Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023
Abstract The southeastern region of Tibet, which serves as the primary concentration area for marine-type glaciers, has fostered a multitude of glacial lakes that are highly sensitive to global climate change. Glacial lakes play a crucial role in regulating the freshwater ecosystems of the region, b...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Yu Mingwei Guo Yonggang Zhang Jian Li Feng Su Libin Qin Deshun |
| author_facet | Yu Mingwei Guo Yonggang Zhang Jian Li Feng Su Libin Qin Deshun |
| author_sort | Yu Mingwei |
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| description | Abstract The southeastern region of Tibet, which serves as the primary concentration area for marine-type glaciers, has fostered a multitude of glacial lakes that are highly sensitive to global climate change. Glacial lakes play a crucial role in regulating the freshwater ecosystems of the region, but they also pose a significant threat to local infrastructure and populations due to flooding caused by glacial lake outbursts. Currently, a limited amount of research has focused on the monitoring and analysis of glacial lakes in southeastern Tibet. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE) data in conjunction with meteorological data, this study examined the variation characteristics of glacial lakes in southeastern Tibet from 1993 to 2023. The region is subjected to segmentation and extraction of glacial lake boundaries via the FCN model. According to research findings, by 2023, southeastern Tibet is projected to contain 3,877 glacial lakes, encompassing an area of approximately 395.74 ± 22.72 km2. The distribution of glacial lakes in this region follows a pattern characterized by a relatively high concentration in the southern region and a relatively low concentration in the northern region. The glacial lakes with areas less than 0.1 km2 accounted for 94.24%, whereas those exceeding 3.0 km2 experienced the least amount of change. The analysis of regional elevation using the natural segmentation method reveals that glacial lakes are predominantly distributed within the altitude range of 4442 ~ 4909 m. The fluctuations in the annual mean precipitation and average annual temperature in the study area have decreased since 2008, while the growth trajectories of both the area and number of glacial lakes have gradually stabilized. However, given the backdrop of a slight increase in precipitation and a gradual increase in temperature, the proliferation of glacial lakes is projected to accelerate predominantly in Nyingchi City’s eastern and western regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-25985e3659e24469bfef94f1fd93ed21 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-25985e3659e24469bfef94f1fd93ed212025-01-19T12:22:00ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-86546-2Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023Yu Mingwei0Guo Yonggang1Zhang Jian2Li Feng3Su Libin4Qin Deshun5College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry UniversityAbstract The southeastern region of Tibet, which serves as the primary concentration area for marine-type glaciers, has fostered a multitude of glacial lakes that are highly sensitive to global climate change. Glacial lakes play a crucial role in regulating the freshwater ecosystems of the region, but they also pose a significant threat to local infrastructure and populations due to flooding caused by glacial lake outbursts. Currently, a limited amount of research has focused on the monitoring and analysis of glacial lakes in southeastern Tibet. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE) data in conjunction with meteorological data, this study examined the variation characteristics of glacial lakes in southeastern Tibet from 1993 to 2023. The region is subjected to segmentation and extraction of glacial lake boundaries via the FCN model. According to research findings, by 2023, southeastern Tibet is projected to contain 3,877 glacial lakes, encompassing an area of approximately 395.74 ± 22.72 km2. The distribution of glacial lakes in this region follows a pattern characterized by a relatively high concentration in the southern region and a relatively low concentration in the northern region. The glacial lakes with areas less than 0.1 km2 accounted for 94.24%, whereas those exceeding 3.0 km2 experienced the least amount of change. The analysis of regional elevation using the natural segmentation method reveals that glacial lakes are predominantly distributed within the altitude range of 4442 ~ 4909 m. The fluctuations in the annual mean precipitation and average annual temperature in the study area have decreased since 2008, while the growth trajectories of both the area and number of glacial lakes have gradually stabilized. However, given the backdrop of a slight increase in precipitation and a gradual increase in temperature, the proliferation of glacial lakes is projected to accelerate predominantly in Nyingchi City’s eastern and western regions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86546-2Southeastern Tibetan PlateauGlacial lakeGEEInfluencing factorsObject-based image analysisSpatiotemporal evolution |
| spellingShingle | Yu Mingwei Guo Yonggang Zhang Jian Li Feng Su Libin Qin Deshun Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023 Scientific Reports Southeastern Tibetan Plateau Glacial lake GEE Influencing factors Object-based image analysis Spatiotemporal evolution |
| title | Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023 |
| title_full | Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023 |
| title_fullStr | Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023 |
| title_short | Spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the Southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1993 to 2023 |
| title_sort | spaciotemporal distribution characteristics of glacial lakes and the factors influencing the southeast tibetan plateau from 1993 to 2023 |
| topic | Southeastern Tibetan Plateau Glacial lake GEE Influencing factors Object-based image analysis Spatiotemporal evolution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86546-2 |
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