Su et al. (2025) Model-based exploration of the seasonal influences of lakes on glacier behavior over the Tibetan Plateau

Identification

• Journal: Climate Dynamics
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-22
• Authors: DongSheng Su, Lijuan Wen, Anning Huang, Yang Wu, Maoshan Li Maoshan Li, Zhiqiang Lin, Xianyu Yang, Dongnan Jian, Georgiy Kirillin
• DOI: 10.1007/s00382-025-08009-8

Research Groups

• Climate Change and Resource Utilization in Complex Terrain Regions Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Plain Urban Meteorology and Environment Observation and Research Station of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Meteorological Disaster Prediction and Early Warning, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu, China
• State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
• Qinghai Lake Comprehensive Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gangcha, China
• School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
• Nanjing Innovation Institute for Atmospheric Sciences, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences-Jiangsu Meteorological Service, Nanjing, China
• Department of Ecohydrology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany

Short Summary

This study applied the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a lake scheme to examine how Tibetan Plateau (TP) lakes seasonally affect surface air temperature, snowfall, and water vapor flux, and their influence on glacier retreat heterogeneity. Results show TP lakes generally reduce 2-meter air temperature in glacierized regions and increase snowfall on some alpine glaciers, with effects varying regionally and seasonally, particularly enhancing northward moisture transport.

Objective

• To examine how Tibetan Plateau (TP) lakes affect seasonal surface air temperature, snowfall, and water vapor flux.
• To investigate how these lake-induced climatic changes influence the spatial heterogeneity and seasonal variability of glacier retreat across the TP.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Two nested domains: Outer domain (30 km horizontal resolution) covering a substantial portion of the Asian continent, northern Indian Ocean, and northwestern Pacific Ocean. Inner domain (10 km horizontal resolution) centered over the southern Inner TP, covering nearly the entire TP.
• Temporal Scale: Simulation period from 20 May 2013 to 31 August 2014, with a 12-day model spin-up period.

Methodology and Data

• Models used:
  • Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model version 3.9.1.
  • One-dimensional (1-D) mass and energy balance lake scheme derived from the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5).
  • Physical parameterization schemes: single-moment 6-class scheme, Noah land surface model, Grell-Devenyi ensemble cumulus scheme, Yonsei University planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization, Dudhia shortwave radiation scheme, Rapid Radiative Transfer Model (RRTM) longwave radiation scheme.
• Data sources:
  • In-situ lake surface water temperature (LSWT) observations from Qinghai Lake.
  • C3S_LSWT L3S v4.5.1 dataset (satellite-derived LSWT from ATSR2, AATSR, MODIS, AVHRR, SLSTR).
  • ERA5-Land hourly dataset (for 2-meter air temperature evaluation).
  • Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals (IMERG) V06 Level 3 Final Daily Precipitation Product (for precipitation validation).
  • ERA-Interim reanalysis (for initial and lateral boundary conditions for WRF).
  • Daily real-time global sea surface temperature dataset (for sea surface temperature updates).

Main Results

• Tibetan Plateau (TP) lakes generally reduce 2-meter air temperature (T2m) in glacierized regions across many seasons, with the most pronounced cooling effect in summer over the southern and eastern Inner TP (e.g., Dasuopu Glacier: -0.15 °C, Qiangyong Glacier: -0.20 °C in summer; Naimona’nyi Glacier: -0.64 °C in autumn).
• Lakes are associated with increased snowfall on some alpine glaciers, particularly in the Inner TP during summer and autumn, and on marginal glaciers during winter and spring (e.g., Naimona’nyi Glacier: +0.17 mm d⁻¹ in autumn; Qiangyong Glacier: +0.06 mm d⁻¹ in summer).
• The seasonal climatic effects of individual lakes vary regionally and by glacier aspect; for instance, Nam Co mitigates glacier retreat on southern slopes but intensifies it on northern slopes during summer, with the opposite pattern occurring in autumn.
• TP lakes modify regional moisture pathways, contributing to enhanced northward water vapor fluxes associated with the Indian Summer Monsoon, which may influence snowfall and glacier mass balance in regions such as the West Kunlun and Tanggula Mountains.
• Autumn is identified as a critical season for lake influence on marginal glaciers, owing to maximum lake-atmosphere thermal contrast and resulting dynamical responses in the model.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive model-based exploration of the seasonal influences of TP lakes on glacier behavior, extending beyond previous studies that focused primarily on summer effects.
• Quantifies the seasonal climatic impacts of both the TP lake cluster and individual lakes on glaciers, revealing their complex and region-specific roles.
• Enhances the understanding of multi-sphere (atmosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere) interactions and the factors contributing to the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of glacier changes on the TP.
• Identifies autumn as a critical season for lake influence on marginal glaciers, highlighting a previously less emphasized mechanism compared to winter/spring accumulation regimes.
• Elucidates regionally distinct mechanisms governing glacier response, such as autumn cooling in some Himalayan areas, snowfall variability in the Inner TP, and enhanced large-scale moisture transport in the West Kunlun.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42305026, 42275044, and 42230610)
• Major Science and Technology Project of Gansu Province (Grant No. 24ZD13FA003)
• Scientific Research Foundation of Chengdu University of Information Technology (Grant No. KYTZ202126)

Citation

@article{Su2025Modelbased,
  author = {Su, DongSheng and Wen, Lijuan and Huang, Anning and Wu, Yang and Li, Maoshan Li Maoshan and Lin, Zhiqiang and Yang, Xianyu and Jian, Dongnan and Kirillin, Georgiy},
  title = {Model-based exploration of the seasonal influences of lakes on glacier behavior over the Tibetan Plateau},
  journal = {Climate Dynamics},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1007/s00382-025-08009-8},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-025-08009-8}
}