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World water tower: An atmospheric perspective
Author(s) -
Xu Xiangde,
Lu Chungu,
Shi Xiaohui,
Gao Shouting
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2008gl035867
Subject(s) - plateau (mathematics) , environmental science , atmosphere (unit) , precipitation , water vapor , global warming , tower , climate change , climatology , surface water , atmospheric sciences , glacier , water cycle , meteorology , physical geography , geography , geology , oceanography , mathematical analysis , ecology , mathematics , archaeology , environmental engineering , biology
A large amount of water is stored in the world's highest and largest plateau, the Tibetan Plateau, in the forms of glaciers, snowpacks, lakes, and rivers. It is vital to understand where these waters come from and whether the supply to these water resources has been experiencing any changes during recent global warming. Here we show the maintenance of water content in the atmosphere over the Tibetan Plateau, the atmospheric circulations and transports of water vapor to this part of the world, and the trend of the water vapor supply. The Tibetan Plateau serves as a role of “the world water tower”, and its land‐ocean‐atmosphere interaction provides a profound impact on the global natural and climate environment. The analyses of a half‐century time series of atmospheric water vapor, precipitation, and surface temperature indicate that the atmospheric supply to this water tower presents an increasing trend under recent global warming condition.