquisition and analysis, including the platforms of water-phase transformations, and ecosystem observations. Our field investigations have been conducted to obtain data about stratum, paleontology, paleoenvironment, genetic differentiation of animals and plants. We have developed conceptual and mathematical models for crust uplift formation, paleoclimate, glacial melt, water–air interface flux, vegetation climate, and soil erosion. We have also assessed the anthropogenic impacts on environment. Our researches have achieved new and reliable redating of the mantle–crust interaction and initial formation of the TP, found the interaction between tectonics and uplift of the TP and resultant paleoaltitude acting as a spreading source; discovered the interaction between the westerlies and Indian monsoon acting as a control chain that dominates the TP's contemporary environment. The scientific results can play fundamental roles in supporting the TP's resource exploration and societal sustainable development.
Highlights
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the world’s largest and highest Cenozoic plateau
We found three main patterns of glacial change on the TP which corresponded to three types of interaction between the westerlies and the Indian monsoon: greatest glacial retreat along the margins of the southeastern TP where is markedly influenced by the Indian monsoon; less glacial retreat toward the which is characterized with the interplay of both the Indian monsoon and the westerlies circulation; but stable, or even increasing, glacial volumes in certain areas in the northwest TP, in the Pamir/West Kunlun region, where the westerlies is dominating (Fig. 22) [33]
Our researches have focused on the multispherical interactions of the TP earth system and found the key roles of three major pathways including the Eurasia-Indian plates collision linking the deep parts of the earth system, uplift impact linking the uplift and its long-reaching effect, and contemporary interface linking the land surface processes
Summary
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the world’s largest and highest Cenozoic plateau. Its Cenozoic magmatic rocks were produced by the interaction between mantle and crust on the TP after the onset of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates [1,2]. Using characteristic Pliocene and Pleistocene mammals, the small mammal assemblages in the lower part of the section, and monodactylid Equus from the upper section, they proposed a correlation from C1n to C3An.1r, with an age range of ∼400 Ka to 6.4 Ma. Wang et al reported the results from isotopic analyses of fauna and of modern herbivores and waters, as well as paleotemperature estimates, from the Zanda Basin [23] (Fig. 9).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
