The cause of rapid lake expansion in the Tibetan Plateau: climate wetting or warming?

Abstract

Endorheic lake dynamics in the Tibetan Plateau (TP), as reflected in changes in water level and/or surface area, are sensitive indicator of regional hydrology that is closely related to both climate change and cryosphere hydrology. Since the late 1990s, most closed lakes in the interior TP expanded and deepened dramatically, in sharp contrast with lake shrinkage in the southern TP. Although some evidence shows that glacier melting and permafrost thawing within some lakes may influence lake level changes, they cannot explain the overall lake expansion, especially for lakes without glacier supply. More and more evidence from lake water balance modeling indicated that the overall lake expansion across the interior TP may be mainly attributed to a significant increase in precipitation and associated runoff. The positive lake water budget is also consistent with regional climate changes (e.g., increase in water vapor content and air convection in the interior TP), with relevant changes in large‐scale atmospheric circulation to be investigated. Further studies are needed to quantify the contribution of each component to lake water budgets and the associated climate change. WIREs Water 2017, 4:e1236. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1236This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Hydrological Processes Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change