Himalayas as a global hot spot of springtime stratospheric intrusions:Insight from isotopic signatures in sulfate aerosols

Downward transport of stratospheric air into the troposphere(identified as stratospheric intrusions)could potentially modify the radiation budget and chemical of the Earth's surface atmosphere.As the highest and largest plateau on earth,the Tibetan Plateau including the Himalayas couples to global climate,and has attracted widespread attention due to rapid warming and cryospheric shrinking.Previous studies recognized strong stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas but are poorly understood due to limited direct evidences and the complexity of the meteorological dynamics of the third pole.Cosmogenic^(35)S is a radioactive isotope predominately produced in the lower stratosphere and has been demonstrated as a sensitive chemical tracer to detect stratospherically sourced air mass in the planetary boundary layer.Here,we report 6-month(April–September 2018)observation of^(35)S in atmospheric sulfate aerosols(^(35)SO_(4)^(2-))collected from a remote site in the Himalayas to reveal the stratospheric intrusion phenomenon as well as its potential impacts in this region.Throughout the sampling campaign,the^(35)SO_(4)^(2-)concentrations show an average of 1,070±980 atoms/m^(3).In springtime,the average is 1,620±730 atoms/m^(3),significantly higher than the global existing data measured so far.The significant enrichments of^(35)SO_(4)^(2-)measured in this study verified the hypothesis that the Himalayas is a global hot spot of stratospheric intrusions,especially during the springtime as a consequence of its unique geology and atmospheric couplings.In combined with the ancillary evidences,e.g.,oxygen-17 anomaly in sulfate and modeling results,we found that the stratospheric intrusions have a profound impact on the surface ozone concentrations over the study region,and potentially have the ability to constrain how the mechanisms of sulfate oxidation are affected by a change in plateau atmospheric properties and conditions.This study provides new observational constraints on stratospheric intrusions in the Himalayas,which would further provide additional information for a deeper understanding on the environment and climatic changes over the Tibetan Plateau.

Impact of the Shrinkage of Arctic Sea Ice on Eurasian Snow Cover Changes in 1979-2021

Recent research has shown that snow cover induces extreme wintertime cooling and has detrimental impacts.Although the dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice certainly has contributed to a more extreme climate,the mechanism connecting sea-ice loss to extensive snow cover is still up for debate.In this study,a significant relationship between sea ice concentration(SIC)in the Barents-Kara(B-K)seas in November and snow cover extent over Eurasia in winter(November-January)has been found based in observational datasets and through numerical experiments.The reduction in B-K sea ice gives rise to a negative phase of Arctic Oscillation(AO),a deepened East Asia trough,and a shallow trough over Europe.These circulation anomalies lead to colder-than-normal Eurasian mid-latitude temperatures,providing favorable conditions for snowfall.In addition,two prominent cyclonic anomalies near Europe and Lake Baikal affect moisture transport and its divergence,which results in increased precipitation due to moisture advection and wind convergence.Furthermore,anomalous E-P flux shows that amplified upward propagating waves associated with the low SIC could contribute to the weakening of the polar vortex and southward breakouts of cold air.This work may be helpful for further understanding and predicting the snowfall conditions in the middle latitudes.

Temporal and spatial analysis of vegetation fire activity in the circum-Arctic during 2001–2020

Vegetation fires become the concern worldwide due to their substantial impacts on climate and environment,and in particular in the circum-Arctic.Assessing vegetation fires and associated emissions and causes can improve understanding of fire regime and provide helpful information for vegetation fires solution.In this study,satellitebased vegetation fires and emissions during 2001–2020 were investigated and contributions of different types of fires were analyzed.Furthermore,climate anomalies related to extreme vegetation fires were explored.The main results showed that the region south of the Arctic circle(50°N-67°N)experienced a greater number of vegetation fires compared to the Arctic(north of 67°N).During 2001–2020,interannual variability of vegetation fires between 50°N and 67°N appeared to be decreasing while emissions(including carbon,dry matter,PM_(2.5),and BC)appeared to be increasing overall,which were contributed by the increasing summer boreal forest fires in this region largely.In the Arctic,vegetation fires and emissions increased in recent years distinctly,and those were dominated by the summer forest fires.Spatially,large increases of vegetation fires were located in the eastern Siberia and northern North America while large decreases were located in the northwestern Eurasia mainly.Additionally,in the Arctic,the unprecedented vegetation fires were observed in the eastern Siberia and Alaska in 2019 and in the eastern Siberia in 2020,which could be attributed to high pressure,high near-surface temperature,and low air moisture anomalies.Meanwhile,obvious anticyclonic anomalies in Alaska in 2019 and in the eastern Siberia in 2020 and cyclonic anomalies in the western Siberia in 2019,also played an important role on fire occurrences making drier conditions.

The Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Water and Heat Exchanges over the Alpine Wetland in the East of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Alpine wetland is one of the typical underlying surfaces on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.It plays a crucial role in runoff regulation.Investigations on the mechanisms of water and heat exchanges are necessary to understand the land surface processes over the alpine wetland.This study explores the characteristics of hydro-meteorological factors with in situ observations and uses the Community Land Model 5 to identify the main factors controlling water and heat exchanges.Latent heat flux and thermal roughness length were found to be greater in the warm season(June–August)than in the cold season(December–February),with a frozen depth of 20–40 cm over the alpine wetland.The transfers of heat fluxes were mainly controlled by longwave radiation and air temperature and affected by root distribution.Air pressure and stomatal conductance were also important to latent heat flux,and soil solid water content was important to sensible heat flux.Soil temperature was dominated by longwave radiation and air temperature,with crucial surface parameters of initial soil liquid water content and total water content.The atmospheric control factors transitioned to precipitation and air temperature for soil moisture,especially at the shallow layer(5 cm).Meanwhile,the more influential surface parameters were root distribution and stomatal conductance in the warm season and initial soil liquid water content and total water content in the cold season.This work contributes to the research on the land surface processes over the alpine wetland and is helpful to wetland protection.

Black Carbon Size in Snow of Chinese Altai Mountain in Central Asia

Black carbon(BC)in snow plays an important role to accelerate snow melting.However,current studies mostly focused on BC concentrations,few on their size distributions in snow which affected BC’s effect on albedo changes.Here we presented refractory BC(rBC)concentrations and size distributions in snow collected from Chinese Altai Mountains in Central Asia from November 2016 to April 2017.The results revealed that the average rBC concentrations were 5.77 and2.82 ng g-1for the surface snow and sub-surface snow,which were relatively higher in the melting season(April)than that in winter(November-January).The mass median volume-equivalent diameter of rBC size in surface snow was approximately at 120-150 nm,which was typically smaller than that in the atmosphere(about 200 nm for urban atmosphere).However,there existed no specific mass median volume-equivalent diameter of BC size for sub-surface snow in winter.While during the melting season,the median mass size of rBC in sub-surface snow was similar to that in surface snow.Backward trajectories indicated that anthropogenic sourced BC dominated rBC in snow(70%-85%).This study will promote our understanding on BC size distributions in snow,and highlight the possible impact of BC size on climate effect.

Dissolved organic carbon fractionation in wet deposition and its potential impact on radiative forcing in the central Tibetan Plateau

As an important component of carbonaceous matters,dissolved organic carbon(DOC)can absorb and scatter the solar radiation at ultraviolet and blue wavelengths.The wet deposition process has great impact on the con-centration and light absorption ability of precipitation DOC,affecting the climatic effect caused by DOC in the atmosphere.In this study,light absorption and fluorescence characteristics of precipitation DOC was investigated in the central Tibetan Plateau(TP).The results showed that the mean DOC concentration and mass absorption cross-section measured at 365 nm(MAC_(365)) in Tanggula(TGL)station were 0.59±0.42 mg/L and 0.37±0.19 m^(2)/g,respectively,while both values showed much higher volatilities than those of aerosols.DOC concentrations had significant negative correlation with the precipitation amount,while MAC_(365) values increase with the precipitation amount in TGL station.Therefore,DOC with high light-absorbing ability was preferred to be retained in the atmosphere during wet deposition.In this study,precipitation DOC contained three fluorescent components(one humic-like component and two tyrosine-like components)mainly from local biomass burning sources.DOC concentration showed a negative relationship with MAC_(365) value in TGL station.The wet deposition of DOC with low light-absorbing ability can reduce the strong negative radiative forcing caused by secondary organic aerosol due to high proportion of DOC in secondary organic carbon.Similar phenomenon was also found in Nam Co,Lulang and Everest stations of previous study,which may have a potential impact on radiative forcing in the atmosphere of TP.

The mass-balance characteristics and sensitivities to climate variables of Laohugou Glacier No.12,western Qilian Mountains,China

Due to global warming, glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau(TP) are experiencing widespread shrinkage; however, the mechanisms controlling glacier variations across the TP are still rather unclear, especially on the northeastern TP. In this study, a physically based, distributed surface-energy and mass-balance model was used to simulate glacier mass balance forced by meteorological data. The model was applied to Laohugou No. 12 Glacier, western Qilian Mountains, China, during2010~2012. The simulated albedo and mass balance were validated and calibrated by in situ measurements. The simulated annual glacier-wide mass balances were-385 mm water equivalent(w.e.) in 2010/2011 and-232 mm w.e. in 2011/2012,respectively. The mean equilibrium-line altitude(ELA) was 5,015 m a.s.l., during 2010~2012, which ascended by 215 m compared to that in the 1970 s. The mean accumulation area ratio(AAR) was 39% during the two years. Climatic-sensitivity experiments indicated that the change of glacier mass balance resulting from a 1.5 °C increase in air temperature could be offset by a 30% increase in annual precipitation. The glacier mass balance varied linearly with precipitation, at a rate of130 mm w.e. per 10% change in total precipitation.

Variation of culturable bacteria along depth in the East Rongbuk ice core,Mt.Everest

Ice melt water from a 22.27 m ice core which was drilled from the East Rongbuk Glacier, Mt. Everest was incubation in two incubation ways： plate melt water directly and enrichment melt water prior plate, respectively. The abundance of cultivable bacteria ranged from 0-295 CFU mL-I to 0--1720 CFU mL-1 in two incubations with a total of 1385 isolates obtained. Comparing to direct cultivation, enrichment cultivation recovered more bacteria. Pigment-producing bacteria accounted for an average of 84.9% of total isolates. Such high percentage suggested that pigment production may be an adaptive physiological feature for the bacteria in ice core to cope with strong ultraviolet radiation on the glacier. The abundances of cultivable bacteria and pigment-producing isolates varied synchronously along depth： higher abundance in the middle and lower at the top and bottom. It indicated that the middle part of the ice core was hospitable for the microbial survival. Based on the physiological properties of the colonies, eighty-nine isolates were selected for phylogenetic analysis. Obtained 16S rRNA gene sequences fell into four groups： Firmicutes, Alpha-Proteobacteria, Gamma-Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, with the Firmicutes being dominant. Microbial compositions derived from direct and enrichment cultivations were not overlapped. We suggest that it is a better way to explorethe culturable microbial diversity in ice core by combining the approaches of both direct and enrichment cultivation.

Light-absorbing impurities on Keqikaer Glacier in western Tien Shan: concentrations and potential impact on albedo reduction

Light-absorbing impurities on glaciers are important factors that influence glacial surface albedo and accelerate glacier melt. In this study, the quantity of light-absorbing impurities on Keqikaer Glacier in western Tien Shan, Central Asia, was measured. We found that the average concentrations of black carbon was 2,180 ng/g, with a range from 250 ng/g to more than 10,000 ng/g. The average concentrations of organic carbon and mineral dust were 1,738 ng/g and 194 μg/g, respectively. Based on simulations performed with the Snow Ice Aerosol Radiative model simulations, black carbon and dust are responsible for approximately 64% and 9%, respectively, of the albedo reduction, and are associated with instantaneous radiative forcing of 323.18 W/m2(ranging from 142.16 to 619.25 W/m2) and 24.05 W/m2(ranging from 0.15 to69.77 W/m2), respectively. For different scenarios, the albedo and radiative forcing effect of black carbon is considerably greater than that of dust. The estimated radiative forcing at Keqikaer Glacier is higher than most similar values estimated by previous studies on the Tibetan Plateau, perhaps as a result of black carbon enrichment by melt scavenging. Light-absorbing impurities deposited on Keqikaer Glacier appear to mainly originate from central Asia, Siberia, western China(including the Taklimakan Desert) and parts of South Asia in summer, and from the Middle East and Central Asia in winter.A footprint analysis indicates that a large fraction(>60%) of the black carbon contributions on Keqikaer Glacier comes from anthropogenic sources. These results provide a scientific basis for regional mitigation efforts to reduce black carbon.

Influence of transboundary air pollution on air quality in southwestern China

Air pollution is a grand challenge of our time due to its multitude of adverse impacts on environment and society,with the scale of impacts more severe in developing countries,including China.Thus,China has initiated and implemented strict air pollution control measures over last several years to reduce impacts of air pollution.Monitoring data from Jan 2015 to Dec 2019 on six criteria air pollutants(SO_(2),NO_(2),CO,O_(3),PM_(2.5),and PM_(10))at eight sites in southwestern China were investigated to understand the situation and analyze the impacts of transboundary air pollutants in this region.In terms of seasonal variation,the maximum concentrations of air pollutants at these sites were observed in winter or spring season depending on individual site.For diurnal variation,surface ozone peaked in the afternoon while the other pollutants had a bimodal pattern with peaks in the morning and late afternoon.There was limited transport of domestic emissions of air pollutants in China to these sites.Local emissions enhanced the concentrations of air pollutants during some pollution events.Mostly,the transboundary transport of air pollution from South Asia and Southeast Asia was associated with high concentrations of most air pollutants observed in southwestern China.Since air pollutants can be transported to southwestern China over long distances from the source regions,it is necessary to conduct more research to properly attribute and quantify transboundary transport of air pollutants,which will provide more solid scientific guidance for air pollution management in southwestern China.

Impacts of Indian summer monsoon and stratospheric intrusion on air pollutants in the inland Tibetan Plateau

Air pollutants can be transported to the pristine regions such as the Tibetan Plateau,by monsoon and stratospheric intrusion.The Tibetan Plateau region has limited local anthropogenic emissions,while this region is influenced strongly by transport of heavy emissions mainly from South Asia.We conducted a comprehensive study on various air pollutants (PM_(2.5),total gaseous mercury,and surface ozone) at Nam Co Station in the inland Tibetan Plateau.Monthly mean PM_(2.5)concentration at Nam Co peaked in April before monsoon season,and decreased during the whole monsoon season (June–September).Monthly mean total gaseous mercury concentrations at Nam Co peaked in July and were in high levels during monsoon season.The Indian summer monsoon acted as a facilitator for transporting gaseous pollutants (total gaseous mercury) but a suppressor for particulate pollutants (PM_(2.5)) during the monsoon season.Different from both PM_(2.5)and total gaseous mercury variabilities,surface ozone concentrations at Nam Co are primarily attributed to stratospheric intrusion of ozone and peaked in May.The effects of the Indian summer monsoon and stratospheric intrusion on air pollutants in the inland Tibetan Plateau are complex and require further studies.

Effects of freeze–thaw cycles on soil N_2O concentration and flux in the permafrost regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Nitrous oxide(N_2 O) is one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; freeze–thaw cycles(FTCs) might strongly influence the emission of soil N_2 O on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau(QTP). However, there is a lack of in situ research on the characteristics of soil N_2 O concentration and flux in response to variations in soil properties caused by FTCs.Here, we report the effect of FTC-induced changes in soil properties on the soil N_2 O concentration and flux in the permafrost region of the higher reaches of the Shule River Basin on the northeastern margin of the QTP. We measured chemical properties of the topsoil, activities of soil microorganisms, and air temperature(AT), as well as soil N_2 O concentration and flux, over an annual cycle from July 31, 2011, to July 30, 2012. The results showed that soil N_2 O concentration was significantly affected by soil temperature(ST), soil moisture(SM), soil salinity(SS), soil polyphenol oxidase(SPO), soil alkaline phosphatase(SAP), and soil culturable actinomycetes(SCA), ranked as SM>SS>ST>SPO>SAP>SCA, whereas ST significantly increased soil N_2 O flux, compared with SS. Overall, our study indicated that the soil N_2 O concentration and flux in permafrost zone FTCs were strongly affected by soil properties, especially soil moisture, soil salinity, and soil temperature.

The temporal and spatial variation of positive degree-day factors on the Koxkar Glacier over the south slope of the Tianshan Mountains, China, from 2005 to 2010

The degree-day model is one important method to estimate glacier melt, which is based on the specific relationship between glacial melting and the sum of daily mean temperatures above the melting point. According to the observation data on the Koxkar Glacier(KG) from 2005 to 2010, we analyzed the temporal and spatial variation of degree-day factors(DDF) and its influential factors. The results indicate that the average value of DDF was 7.2~10.4 mm/(°C·d) on the KG from 2005 to 2010. It showed a decreasing trend between 3,700 m and 4,200 m, and the deceasing trend was more obvious in the upper part of the KG. On a spatial scale, the DDF increased evidently with increasing altitude. The DDF ranged from3.6 to 9.3 mm/(°C·d) at 3,700 m a.s.l., with the average value of 9.3 mm/(°C·d). It varied from 6.9 to 13.0 mm/(°C·d) at4,000 m a.s.l., with the average value of 10.2 mm/(°C·d). During the period of ablation, the fluctuation of DDF was not significant at the lower altitude(3,700 m a.s.l.), but it decreased at the higher altitudes(4,000 m a.s.l. and 4,200 m a.s.l.).The debris changes the transmission of heat, which accelerates the melting of a glacier; and the DDF showed high value.This paper will provide the reference for temporal–spatial parameterization schemes of DDF on Tuomuer glaciers of the Tianshan Mountains.

Influence of South Asian Biomass Burning on Ozone and Aerosol Concentrations Over the Tibetan Plateau

In this work,the influence of South Asian biomass burning emissions on O_(3) and PM_(2.5)concentrations over the Tibetan Plateau(TP)is investigated by using the regional climate chemistry transport model WRF-Chem.The simulation is validated by comparing meteorological fields and pollutant concentrations against in situ observations and gridded datasets,providing a clear perspective on the spatiotemporal variations of O_(3) and PM_(2.5)concentrations across the Indian subcontinent,including the Tibetan Plateau.Further sensitivity simulations and analyses show that emissions from South Asian biomass burning mainly affect local O_(3) concentrations.For example,contribution ratios were up to 20%in the Indo-Gangetic Plain during the pre-monsoon season but below 1%over the TP throughout the year 2016.In contrast,South Asian biomass burning emissions contributed more than 60%of PM_(2.5)concentration over the TP during the pre-monsoon season via significant contribution of primary PM_(2.5)components(black carbon and organic carbon)in western India that were lofted to the TP by westerly winds.Therefore,it is suggested that cutting emissions from South Asian biomass burning is necessary to alleviate aerosol pollution over the TP,especially during the pre-monsoon season.

Improved Land Use and Leaf Area Index Enhances WRF-3DVAR Satellite Radiance Assimilation： A Case Study Focusing on Rainfall Simulation in the Shule River Basin during July 2013

The application of satellite radiance assimilation can improve the simulation of precipitation by numerical weather prediction models. However, substantial quantities of satellite data, especially those derived from low-level（surface-sensitive）channels, are rejected for use because of the difficulty in realistically modeling land surface emissivity and energy budgets.Here, we used an improved land use and leaf area index（LAI） dataset in the WRF-3 DVAR assimilation system to explore the benefit of using improved quality of land surface information to improve rainfall simulation for the Shule River Basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau as a case study. The results for July 2013 show that, for low-level channels（e.g., channel 3）,the underestimation of brightness temperature in the original simulation was largely removed by more realistic land surface information. In addition, more satellite data could be utilized in the assimilation because the realistic land use and LAI data allowed more satellite radiance data to pass the deviation test and get used by the assimilation, which resulted in improved initial driving fields and better simulation in terms of temperature, relative humidity, vertical convection, and cumulative precipitation.

Climate change inferred from aeolian sediments in a lake shore environment in the central Tibetan Plateau during recent centuries

Studies of the past climate variation on the Tibetan Plateau(TP) are currently limited in number and low in density and temporal resolution. We investigated the climate condition from about 400 years before present(B.P.) in the central TP at the shore of Co(means "lake") Nag using aeolian sediments. A 2.7-m sand profile with 57 sediment samples and six optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) samples were studied through grain-size analysis, geochemical elements and parameters, and depositional rate estimation. A previous assumption was verified that sand deposition at the shore of Lake Co Nag originated from hills to the east. Two significant wet periods between 90–140 and about 380 years B.P. were indicated by the variation of element profiles and sediment depositional rates. Aeolian activity is sensitive to variations from different seasonal changing patterns of climate factors in the study area, and aeolian sediments respond differently to climate conditions during the cold little ice age(LIA) and the warm 20 th century. Present day dry seasons of winter and spring might be much warmer and drier compared to seasons of 400 years ago although summer precipitation has increased, resulting in significantly more aeolian activity and higher depositional rate(about 6 times compared to 380–240 years ago) of sandy sediments. Aeolian problems like blown-sand deposition and desertification may be worse in a projected warming future in the central TP as well as other cold and high altitude regions. Our results suggest an agreement with environmental evolution during the little ice age and the 20 th century in a broader scale on the TP.

Estimating interaction between surface water and groundwater in a permafrost region of the northern Tibetan Plateau using heat tracing method

Understanding the interaction between groundwater and surface water in permafrost regions is essential to study flood frequencies and river water quality, especially in the high latitude/altitude basins. The application of heat tracing method,based on oscillating streambed temperature signals, is a promising geophysical method for identifying and quantifying the interaction between groundwater and surface water. Analytical analysis based on a one-dimensional convective-conductive heat transport equation combined with the fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing method was applied on a streambed of a mountainous permafrost region in the Yeniugou Basin, located in the upper Heihe River on the northern Tibetan Plateau. The results indicated that low connectivity existed between the stream and groundwater in permafrost regions.The interaction between surface water and groundwater increased with the thawing of the active layer. This study demonstrates that the heat tracing method can be applied to study surface water-groundwater interaction over temporal and spatial scales in permafrost regions.

Research progress on behaviors and environmental effects of mercury in the cryosphere of the Tibetan Plateau:a critical review

The behavior and fates of environmental pollutants within the cryosphere and the associated environmental impacts are of increasing concerns in the context of global warming.The Tibetan Plateau(TP),also known as the"Third Pole",represents one of the most important cryospheric regions in the world.Mercury(Hg)is recognized as a global pollutant.Here,we summarize the current knowledge of Hg concentration levels,pools and spatio-temporal distribution in cryospheric environments(e.g.,glacier,permafrost),and its transfer and potential cycle in the TP cryospheric region.Transboundary transport of anthropogenic Hg from the surrounding heavily-polluted regions,such as South and Southeast Asia,provides significant sources of atmospheric Hg depositions onto the TP cryosphere.We concluded that the melting of the cryosphere on the TP represents an increasing source of Hg and brings a risk to the TP environment.In addition,global warming acts as an important catalyst accelerating the release of legacy Hg from the melting cryosphere,adversely impacting ecosystems and biological health.Furthermore,we emphasize on the remaining gaps and proposed issues needed to be addressed in future work,including enhancing our knowledge on some key release pathways and the related environmental effects of Hg in the cryospheric region,integrated observation and consideration of Hg distribution,migration and cycle processes at a key region,and uses of Hg isotopic technical and Hg models to improve the understanding of Hg cycling in the TP cryospheric region.

Characterization of contemporary aeolian dust deposition on mountain glaciers of western China

From 2008 to 2010, a total of 15 snow pit samples were collected from 13 mountain glaciers in western China. In this study these samples are used to determine the spatial distribution of insoluble particle concentrations and dust deposition fluxes in western China. The results show that the mass concentrations of insoluble particles exhibit high spatial variation and strongly decrease （by a factor of approximately 50） from the north （Tienshan Mountains） to the south （Himalayas）. However, the insoluble particles concentrations at the southeastern Tibetan Plateau （TP） sites are also high and ap- proximately 30 times greater than those in the Himalayas. The spatial distribution of the dust flux is similar to that of the mass concentrations; however, the high dust deposition rate in the southeastern TP is very significant as a result of the extensive snow accumulation （precipitation） in this region. The average sizes of the insoluble particles at each site generally exhibit bimodal distributions with peaks at approximately 5 μm and 10 μm, which can be explained as re- sulting from dust emissions from regional and local sources, respectively. The enrichment factors for most of the elements measured in insoluble particles are less than 10 at all of the study sites, indicating primarily crustal sources. However, the sites located in the peripheral mountains of western China, such as the Tienshan Mountains and the Himalayas, are characterized by high levels of certain enrichment elements （e.g., Cu, Zn, Cr, and V） indicative of sources related to the long-range transport of pollutants.

The evapotranspiration and environmental controls of typical underlying surfaces on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

To reveal the characteristics of evapotranspiration and environmental control factors of typical underlying surfaces(alpine wetland and alpine meadow)on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,a comprehensive study was performed via in situ observations and remote sensing data in the growing season and non-growing season.Evapotranspiration was positively correlated with precipitation,the decoupling coefficient,and the enhanced vegetation index,but was energy-limited and mainly controlled by the vapor pressure deficit and solar radiation at an annual scale and growing season scale,respectively.Compared with the non-growing season,monthly evapotranspiration,equilibrium evaporation,and decoupling coefficient were greater in the growing season due to lower vegetation resistance and considerable precipitation.However,these factors were restricted in the alpine meadow.The decoupling factor was more sensitive to changes of conductance in the alpine wetland.This study is of great significance for understanding hydro-meteorological processes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.