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Climate change threatens terrestrial water storage over the Tibetan Plateau

Author

Listed:
  • Xueying Li

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Di Long

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Bridget R. Scanlon

    (The University of Texas at Austin)

  • Michael E. Mann

    (Penn State University)

  • Xingdong Li

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Fuqiang Tian

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Zhangli Sun

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Guangqian Wang

    (Tsinghua University)

Abstract

Terrestrial water storage (TWS) over the Tibetan Plateau, a major global water tower, is crucial in determining water transport and availability to a large downstream Asian population. Climate change impacts on historical and future TWS changes, however, are not well quantified. Here we used bottom-up and top-down approaches to quantify a significant TWS decrease (10.2 Gt yr–1) over the Tibetan Plateau in recent decades (2002–2017), reflecting competing effects of glacier retreat, lake expansion and subsurface water loss. Despite the weakened trends in projected TWS, it shows large declines under a mid-range carbon emissions scenario by the mid-twenty-first century. Excess water-loss projections for the Amu Darya and Indus basins present a critical water resource threat, indicating declines of 119% and 79% in water-supply capacity, respectively. Our study highlights these two hotspots as being at risk from climate change, informing adaptation strategies for these highly vulnerable regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Xueying Li & Di Long & Bridget R. Scanlon & Michael E. Mann & Xingdong Li & Fuqiang Tian & Zhangli Sun & Guangqian Wang, 2022. "Climate change threatens terrestrial water storage over the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(9), pages 801-807, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:12:y:2022:i:9:d:10.1038_s41558-022-01443-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01443-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhu, Zichun & Fu, Congsheng & Wu, Huawu & Wu, Haohao & Zhang, Haixia & Cao, Yang & Xia, Ye, 2023. "What influences does grazing bring about to stream nutrient fluxes in alpine meadows?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    2. Lei Xu & Le Yang & Cai Lu & Qing Zeng & Shengling Zhou & Yongbing Yang & Shansi Liu & Zhaxijie Li & Yifei Jia & Guangchun Lei, 2023. "Impacts of Environmental Factors on Over-Wintering Aquatic Bird Communities in Yamzho Yumco Lake, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Yenan Wu & Di Long & Upmanu Lall & Bridget R. Scanlon & Fuqiang Tian & Xudong Fu & Jianshi Zhao & Jianyun Zhang & Hao Wang & Chunhong Hu, 2022. "Reconstructed eight-century streamflow in the Tibetan Plateau reveals contrasting regional variability and strong nonstationarity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Haiting Gu & Yue-Ping Xu & Li Liu & Jingkai Xie & Lu Wang & Suli Pan & Yuxue Guo, 2023. "Seasonal catchment memory of high mountain rivers in the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Huping Wang & Zhao Wang & Haikui Yin & Chao Jin & Xiaogang Zhang & Langtao Liu, 2023. "CO 2 Flow Characteristics in Macro-Scale Coal Sample: Effect of CO 2 Injection Pressure and Buried Depth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Zhili Wang & Yadong Lei & Huizheng Che & Bo Wu & Xiaoye Zhang, 2024. "Aerosol forcing regulating recent decadal change of summer water vapor budget over the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.

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