Review on simulation of land-surface processes on the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau(TP) has powerful dynamics and thermal effects, which makes the interaction between its land and atmosphere significantly affect climate and environment in the regional or global area. By retrospecting the latest research progress in the simulation of land-surface processes(LSPs) over the past 20 years, this study discusses both the simulation ability of land-surface models(LSMs) and the modification of parameterization schemes from two perspectives, the models' applicability and improved parameterization schemes. Our review suggests that different LSMs can well capture the spatiotemporal variations of the physical quantities of LSPs; but none of them can be fully applied to the plateau, meaning that all need to be revised according to the characteristics specific to the TP. Avoiding the unstable iterative computation and determining the freeze-thaw critical temperature according to the thermodynamic equilibrium equation, the unreasonable freeze-thaw parameterization scheme can be improved. Due to the complex underlying surface of the TP, no parameterization scheme of roughness length can well simulate the various characteristics of the turbulent flux over the TP at different temporal scales. The uniform soil thermodynamic and hydraulic parameterization scheme is unreasonable when it is applied to the plateau, as a result of the strong soil heterogeneity. There is little research on the snow-cover process so far,and the improved scheme has no advantage over the original one due to the lack of some related physical processes. The constant interaction among subprocesses of LSPs makes the improvement of a multiparameterization scheme yield better simulation results. According to the review of existing research, adding high-quality observation stations, developing a parameterization scheme suitable for the special LSPs of the TP, and adjusting the model structures can be helpful to the simulation of LSPs on the TP.

Quantifying urbanization levels on the Tibetan Plateau with high-resolution nighttime light data

The Tibetan Plateau(TP)is undergoing rapid urbanization.To improve urban sustainability and construct eco-logical security barriers,it is essential to quantify the spatial patterns of urbanization level on the TP,but the existing studies on the topic have been limited by the lack of socioeconomic data.This study aims to quantify the urbanization level on the TP in 2018 with Luojia1-01(LJ1-01)high-resolution nighttime light(NTL)data.Specifically,the compounded night light index is used to quantify spatial patterns of urbanization level at mul-tiple scales.The results showed that the TP had a low overall urbanization level with a large internal difference.The urbanization level in the northeast,southeast and south of the TP was relatively high,forming three hotspots centered in Xining City,Lhasa City and Shangri-La City,while the urbanization level in the central and western regions was relatively low.The analysis of influencing factors,based on the random forest model,showed that transportation and topography were the main factors affecting the TP’s spatial patterns of urbanization level.The comparison analysis with socioeconomic statistics and traditional NTL data showed that LJ1-01 NTL data can be used to more effectively quantify the urbanization level since it is more advantageous for reflecting the spatial extent of urban land and describing the spatial structure of socioeconomic activities within urban areas.These advantages are attributed to the high spatial resolution of the data,appropriate imaging time and unaf-fected by saturation phenomena.Thus,the proposed LJ1-01 NTL-based urbanization level measurement method has the potential for wide applications around the world,especially in less-developed regions lacking statistical data.Using this method,we refined the measurement of the TP’s urbanization level in 2018 for multiple scales including the region,basin,prefecture and county levels,which provides basic information for the further urban sustainability research on the TP.

3D v_P and v_S models of southeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau from joint inversion of body-wave arrival times and surface-wave dispersion data

A new 3D velocity model of the crust and upper mantle in the southeastern （SE） margin of the Tibetan plateau was obtained by joint inversion of body- and sur- face-wave data. For the body-wave data, we used 7190 events recorded by 102 stations in the SE margin of the Tibetan plateau. The surface-wave data consist of Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves obtained from ambient noise cross-correlation analysis recorded by a dense array in the SE margin of the Tibetan plateau. The joint inversion clearly improves the Vs model because it is constrained by both data types. The results show that at around 10 km depth there are two low-velocity anomalies embedded within three high-velocity bodies along the Longmenshan fault system. These high-velocity bodies correspond well with the Precambrian massifs, and the two located to the northeast of 2013 Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake are associated with high fault slip areas during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The aftershock gap between 2013 Lushan earthquake and 2008 Wenchuan earthquake is associated with low-velocity anomalies, which also acts as a barrier zone for ruptures of two earthquakes. Generally large earthquakes （M 〉 5） in the region occurring from 2008 to 2015 are located around the high-velocity zones, indicating that they may act as asperities for these large earthquakes. Joint inversion results also clearly show that there exist low-velocity or weak zones in the mid-lower crust, which are not evenly distributed beneath the SE margin of Tibetan plateau.

The Qingzang Movement: The major uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Thirty-five years ago, the idea of a young Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was proposed based on a comprehensive investigation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. This hypothesis suggested that the plateau began to rise from a planation surface （relict surface） that was less than 1000 m high formed during the Miocene to Pliocene. The fast uplift, i.e., the Qingzang Movement, began since -3.6 Ma, evidenced by massive molasse deposits around the plateau margin and the synchronous occurrence of faulted basins within the plateau. However, later studies challenged this idea and suggested earlier （8, 14 or 35 Ma） formation of the huge plateau topography. Here we reevaluate the Qingzang Movement on the basis of our previous results and in light of new studies in the recent decades. The plateau margin has been subjected to intensive incision by very large drainages and shows the landscape characteristics of an ＂infant＂ stage of the geomorphological cycle. However, these drainages were not formed until 1.7-1.9 Ma; headwater erosion has not yet reached the hinterland of the plateau, so the interior of Tibet is free of significant erosion despite its lofty elevation, and remains an ＂old stage＂ landform. If the mean erosion rate is equivalent to the sum of clastic and soluble discharges of the modern rivers draining the Tibetan Plateau, it should have been worn down to a lowland within 8.6 Ma, ignoring tectonic uplift and isostasy. The massive conglomerate around the plateau margin began to deposit at about 3.6 Ma, indicating an increased relief after that time. Furthermore, the Hipparion fauna sites were widely distributed, and elephants, giraffes, and rhinos were abundant in the Qaidam Basin until the early Pliocene. Cenozoic climate change alone is not able to account for the dense occurrence of Hipparion fauna, unless the paleo-elevation of Tibet was lowered. The rise of Tibet since the Qingzang Movement has had a great influence on the Asian interior aridification.

Shifts in water-level variation of Namco in the central Tibetan Plateau from ICESat and Cryo Sat-2 altimetry and station observations

The dynamics of high-altitude inland lakes in the Tibetan Plateau are sensitive indicators of climate change. Due to the remoteness and hard access, satellite altimetry becomes an effective approach to obtaining largescale and temporally continuous information of lake-level changes. The CryoSat-2 altimetry is expected to solve the current problem that earlier radar altimeters are only practical for monitoring large water bodies, while ICESat laser altimetry is available only for the period 2003-2009. In this study, the comparison of CryoSat-2 altimetry for Namco with in situ water-level data suggests a high cor- relation coefficient of 0.71 （P 〈 0.01）, with the mean error of -0.12 m and root-mean-square error of 0.18 m. Further, the combination of ICESat and CryoSat-2 altimetry data and in situ lake-level observations reveals a rapid water- level rise of 0.24 4- 0.04 m/year during 2003-2008 and then a slightly decreasing trend of -0.09 4- 0.04 m/year during 2009-2013. This study suggests that the CryoSat-2 altimetry has the potential of sustaining the fine observa- tions on Tibetan lakes, following the ICESat mission. Besides, the examination of four key climatic variables （temperature, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and relative humidity） during 1990-2013 indicates that the wetting climate over Namco Basin stagnated or even reversed around 2006, which may be tightly related to the slowing lake growth.

A Study of the Characteristics of the Low-Frequency Circulation over the Tibetan Plateau and its Association with Precipitation in the Yangtze River Valley in 1998

The propagation characteristics of the atmospheric low frequency （LF, 30-60 days） oscillation （LFO） around the Tibetan Plateau from troposphere to stratosphere and its relationship with the floods over the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the summer of 1998 are studied, based on the GAME dataset from Meteorological Research Institute （MRI）/Japan Meteorological Agency, the TRMM satellite rainfall and the 730-station precipitation over China. The results show that the zonal propagation direction of LFOs in horizontal winds varies with seasons in the troposphere during May to August in 1998. The eastward propagation of LFOs is remarkable before the start of the rainy season in the Tibetan Plateau and the eastern Asian continent, while the westward propagation is significant after the start date. The northward LFOs from the south side of the plateau and the southward LFOs from the north are both significant before and after the start date. The plateau is a LFO sink in the meridional and zonal directions, but the west part of it is an intensifying area for the continual westward LFOs only after the start of the rainy season. Besides, the strongest LFOs occur at the tropopause （100 hPa） and rapidly decay after entering the stratosphere. The rainfall over the mid-low reaches of Yangtze River in the summer of 1998 exhibits two LFO cycles. According to the phases of the two rainfall LFO cycles, the composite analyses of precipitation distribution, LF circulations at 500 and 100 hPa, and LF vertical motion along 30°N are performed. It is the joint effect of the mid-upper tropospheric strong 30-60-day filtered cyclone （anticyclone） over the eastern plateau and the LFO anticyclone （cyclone） over the west subtropical Pacific that induces the whole layer LF descending （ascending） motion over the mid-lower reaches of Yangtze River, which provides the favorable condition for the break （maintenance） of precipitation.

Study on Geodetic Methods in Gravity Surveys of Middle - Large Scales Applicable to the Tibetan Plateau

Among various geophysical methods, the geodetic methods in gravity surveys of medium 一large scales have the highest requirements for measurement accuracy (especially the elevation accuracy). In recent years, the gravity method has been increasingly applied to geological and mineral resource surveys in the Tibetan Plateau area.

岩石圈结构与大陆动力学

对 1999年 7月第 2 2届IUGG大会以后的 4年期内 ,中国地球物理研究在岩石圈结构和大陆动力学方面的主要进展作了简要评述 .这些研究进展主要表现在以下几个方面 :区域性岩石圈物性结构的研究 ,利用深地震测深剖面对地壳、上地幔速度结构的勘查 ,利用GPS观测研究大陆内部的现今运动和变形 ,青藏高原动力学研究 ,大别—苏鲁超高压变质带的地球物理勘查及动力学机理研究 ,沉积盆地的地球物理勘查及演化过程研究 ,以及板块动力学研究 ,等等 .

云南省青藏高原区域生态建设与环境保护策略

阐述了云南青藏高原区域主要特征,分析了该区域生态建设和环境保护取得的成效及面临的问题,提出了相应策略:加强生态环境保护;开展生态修复与治理;深化环境保护与污染防治;创新机制体制。

青藏高原赭红尾鸲的繁殖

在青藏高原东南缘,海拔高度3470m的尕海-则岔国家级自然保护区尕海保护站,研究了赭红尾鸲普通亚种(Phoenicurus ochruros rufiventris)的繁殖。目的是检验高海拔鸟类的雏鸟是否发育更快和产小窝大卵、是否有更高的离巢率。赭红尾鸲营巢洞中,平均窝卵数4.8(3-6)枚,卵的大小23.33mm×14.95mm,同低海拔的相近种比较产小窝大卵。孵卵由雌鸟承担,孵卵期13-14d,孵化率64.5%。雏鸟留巢期16d-19d,巢成功率81.3%,雏鸟离巢率83.33%。高海拔红尾鸲产小窝大卵和加强双亲抚育,但高海拔红尾鸲并没有显著提高雏鸟离巢率。高海拔红尾鸲低温下增加双亲对雏鸟的抚育并没有使雏鸟发育加快,反而较低海拔近缘种的幼鸟发育缓慢。因此,延长留巢期不只是Badyaev和Ghalambor(2001)所认为增加雏鸟的质量,而是缺氧和低温协同作用的自然选择结果。

试论青藏高原风格迥异的藏族舞蹈

青海的藏族舞蹈主要分为宗教舞蹈系和民间舞蹈系。宗教舞蹈是一种宗教庆典祭祀仪式的歌舞,其歌舞都有神话、宗教的缘由,但不乏自娱、娱人的性质,具有代表性的当属藏传佛教胜地塔尔寺的“姜姆”;而民间舞蹈主要有“卓”“依”“热巴”等等,带有典型的地方特色,传递出民族精神、气韵。现今,藏族舞蹈所表现的内容不再是一种模仿艺术,而是一种艺术的体验,是心灵与文化的感应。

Coseismic surface rupture characteristics and earthquake damage analysis of the eastern end of the 2021 M_(S)7.4 Madoi(Qinghai)earthquake

At 02:04 on May 22,2021,an M_(S)7.4 earthquake occurred in Madoi County in Qinghai Province,China.This earthquake is the largest seismic event in China since the 2008M_(S) 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake.Thus,it is critical to investigate surface deformation and damage in time to accurately understand the seismogenic structure of the Madoi earthquake and the seismogenic capacity of the blocks in this region.This study focuses on the Xuema Village,located at the eastern end of the coseismic surface ruptures produced by the event,and assesses the deformation and seismic damage in this area based on field surveys,UAV photogrammetry,and ground penetrating radar(GPR).The results indicate that the rupture scale is substantially smaller at the eastern end of the rupture zone compared to other segments.En echelon type shear tensile fractures are concentrated in a width range of 50–100 m,and the width of single fractures ranges from 20 to 30 cm.In contrast,the degree of seismic damage significantly increases at this site.All of the brick and timber houses are damaged or collapsed,while the steel frame structures and the color steel houses are slightly damaged.More than 80%of the bridge decks on the Changma River Bridge collapse,similar to the terraces along the Youerqu and Changma Rivers and the cut slopes of Provincial Highway S205.We infer that the seismogenic fault of the Madoi earthquake exerts a tail effect in this segment.The tension zone has led to a reduction at the eastern end of the rupture zone,causing shaking damage.Local topography and buildings without earthquake-resistant construction along the strike of the rupture zone have undergone different levels of seismic damage.

Tectonic Related Lithium Deposits Another Major Region Found North East Tanzania—A New Area with Close Association to the Dominant Areas: The Fourth of Four

The current “mega” interest in Lithium resources was spurred by the development of Lithium-Ion batteries to aid in restructuring the world’s reliance on carbon spewing power petroleum reserves. Current resources of lithium recovery have fallen into two main categories—Pegmatite, found worldwide associated with felsic intrusions and Brine Related, and now with development in the Southwest United States of America (SWUS), a third category— Tertiary Volcanic clays, are specifically associated with Tertiary volcanics and major Tectonic Plate interactions. “Active” Plate tectonics is important as both the SWUS, the Lithium Triangle of South America (LTSA) and the Tibetan Plateau of China (TPC) producing tertiary (Miocene) volcanism that is important to the development of Lithium resources. The Tanzanian part of the East Africa Rift System (EARS) has features of both the SWUS, tertiary volcanic related “playas” and Continental rifting, the LTSA, tertiary volcanic related “Brines” and a major Tectonic plate event (subduction of an Oceanic Plate beneath the Continental South American Plate) and the TPC, tertiary volcanics (?) and major tectonic plate event (subduction of the Indian Continental Plate under the Eurasian Continental Plate). As well as the association of peralkaline and metaluminous felsic volcanics with Lithium playas of the SWUS and the EARS (Tanzania) “playas”. These similarities led to an analysis of a volcanic rock in Northeast Tanzania. When it returned 1.76% Lithium, a one-kilometer spaced soil sampling program returned, in consecutive samples over 0.20% Lithium (several samples over 1.0% lithium and a high of 2.24% lithium). It is proposed that these four regions with very similar past and present geologic characteristics, occur nowhere else in the world. That three of them have produced Lithium operations and two of them have identified resources of Lithium clay and “highly” anomalous Lithium clays should be regarded as more than “coincidental”.

藏族传统文化与青藏高原的生态环境保护——关于西部大开发一些问题的思考

本文就藏族传统文化对青藏高原的生态环境保护所起到的积极作用进行了论述，并对当前青藏高原的生态环境所面临的严重问题提出了自己的看法。