Increased mass over the Tibetan Plateau: From lakes or glaciers?

Zhang, Guoqing; Yao, Tandong; Xie, Hongjie; Kang, Shichang; Lei, Yajie

doi:10.1002/grl.50462

Cited by 255 publications

(200 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…A blue fitting line in the middle indicates that the increasing trend from GRACE data is slower at +0.41 ± 0.17 cm·yr −1 (95% CI), where light blue and gray shades display 95% and 99% of fitting confidence interval, respectively. This result suggests that this twin lake plays an important role in the mass change of surrounding areas, in accordance with previous investigation [7]. However, by looking at the time series itself the GRACE seems to experience higher variability than the TIAS solution.…”

Section: Quantification Of Water Volume Changesupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The high variability in the GRACE time series compared to the lake level time series suggests other hydrologic components are incorporated in the gravity signal. However, because this twin lake is one of the major mass sources in this area [7], it is worth inspecting the temporal change from GRACE gravity anomaly. The trend of mass change is fairly consistent between TIAS and GRACE derived EWH in 2002-2015.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we focus on this twin lake with a combined surface area greater than 1000 km 2 . According to [7], it is suggested that 53% of the total lake area is in charge of about 61% of mass change over the entire inner TP (ITP). Hence, we assume that this twin lake is large enough to represent a considerable part of mass contribution in GRACE signal.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying Freshwater Mass Balance in the Central Tibetan Plateau by Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing, Altimetry, and Gravimetry

et al. 2016

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Abstract:The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been observed by satellite optical remote sensing, altimetry, and gravimetry for a variety of geophysical parameters, including water storage change. However, each of these sensors has its respective limitation in the parameters observed, accuracy and spatial-temporal resolution. Here, we utilized an integrated approach to combine remote sensing imagery, digital elevation model, and satellite radar and laser altimetry data, to quantify freshwater storage change in a twin lake system named Chibuzhang Co and Dorsoidong Co in the central TP, and compared that with independent observations including mass changes from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data. Our results show that this twin lake, located within the Tanggula glacier system, remained almost steady during 1973-2000. However, Dorsoidong Co has experienced a significant lake level rise since 2000, especially during [2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005], that resulted in the plausible connection between the two lakes. The contemporary increasing lake level signal at a rate of 0.89˘0.05 cm¨yr´1, in a 2˝by 2˝grid equivalent water height since 2002, is higher than the GRACE observed trend at 0.41˘0.17 cm¨yr´1 during the same time span. Finally, a down-turning trend or inter-annual variability shown in the GRACE signal is observed after 2012, while the lake level is still rising at a consistent rate.

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Section: Quantification Of Water Volume Changesupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying Freshwater Mass Balance in the Central Tibetan Plateau by Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing, Altimetry, and Gravimetry

et al. 2016

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“…Thus, many authors have used ICESat products, particularly over the Tibetan Plateau. Although the satellite's repeat cycle and longevity were was not optimal for hydrology, spatial coverage was very high and had the potential to measure water level over a large set of lakes, as shown over the Tibetan Plateau where more than 100 lakes have been studied (Zhang et al 2013;Phan et al 2011;Kropáček et al 2012;Song et al 2013;Wang et al 2013). It was also used to monitor river water level variations (Baghdadi et al 2011;Jarihani et al 2013).…”

Section: Past Present and Future Satellite Altimetrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Lake Volume Monitoring from Space

Crétaux¹,

et al. 2016

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Lakes are integrators of environmental change occurring at both the regional and global scale. They present a wide range of behavior on a variety of timescales (cyclic and secular) depending on their morphology and climate conditions. Lakes play a crucial role in retaining and stocking water, and because of the significant global environmental changes occurring at several anthropocentric levels, the necessity to monitor all morphodynamic characteristics [e.g., water level, surface (water contour) and volume] has increased substantially. Satellite altimetry and imagery are now widely used together to calculate lake and reservoir water storage changes worldwide. However, strategies and algorithms to calculate these characteristics are not straightforward, and specific approaches need to be developed. We present a review of some of these methodologies by using lakes over the Tibetan Plateau to illustrate some critical aspects and issues (technical and scientific) linked to the observation of climate change impact on surface waters from remote sensing data. Many authors have measured water variation using the limited remote sensing measurements available over short time periods, even though the time series are probably too short to directly link these results with climate change. Indeed, there are many processes and factors, like the influence of lake morphology, that are beyond observation and are still uncertain. The time response for lakes to reach a new state of equilibrium is a key aspect that is often neglected in current literature. Observations over a long period of time, including maintaining a constellation of comprehensive and complementary satellite missions with service continuity over decades, are therefore necessary especially when the ground gauge network is too limited. In addition, the design of future satellite missions with new instrumental concepts (e.g., SAR, SARin, Ka band altimetry, Ka interferometry) will also be suitable for complete monitoring of continental waters.

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“…Recent research reveals dramatic changes in water level and mass budgets of Tibetan lakes in the early twenty-first century [1][2][3][4], indicating a sharp alteration existing in mass balance of Asian "water tower" [2,4,5] and an evident signal of climate dynamics [3,[6][7][8][9]. These findings greatly depend on the lake elevation measurements by the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation satellite (ICESat), as long-term in situ hydrological observations at the plateau scale are unavailable due to the remoteness and broad coverage of the Tibetan Plateau (TP).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined ICESat and CryoSat-2 Altimetry for Accessing Water Level Dynamics of Tibetan Lakes over 2003–2014

Song

Sheng

et al. 2015

Water

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Long-term observations of lake water level are essential to our understanding of the evolution of Tibetan lake system. CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data over the Tibetan Plateau (2010Plateau ( -2014) is used to extend lake level measurements from ICESat laser altimetry (2003-2009, P1). This study evaluates the performance of CryoSat-2 data by comparing with gauge-based water levels that are calibrated by ICESat-observed water level time series, and quantifies the uncertainty of water-level change rate estimates from satellite altimetry measurements. We completely investigate the 131 lakes that were observed by both ICESat and CryoSat-2. The mean change rate of water level for all of examined lakes in P2 (0.19 ± 0.03 m·year -1 ) is slightly lower than that (0.21 ± 0.02 m·year -1 ) observed in P1. The extended lake level time series also indicates that, in the past few years, lakes in the Northern Changtang (especially in Hol Xil) showed accelerated growth; and that the extensive lake level rises north to the Gangdise Mountains, during 2003Mountains, during -2009, were found dampened during the CryoSat-2 observation period. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of precipitation observed from weather stations can be used to partly explain the observed temporal pattern of lake level changes over different sub-zones of the plateau. OPEN ACCESSWater 2015, 7 4686

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Increased mass over the Tibetan Plateau: From lakes or glaciers?

Cited by 255 publications

References 41 publications

Quantifying Freshwater Mass Balance in the Central Tibetan Plateau by Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing, Altimetry, and Gravimetry

Quantifying Freshwater Mass Balance in the Central Tibetan Plateau by Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing, Altimetry, and Gravimetry

Lake Volume Monitoring from Space

Combined ICESat and CryoSat-2 Altimetry for Accessing Water Level Dynamics of Tibetan Lakes over 2003–2014

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