Poster, Global Change and the World’s Mountains, Perth, Scotland: 26.09.2010 - 30.09.2010
Abstract:
The Tibetan Plateau and the adjacent high mountain regions of the Himalayas play an important role in the global climate dynamic through its impact on the Asian monsoon system, which in turn causes feedbacks to the water resources of this extremely vulnerable region. Considering global climate change, there is a severe gap in the knowledge of the short and long term implications on the hydrological system. Water balance studies are required to provide further knowledge about the changing impact of rainfall patterns, spatial and temporal variability of snow cover contribution, amount of snow and ice melt runoff, evapotranspiration as well as dynamics of wetlands and permafrost. This study concentrates on the catchment of lake Nam Co (approx 10.000 km²), located at 4718 m a.s.l. at the foot of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains in central Tibet (30°N, 90°E). The evidence of temperature rise, glacier retreat, permafrost decay and lake level increase indicate significant system changes and the high sensitivity of the Tibetan Plateau on global warming. The main objective of this study is to investigate the hydrological system dynamic of the Nam Co basin and to identify hydrological feedbacks to changing climate conditions by analysing and modelling its underlying spatially and temporally variable hydrological components and processes.