Establishment of Integrated Hydrometeorological Observation Platforms in Lakes across Three Distinct Climatic Zones on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau play a crucial role in regional hydrology and climate, yet they are highly sensitive to climate change. Despite their importance, our understanding of lake–atmosphere interactions in this region remains limited, primarily due to a lack of multiscale observations constrained by harsh environmental conditions. To address this data gap, we established a comprehensive hydrometeorological observation network across three lakes representing different climatic zones on the Tibetan Plateau. Since 2019, this network has continuously collected key datasets, including meteorological conditions, turbulent fluxes, water levels, temperature profiles, and salinity measurements. Our study suggests that these lakes significantly influence local climate by alleviating temperature fluctuations, altering wind patterns, and reducing atmospheric stability. The observational network marks a substantial step forward in capturing the lake-region climate system, improving our understanding of lake–atmosphere interactions and their impact on regional climate dynamics. Additionally, it supports the validation of models and refinement of remote sensing products. In the future, we aim to expand the integration of in situ, satellite, and model-based data to better support environmental conservation and water resource management on the Tibetan Plateau. Significance Statement We developed comprehensive hydrometeorological observation systems for three representative mesoscale lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, addressing a critical observational gap for mesoscale lakes. Although large-scale lakes in this region have been well monitored, smaller lakes (lake area < 500 km 2 ) remained largely overlooked due to harsh environmental conditions. Our systems provide detailed, continuous measurements that demonstrate how these lakes influence their surrounding environment and respond to global warming. The data significantly enhance our understanding of lake–atmosphere interactions, which are crucial for predicting weather patterns and climate dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau. The insights are essential for developing effective water resource management strategies and climate adaptation measures, delivering benefits to both scientific research and societal resilience.

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Publication Details

Journal
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Published
2025-08-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-24-0294.1
Primary Topic
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
Type
article
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article

Establishment of Integrated Hydrometeorological Observation Platforms in Lakes across Three Distinct Climatic Zones on the Tibetan Plateau

Weiyao Ma, Jianan He, Weiqiang Ma, Xingdong Shi et al.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
article

Establishment of Integrated Hydrometeorological Observation Platforms in Lakes across Three Distinct Climatic Zones on the Tibetan Plateau

Weiyao Ma, Jianan He, Weiqiang Ma, Xingdong Shi, Yixi Fan, Richard Iestyn Woolway, Yizhe Han, Tingwei Chen, Longtengfei Ma, Rung-Hung Su, Zhipeng Xie, Junbo Wang, Binbin Wang, Ling Bai, Wei Hu, Yaoming Ma, Lele Shi
article en

Abstract

Abstract Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau play a crucial role in regional hydrology and climate, yet they are highly sensitive to climate change. Despite their importance, our understanding of lake–atmosphere interactions in this region remains limited, primarily due to a lack of multiscale observations constrained by harsh environmental conditions. To address this data gap, we established a comprehensive hydrometeorological observation network across three lakes representing different climatic zones on the Tibetan Plateau. Since 2019, this network has continuously collected key datasets, including meteorological conditions, turbulent fluxes, water levels, temperature profiles, and salinity measurements. Our study suggests that these lakes significantly influence local climate by alleviating temperature fluctuations, altering wind patterns, and reducing atmospheric stability. The observational network marks a substantial step forward in capturing the lake-region climate system, improving our understanding of lake–atmosphere interactions and their impact on regional climate dynamics. Additionally, it supports the validation of models and refinement of remote sensing products. In the future, we aim to expand the integration of in situ, satellite, and model-based data to better support environmental conservation and water resource management on the Tibetan Plateau. Significance Statement We developed comprehensive hydrometeorological observation systems for three representative mesoscale lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, addressing a critical observational gap for mesoscale lakes. Although large-scale lakes in this region have been well monitored, smaller lakes (lake area < 500 km 2 ) remained largely overlooked due to harsh environmental conditions. Our systems provide detailed, continuous measurements that demonstrate how these lakes influence their surrounding environment and respond to global warming. The data significantly enhance our understanding of lake–atmosphere interactions, which are crucial for predicting weather patterns and climate dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau. The insights are essential for developing effective water resource management strategies and climate adaptation measures, delivering benefits to both scientific research and societal resilience.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological SocietyVol. 106(10)
China Meteorological Administration (CN), Bangor University (GB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), China Resources (China) (CN), China General Nuclear Power Corporation (China) (CN), Hebei Meteorological Bureau (CN), Changchun Observatory (CN), Lanzhou City University (CN), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (CN), Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Lanzhou University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 80%
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
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