Plateau In Summer Research Articles

Simulating Moisture Transport Over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer of 2015 Across Scales With a Global Variable‐Resolution Model (MPAS‐A)

AbstractAccurately simulating moisture transport in summer over the TP is uncertain for current numerical models with one important factor being horizontal resolution. In this study, in order to investigate the moisture transport across scales, three experiments are conducted for summer of 2015 using a global variable‐resolution model (MPAS‐A), including one with globally quasi‐uniform resolution of 60 km (U60km) and two with regional refinements over the TP at resolutions of 16 km (V16km) and 4 km (V4km). The wet bias of summer rainfall within the TP increase from U60km to V16km but is significantly improved in V4km. One important source of rainfall bias is the moisture transport across scales. The differences in moisture transport among three simulations are significantly influenced by the changes in wind fields through the Himalayas and eastern TP in two layers, 700–600 and 600–400 hPa, which is largely modulated by their difference in large‐scale circulations particularly monsoon depression. At convection‐parameterized scale (from 60 to 16 km), the scale‐aware Grell‐Freitas convection scheme produces more rainfall and latent heat due to its large sensitivity to the integrating timestep. This sensitivity along with further resolved dynamical processes, collectively strengthen the monsoon depression to the south of TP and make it shift northward in conjunction with the mid‐latitude westerlies. With resolution increasing to convection‐permitting scale (from 16 to 4 km), the resolved moist convection releases significantly less latent heat and then reproduces a weaker monsoon depression. This causes a discrepancy that exceeds the resolution‐related difference at convection‐parameterized scale.

Analysis of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Characteristics on Different Underlying Surfaces of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau in Summer

The atmospheric boundary layer is a key region for human activities and the interaction of various layers and is an important channel for the transportation of momentum, heat, and various substances between the free atmosphere and the surface, which has a significant impact on the development of weather and climate change. During the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STEP) in June 2022, utilizing the comprehensive stereoscopic observation experiment of the “Plateau Low Vortex Network”, this study analyzed the variation characteristics and influencing factors of the atmospheric boundary layer height (ABLH) at three stations with different underlying surface types on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP): Qumalai Station (grassland), Southeast Tibet Observation and Research Station for the Alpine Environment (SETORS, forest), and Sieshan Station (cropland). The analysis utilized sounding observation data, microwave radiometer data, and ERA5 reanalysis data. The results revealed that the temperature differences between the sounding observation data and microwave radiometer data were minor at the three stations, with a notable temperature inversion phenomenon observed at Sieshan Station. Regarding water vapor density, the differences between the sounding observation data and microwave radiometer data were relatively small at Sieshan Station. The relative humidity increased with height at Sieshan Station, whereas it increased and then decreased with height at SETORS and Qumalai Station. The ABLH at all sites reached its maximum value around noon, approximately 1500 m, and exhibited mostly convective boundary layer (CBL) characteristics. During the night, the ABLH mostly showed a stable boundary layer (SBL) pattern, with heights around 250 m. In summer, latent heat flux (LE) and sensible heat flux (H) in the eastern plateau were generally lower than those in the western plateau except at 20:00, where they were higher. Vertical velocity (w) in the eastern plateau was greater than in the western plateau. Among Sieshan Station and SETORS, LE, and H had the most significant impact on ABLH, while at Qumalai Station, ABLH was more influenced by surface long-wave radiation (Rlu). These four influencing factors showed a positive correlation with ABLH. The impact of different underlying surface types on ABLH primarily manifests in surface temperature variations, solar radiation intensity, vegetation cover, and terrain. Grasslands typically exhibit a larger range of ABLH variations, while the ABLH in forests and mountainous cropland areas is relatively stable.

Effects of chemical fertilizer reduction combined with bio-organic fertilizer application on growth physiology and nutrient absorption of Chinese cabbage in open fields on plateau in summer

Effects of chemical fertilizer reduction combined with bio-organic fertilizer application on growth physiology and nutrient absorption of Chinese cabbage in open fields on plateau in summer

Study on the atmospheric heat engine efficiency and heat source characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in summer

Study on the atmospheric heat engine efficiency and heat source characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in summer

Linkage between the boreal spring Antarctic oscillation and the temperature dipole mode over the Tibetan Plateau in summer

As the extratropical Southern Hemispheric most prominent atmospheric mode, Antarctic oscillation (AAO) can impact the climate system via multi-spherical interactions, whereas its potential influence on the temperature anomaly over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) remains unclear. By employing ERA5 reanalysis during 1979–2018, we have identified a significant in-phase relationship between April–May AAO and the boreal summer (June–August) temperature anomaly over the TP. The AAO significantly modulates the meridional circulation in the Atlantic sector where the climatic subtropical jet is weaker than other regions in the subtropics as well as the equatorward extension of midlatitude jet. The divergence of transient eddy momentum related to the positive AAO strengthens the northward movement of the South American meridional circulation and cross-equatorial airflow in the low troposphere. Due to the Coriolis force, the cross-equatorial airflow turns southwesterly above the tropical North Atlantic, weakening the climatic northeasterly and the feedback of wind-evaporation-sea surface temperature (SST). Consequently, an anomalous warm SST persists into the boreal summer and triggers a Rossby wave train, which propagates along the North Atlantic-TP pathway. As a result, the positive phase of TP's temperature dipole mode with an eastern warm anomaly and a western cold anomaly appears. The numerical experiments conducted by the linear baroclinic model provide further evidence for the Rossby wave origination and propagation. The AAO, therefore, may act as a valuable predictor for the climate predictions around the TP.

Analysis of Water Chemistry Characteristics and Main Ion Controlling Factors of Lakes in the Nagqu Area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in Summer

The Nagqu area is in the northern part of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and its average altitude is above 4000 m. Due to the area’s high altitude, there is relatively little information about its lakes. Therefore, to supplement the basic information of lakes in the area, this study collected surface water samples from 12 lakes, including Gangtang Co, Pusaier Co, Guojialin Co, Dagze Co, Yangnapeng Co, Bankog Co, Dangqung Co, Chaxiabu Co, Angdar Co, Bengze Co, Guogen Co, and Yibug Caka from July to August 2020. Furthermore, the factors controlling the lake water chemistry characteristics and the main ion sources were explored using the Piper, Gibbs, and ion ratio methods. The results were as follows: (1) The lakes had high levels of salt, alkalinity, and mineralization, and all the lakes except Bengze Co were salt lakes. The 12 lakes met the Class V water standard. (2) Dangqung Co, Bankog Co, Guojialin Co, Daze Co, and Yangnapeng Co were in the initial stage of lake succession, while the others were in the later stages of lake succession. (3) Evaporation–crystallization was the most important factor controlling the water chemistry of the 12 lakes, and most of the ions in the lakes come from the dissolution of evaporite.

Spatial–temporal variation of extreme precipitation in the Yellow–Huai–Hai–Yangtze Basin of China

Climate warming leads to frequent extreme precipitation events, which is a prominent manifestation of the variation of the global water cycle. In this study, data from 1842 meteorological stations in the Huang–Huai–Hai–Yangtze River Basin and 7 climate models of CMIP6 were used to obtain the historical and future precipitation data using the Anusplin interpolation, BMA method, and a non-stationary deviation correction technique. The temporal and spatial variations of extreme precipitation in the four basins were analysed from 1960 to 2100. The correlation between extreme precipitation indices and their relationship with geographical factors was also analysed. The result of the study indicates that: (1) in the historical period, CDD and R99pTOT showed an upward trend, with growth rates of 14.14% and 4.78%, respectively. PRCPTOT showed a downward trend, with a decreasing rate of 9.72%. Other indices showed minimal change. (2) Based on SSP1-2.6, the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme precipitation changed by approximately 5% at SSP3-7.0 and 10% at SSP5-8.5. The sensitivity to climate change was found to be highest in spring and autumn. The drought risk decreased, while the flood risk increased in spring. The drought risk increased in autumn and winter, and the flood risk increased in the alpine climate area of the plateau in summer. (3) Extreme precipitation index is significantly correlated with PRCPTOT in the future period. Different atmospheric circulation factors significantly affected different extreme precipitation indices of FMB. (4) CDD, CWD, R95pD, R99pD, and PRCPTOT are affected by latitude. On the other hand, RX1day and RX5day are affected by longitude. The extreme precipitation index is significantly correlated with geographical factors, and areas above 3000 m above sea level are more sensitive to climate change.

Characteristics and Formation Mechanism of the Cloud Vertical Structure Over the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau in Summer

AbstractCloud vertical structure (CVS) has important influence on cloud radiative effect and atmospheric circulation, especially for the third pole of the world–the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, the characteristics and formation mechanism of the CVS over the TP are not well understood. This study revealed the characteristics and formation mechanism of the CVS over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) in summer using the radiosonde datasets and the ERA5 data sets during June–August from 2015 to 2021. Results show that SETP is cloudy for 71% of the summertime with 73% of the clouds single–layered and 27% multi–layered. Multi–layer cloud occurs more frequently over the eastern SETP. With the number of cloud layers increases, the vertical range of cloud increases but the layer thickness and the inter–layer distance decrease. Water vapor, ascent, circulation and vertical wind shear are important factors for CVS formation. Single–layer cloud tends to form when the strengthening of the water vapor and the ascent is most significant at 400 hPa. In comparison, a stronger South Asian High (SAH) brings more water vapor and stronger ascent to the upper level, helping form the upper cloud and favoring the two–layer cloud structure. Three–layer cloud is likely to form when the upper–level vertical wind shear strengthens and the ascent between the middle and low cloud layer weakens. This study deepens the scientific understanding of the characteristics and formation mechanism of the CVS over the TP, and provides scientific reference for modeling the cloud–climate feedback process over the plateau.

Observed Vertical Structure of Precipitation over the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau in Summer 2021

Observed Vertical Structure of Precipitation over the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau in Summer 2021

Changes in mental health in the German child and adolescent population during the COVID-19 pandemic - Results of a rapid review.

This rapid review examines changes in the mental health of the German child and adolescent population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The basis are 39 publications, which were identified by means of systematic literature search (until 19.11.2021) and manual search. The databases of the included publications were systematized with regard to their representativeness for the general population, and the indicators used were categorized with regard to the depicted constructs and their reliability. The large majority of the studies took place at the beginning of the pandemic until the summer plateau 2020. Representative studies mainly reported high levels of pandemic-related stress, increases in mental health problems, and negative impacts on the quality of life. Non-representative studies showed mixed results. Vulnerable groups could only be identified to a limited extent. Both routine and care-related data showed declines in the outpatient and inpatient service utilisation during the various waves of the pandemic followed by catch-up effects. Children and adolescents turned out to be more vulnerable during the pandemic compared to adults, but their stress levels varied with the waves of the pandemic and the related containment measures. A future forward-looking crisis and pandemic management requires a close-knit and continuous surveillance of the mental health of children as well as an improved identification of risk groups.

Regional organic matter and mineral dust are the main components of atmospheric aerosols over the Nam Co station on the central Tibetan Plateau in summer

The transport of air pollutants from areas surrounding the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has recently been studied. However, the major sources of atmospheric total suspended particulate matter (TSP) on the central TP remain unclear due to a lack of in-situ observations on aerosol physico-chemical properties. Therefore, to quantitatively investigate the physico-chemical properties and reveal the major sources of atmospheric aerosols, a comprehensive field campaign was conducted at the site of Nam Co from August 6 to September 11, 2020. Aerosol loading was low during the campaign with average TSP mass concentration, scattering coefficient at 550 nm, and absorption coefficient at 670 nm being 10.11 ± 5.36 μg m−3, 1.71 ± 1.36 Mm−1, and 0.26 ± 0.20 Mm−1, respectively. Organic matter (63.9%) and mineral dust (27.8%) accounted for most of the TSP mass concentrations. The average scattering Ångström exponent of 0.59 ± 0.14 reflected the influence of mineral dust, and the elemental fractions and the results of enrichment factor illustrated that crustal materials were the main contributors of mineral dust. The organic to elemental carbon ratio of 15.33 is probably caused by the aging that occurs during the transport of aerosols. The strong correlation between organic carbon and Ca2+ and the results of the electron microscopy analysis of single particles indicated that organic carbon and mineral dust had the same sources; however, the weak relation between mineral dust and wind speed indicated that local wind erosion was not the main contributor to the mineral dust. The potential source contribution function further illustrated that the summertime TSP in the central TP was mainly characterized by background biomass and mineral dust aerosols originating regionally from the ground within the TP.

The Wet Bias of RegCM4 Over Tibet Plateau in Summer Reduced by Adopting the 3D Sub‐Grid Terrain Solar Radiative Effect Parameterization Scheme

AbstractThe Regional Climate Model Version 4 (RegCM4) with the conventional plane‐parallel radiative transfer scheme severely overestimates the summer precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) due to the excessive surface heat source, which results from the poor representation of the sub‐grid terrain‐related radiation processes. To realistically describe the surface sub‐grid radiation process in the RegCM4, a 3‐dimensional sub‐grid terrain solar radiative effect (3DSTSRE) parameterization scheme is implemented into the RegCM4 to improve the original plane‐parallel radiative transfer scheme. Results show that adopting the 3DSTSRE scheme in RegCM4 can significantly reduce the summer (June–August) wet bias over the TP produced by the model with the plane‐parallel radiative transfer scheme. Mechanism analysis indicates that the 3DSTSRE scheme largely improves the description of the TP surface energy balance in the RegCM4 by reducing the positive bias of downward surface solar radiation (DSSR). The reduced DSSR leads to the weakened surface heat source and cooler near‐surface air over the TP. Consequently, the local atmospheric circulation adapts to the temperature field as the low‐level anti‐cyclonic (high‐level cyclonic) anomaly over the TP. The adjustment of the temperature and wind field attenuates the water vapor transport, enhances the low‐level atmospheric stability, inhibits the updraft motion, and eventually reduces the rainfall over TP. Although the 3DSTSRE improves the DSSR simulation only during daytime, the precipitation simulation is also improved at nighttime, which is fundamentally attributed to the maintenance of the cooled atmosphere throughout the daytime and nighttime.

Characteristics of water vapor sources and precipitation contributions to drought and wet events on the Chinese Loess Plateau

In this paper, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at the monthly scale was derived based on the ground observations to obtain different drought and wet events at the surface of the Loess Plateau in summer from 2000 to 2017. Using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NECP) Final Analysis (FNL) data for the same period, backward simulations with the FLEXPART model were performed to obtain the water vapor transport characteristics and potential evaporative sources corresponding to different dry and wet events. Finally, the contribution of water vapor sources to precipitation on the Loess Plateau was obtained. The results show that the primary sources of water vapor on the Loess Plateau during dry and wet summer events are concentrated in the Loess Plateau and the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau regions and sporadically distributed in the Altay region of Xinjiang, as well as at the junction of China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The evaporation extent and intensity in northern Xinjiang and Mongolia increase when the surface experiences wet-normal-dry events. The local internal circulation on the Loess Plateau contributes to 31.3% and 36.8% of the water vapor in drought and wet events, respectively. Influenced by the westerly wind belt and southwest monsoon, the precipitation contributions of the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau are 11.2% and 13.1%, respectively, and those of Mongolia are 14.6% and 11.9%, respectively. The water vapor contributions from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal in the south are insignificant. The results aid in understanding the mechanisms of drought and wet events on the Loess Plateau.

Simulation of the potential impacts of lakes on glacier behavior over the Tibetan Plateau in summer

Simulation of the potential impacts of lakes on glacier behavior over the Tibetan Plateau in summer

Intercomparison of Cloud Vertical Structures over Four Different Sites of the Eastern Slope of the Tibetan Plateau in Summer Using Ka-Band Millimeter-Wave Radar Measurements

The eastern slope of the Tibetan Plateau is a crucial corridor of water-vapor transport from the Tibetan Plateau to Eastern China. This is also a region with active cloud initiation, and the locally hatched cloud systems have a profound impact on the radiation budget and hydrological cycle over the downstream Sichuan Basin and the middle reach of the Yangtze River. It is noteworthy that there is a strong diversification in the characteristics and evolution of the ESTP cloud systems due to the complex terrain. Therefore, in this study, ground-based Ka-band millimeter-wave cloud radar measurements collected at the Ganzi (GZ), Litang (LT), Daocheng (DC), and Jiulong (JL) sites of the ESTP in 2019 were analyzed to compare the vertical structures of summer nonprecipitating clouds, including cloud occurrence frequency, radar reflectivity factor, cloud base height, cloud top height, and cloud thickness. The occurrence frequency exhibits two peaks on the ESTP with maximum values of ~20% (2–4 km) and 15% (7–9 km), respectively. The greatest (smallest) occurrence frequency occurs in the JL (GZ). The cloud occurrence frequency of all sites increases rapidly in the afternoon, and the occurrence frequency of the DC presents larger values at 2–4 km. In contrast, the occurrence frequency in the JL shows another increase from 2000 LT to midnight at 7–11 km. Stronger radar echoes occur most frequently in the LT at 5–7 km, and hydrometeor sizes and phase states vary dramatically in mixed-phase clouds. A small number of radar echoes occur at midnight in the JL. A characteristic bimodality of the cloud base height and top height for single-layer, double-layer, and triple-layer clouds was observed. Clouds show a higher base height in the GZ and higher top height in the JL. The ESTP is dominated by thin clouds with thicknesses of 200–400 m. The cloud base height, top height, and thickness exhibit an increase in the afternoon, and higher top height occurs more frequently from midnight to the next early morning in the JL because of its mountain-valley terrain.

The Spatiotemporal Patterns of the Upper-Tropospheric Water Vapor over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer Based on EOF Analysis

Abstract Using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, we investigate the spatial pattern and temporal variation of the upper-tropospheric water vapor (UTWV) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in summer based on the fifth-generation ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis (ERA5). The main factors affecting UTWV in different regions over the TP are also discussed. The results show that the spatial distribution of the UTWV over the TP mainly displays the so-called uniform, east–west dipole, and north–south dipole modes. The three modes show significant periods of 5, 8, and 4 years, respectively. The first mode exhibits a small but significant positive trend over the TP, which can be mainly attributed to the intensification of the South Asian summer monsoon and accounts for 31% of the UTWV variance, followed by the South Asian high and the Indian low with 17% and 16%, respectively. The second mode shows opposite variation of water vapor over the eastern and western TP, mainly resulting from the weakened westerly wind over the eastern TP and the enhanced westerly wind over the western TP, which accounts for 57% of the UTWV variance. The third mode exhibits a positive trend of water vapor over the northern TP, mainly attributed to the ascending motion associated with local anticyclonic circulation over the northeastern TP and the decrease of the static stability over the northern TP, which account for 45% and 11% of the UTWV variance, respectively. The tropopause folds also contribute to the positive trend of water vapor shown in the third mode.

Measurement report: Vertical profiling of particle size distributions over Lhasa, Tibet – tethered balloon-based in situ measurements and source apportionment

Abstract. In situ measurements of vertically resolved particle size distributions based on a tethered balloon system were carried out for the first time in the highland city of Lhasa over the Tibetan Plateau in summer 2020, using portable optical counters for the size range of ​​​​​​​0.124–32 µm. The vertical structure of 112 aerosol profiles was found to be largely shaped by the evolution of the planetary boundary layer (PBL), with a nearly uniform distribution of aerosols within the daytime mixing layer and a sharp decline with the height in the shallow nocturnal boundary layer. During the campaign, mass concentrations of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) within the PBL ranged from 0.5 to 12.0 µg m−3, with an average and standard deviation of 3.4 ± 2.3 µg m−3, almost 4 times the amount in the free troposphere (FT), which was rarely affected by surface anthropogenic emissions. Though there was a lower level of particle mass in the residual layer (RL) than in the PBL, a similarity in particle mass size distributions (PMSDs) suggested that particles in the RL might be of the same origin as the particles in the PBL. This was also consistent with the source apportionment analysis based on the PMSDs. In total, three distinct modes were observed in the PMSDs for the PBL and the RL. One mode was exclusively coarse particles up to roughly 15 µm, peaking around 5 µm. More than 50 % of total particle mass was often contributed by coarse-mode particles in this area, which was thought to be associated with local dust resuspension. The mode peaking over 0.5–0.7 µm was representative of biomass burning on religious holidays and was found to be most pronounced on holiday mornings. The contribution from the religious burning factor rose from about 25 % on non-holidays to nearly 50 % on holiday mornings. The mode dominated by particles smaller than 0.3 µm was thought to be associated with combustion-related emissions and/or secondary aerosol formation. In the FT coarse mode, particles only accounted for less than 10 % of the total mass, and particles larger than 5 µm were negligible. The predominant submicron particles in the FT might be related to secondary aerosol formation and the aging of existing particles. To give a full picture of aerosol physical and chemical properties and better understand the origin and impacts of aerosols in this area, intensive field campaigns involving measurements of vertically resolved aerosol chemical compositions in different seasons would be highly encouraged in the future.

Intensity Evolution of Zonal Shear Line over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer: A Perspective of Divergent and Rotational Kinetic Energies

Based on the ERA5 reanalysis datasets during 1980–2019, a total of eleven zonal shear lines (ZSLs) that caused heavy precipitation and lasted more than 60 hours over the Tibetan Plateau in summer are selected for composite analysis. By decomposing the kinetic energy (K) near the ZSL into divergent and rotational kinetic energies (KD and KR) and the kinetic energy of interaction between the divergent wind and the rotational wind (KRD), the influence of the rotational and divergent winds on the evolution of the ZSL intensity is investigated from the perspective of KD and KR. The main results are as follows. The ZSL is a comprehensive reflection of rotation and convergence. The intensity evolution of ZSL is essentially synchronized with those of K, KR, and KRD but lags behind KD by about three hours. The enhancement of K is mainly contributed by KR, which is governed by the conversion from KD to KR. Furthermore, the increase in the conversion from KD to KR is controlled by the geostrophic effect term Af, which is determined by the joint enhancement of the zonal rotational and meridional divergent wind components (uR and vD). Therefore, the joint enhancement of uR and vD controls the increase of the ZSL intensity, leading to increased precipitation.

Impacts of Topographic Complexity on Modeling Moisture Transport and Precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer

The non-hydrostatic global variable resolution model (MPAS-atmosphere) is used to conduct the simulations for the South Asian Summer monsoon season (June, July, and August) in 2015 with a refinement over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) at the convection-permitting scale (4 km). Two experiments with different topographical datasets, complex (4-km) and smooth (60-km) topography, are designed to investigate the impacts of topographical complexity on moisture transport and precipitation. Compared with the observations and reanalysis data, the simulation can successfully capture the general features of key meteorological fields over the TP despite slightly underestimating the inflow through the southern TP. The results indicate that the complex topography can decrease the inward and outward moisture transport, ultimately increasing the total net moisture transport into the TP by ∼11%. The impacts of complex topography on precipitation are negligible over the TP, but the spatial distributions of precipitation over the Himalayas are significantly modulated. With the inclusion of complex topography, the sharper southern slopes of the Himalayas shift the lifted airflow and hence precipitation northward compared to the smooth topography. In addition, more small-scale valleys are resolved by the inclusion of complex topography, which serve as channels for moisture transport across the Himalayas, further favoring a northward shift of precipitation. Overall, the difference between the two experiments with different topography datasets is mainly attributed to their differing representation of the degree of the southern slopes of the Himalayas and the extent to which the valleys are resolved.

Mental health of the adult population in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid Review.

This rapid review examines how the mental health of adults in the general population in Germany changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a systematic literature search and included 68 publications as of July 30 2021. The underlying studies were classified according to their suitability for representative statements for the general population and for estimating changes in mental health over time. In addition, the observation period and operationalisation of outcomes were considered.The first wave of infection and the summer plateau were mapped by 65% of the studies. Studies that were particularly suitable for representative statements due to their research design showed mixed results, which tend to indicate a largely resilient adult population with a proportion of vulnerable individuals. A predominantly negative development of mental health was described by results from more bias-prone study designs. Routine data analyses showed decreases in outpatient and especially inpatient care, increased use of a crisis service, mixed results for outpatient diagnoses, incapacity to work and mortality as well as indications of shifts in the spectrum of diagnoses. As the current evidence is ambiguous, generalised statements should be reflected in favour of a differentiated view. There is a need for research on the further course of the pandemic, specific risk groups and the prevalence of mental disorders.