Skip to main content
Article
Possible Recent Warming Hiatus on the Northwestern Tibetan Plateau Derived from Ice Core Records
Scientific Reports
  • Wenling An, Nanjing University
  • Shugui Hou, Nanjing University
  • Wangbin Zhang, Nanjing University
  • Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton
  • Hao Xu, Nanjing University
  • Hongxi Pang, Nanjing University
  • Yetang Wang, Shandong Normal University
  • Yaping Liu, University of Dayton
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-9-2016
Abstract

Many studies have reported enhanced warming trend on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), even during the warming hiatus period. However, most of these studies are based on instrumental data largely collected from the eastern TP, whereas the temperature trend over the extensive northwestern TP remains uncertain due to few meteorological stations. Here we combined the stable isotopic δ18O record of an ice core recovered in 2012 from the Chongce glacier with the δ18O records of two other ice cores (i.e., Muztagata and Zangser Kangri) in the same region to establish a regional temperature series for the northwestern TP. The reconstruction shows a significant warming trend with a rate of 0.74 ± 0.12 °C/decade for the period 1970–2000, but a decreasing trend from 2001 to 2012. This is consistent with the reduction of warming rates during the recent decade observed at the only two meteorological stations on the northwestern TP, even though most stations on the eastern TP have shown persistent warming during the same period. Our results suggest a possible recent warming hiatus on the northwestern TP. This could have contributed to the relatively stable status of glaciers in this region.

ISBN/ISSN
2045-2322
Document Version
Published Version
Comments

This document has been made available for download in accordance with the publisher's open access policy.

Permission documentation on file.

Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Citation Information
Wenling An, Shugui Hou, Wangbin Zhang, Shuang-Ye Wu, et al.. "Possible Recent Warming Hiatus on the Northwestern Tibetan Plateau Derived from Ice Core Records" Scientific Reports Vol. 6 (2016)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/shuang-ye_wu/14/