Uncovering the secrets of Asia’s “water tower”: majestic yet fragile

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters, 50,000 square kilometers of lakes, 100,000 square kilometers of glaciers, 300,000 square kilometers of perennial snow, and contains more than 9 trillion cubic meters of water. 13 major rivers in Asia originate here, nurturing the great civilizations of East Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia, hence the name "Asian Water Tower".

Among the 78 water tower units in the world, 16 are in Asia, which is extremely important, but also the most vulnerable in the world. On August 19, 2017, the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was officially launched, hoping to reveal the secrets of water, air flow, soil, vegetation and other elements of the "Asian Water Tower" and explore the extent and causes of its changes.

In the past 50 years, the temperature of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has risen by an average of 0.3 to 0.4 degrees Celsius every 10 years, which is twice the global warming rate. Human activities have dominated the climate warming in the past 50 years. The melting of glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has accelerated, and the retreat has further increased. Glacier collapse and glacial lake expansion are reaching the highest peak in recorded history.

In the Arucco Lake area of ​​Ali, Tibet, two large-scale ice avalanche disasters occurred in July and September 2016. The avalanche body carried a large amount of debris and slid for about 8 kilometers before rushing into Arucco, leaving two huge ice avalanche fans on the lake shore.

Selin Co Lake at the northern foot of the Gangdise Mountains is the third largest saltwater lake in China. In recent years, due to the increase in glacial meltwater recharge, the lake area has continued to expand, especially in the northern, southeastern and southern regions of the lake.

The runoff at the source of the Yangtze River, Lancang River, Nu River, and Yarlung Zangbo River is on the rise, and the solid water reserves are being consumed at an accelerated rate, raising the risk of water shortages in the future. In the five years since the launch of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, hundreds of scientists from all over China have come to the expedition, and multidisciplinary collaborations such as plateau atmosphere, geography, and geology have led to the emergence of new research methods.

The "Asian Water Tower" is vast and majestic, but also sensitive and fragile. Protecting the "Asian Water Tower" is part of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Scientists are actively studying its changes, seeking root causes, responding to challenges, and predicting the future.

Production

State Key Laboratory of Media Convergence Production Technology and System

The Second Comprehensive Scientific Expedition and Research Team of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Xinhuanet

Co-production

China Tibetan Plateau Research Association

Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Earth Science Popularization Education Base

Production

Xinhua News Agency Satellite News Laboratory

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