Su et al. (2025) Simulation of the climatic conditions required for the existence of ice sheet on the Tibetan Plateau

Identification

• Journal: Global and Planetary Change
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-27
• Authors: Baohuang Su, Yong Sun
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.105202

Research Groups

• Institute of Tibetan Plateau Meteorology, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, China
• State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• Heavy Rain and Drought-Flood Disasters in Plateau and Basin Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Chengdu, China

Short Summary

This study combines numerical experiments using atmospheric and ice sheet models to establish the temperature-precipitation constraints required for widespread glaciation across the Tibetan Plateau. The findings indicate that a contiguous ice sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum was unlikely, as it would have demanded an average regional cooling of at least 10 °C, far exceeding reconstructed proxy data.

Objective

• To establish the temperature-precipitation constraints necessary for widespread glaciation across the Tibetan Plateau.
• To determine the climatic conditions required for maintaining glaciers and the development of large-scale ice sheets on the Tibetan Plateau.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Tibetan Plateau (TP)
• Temporal Scale: Glacial periods, specifically the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5), Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM)
• Data sources: Numerical experiments, comparison with geological reconstructions and proxy data

Main Results

• Substantial regional differences exist in the temperature and precipitation thresholds required for full-scale Tibetan Plateau glaciation.
• The western and northern regions of the Tibetan Plateau would require the least temperature reduction for widespread glaciation.
• The development of a widespread ice sheet would have necessitated an average regional cooling of at least 10 °C.
• This required cooling magnitude significantly exceeds the cooling reconstructed from proxy data, implying that a contiguous ice sheet was unlikely during the Last Glacial Maximum.
• Climate feedback from full-scale Tibetan Plateau glaciation was primarily dominated by the albedo effect, with ice thickness playing a secondary role.

Contributions

• Establishes a quantitative temperature and precipitation framework that defines the specific climatic conditions required for extensive glaciation on the Tibetan Plateau.
• Provides scientific insights into the paleoglaciation history of the Tibetan Plateau, addressing a long-standing debate regarding the extent of glaciation during glacial periods.
• Offers a model-based perspective that challenges hypotheses of widespread ice sheet coverage on the Tibetan Plateau during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Funding

[No funding information was provided in the paper text.]

Citation

@article{Su2025Simulation,
  author = {Su, Baohuang and Sun, Yong},
  title = {Simulation of the climatic conditions required for the existence of ice sheet on the Tibetan Plateau},
  journal = {Global and Planetary Change},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.105202},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.105202}
}