Significant lake expansion has accelerated permafrost degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

In recent years, lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have become more responsive to climate change. In September 2011, Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil experienced sudden drainage, the water eventually flowed into Yanhu Lake, which caused Yanhu Lake to continue to expand. The potential collapse of Yanhu Lake could directly threaten the operational safety of the adjacent Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway. To explore the implications of expanding lakes on the surrounding permafrost, we selected Hoh Xil Yanhu Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study the effect of lake expansion on permafrost degradation. The permafrost degradation in the Yanhu Lake basin from October 2017 to December 2022 was inverted using Sentinel-1 satellite image data and small baseline subset interferometry synthetic aperture radar(SBAS-In SAR) technology. Additionally, permafrost degradation from February 2007 and February 2010 was analyzed using advanced land observing satellite phased array-type L-band synthetic aperture radar(ALOS PALSAR) satellite images and differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar(D-In SAR) technique. The results showed that the permafrost around Yanhu Lake experienced accelerated degradation. Prior to the expansion of Yanhu Lake, the average annual deformation rate along the line of sight(LOS) direction was 6.7 mm/yr. After the expansion, the rate increased to 20.9 mm/yr. The integration of spatial-temporal distribution maps of surface subsidence, Wudaoliang borehole geothermal data, meteorological data, Yanhu Lake surface area changes, and water level changes supports the assertion that the intensified permafrost degradation could be attributed to lake expansion rather than the rising air temperature. Furthermore, permafrost degradation around Yanhu Lake could impact vital infrastructure such as the adjacent Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Unveiling evapotranspiration patterns and energy balance in a subalpine forest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:observations and analysis from an eddy covariance system

Evapotranspiration is an important parameter used to characterize the water cycle of ecosystems.To under-stand the properties of the evapotranspiration and energy balance of a subalpine forest in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an open-path eddy covariance system was set up to monitor the forest from November 2020 to October 2021 in a core area of the Three Parallel Rivers in the Qing-hai-Tibet Plateau.The results show that the evapotranspira-tion peaked daily,the maximum occurring between 11:00 and 15:00.Environmental factors had significant effects on evapotranspiration,among them,net radiation the greatest(R^(2)=0.487),and relative humidity the least(R^(2)=0.001).The energy flux varied considerably in different seasons and sensible heat flux accounted for the main part of turbulent energy.The energy balance ratio in the dormant season was less than that in the growing season,and there is an energy imbalance at the site on an annual time scale.

Cryptic diversity and rampant hybridization in annual gentians on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau revealed by population genomic analysis

Understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes involved in population differentiation and speciation provides critical insights into biodiversity formation. In this study, we employed 29,865 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and complete plastomes to examine genomic divergence and hybridization in Gentiana aristata, which is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) region. Genetic clustering revealed that G. aristata is characterized by geographic genetic structures with five clusters(West, East, Central, South and North). The West cluster has a specific morphological character(i.e., blue corolla) and higher values of FSTcompared to the remaining clusters, likely the result of the geological barrier formed by the Yangtze River. The West cluster diverged from the other clusters in the Early Pliocene;these remaining clusters diverged from one another in the Early Quaternary. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on SNPs and plastid data revealed substantial cyto-nuclear conflicts. Genetic clustering and D-statistics demonstrated rampant hybridization between the Central and North clusters,along the Bayankala Mountains, which form the geological barrier between the Central and North clusters. Species distribution modeling demonstrated the range of G. aristata expanded since the Last Interglacial period. Our findings provide genetic and morphological evidence of cryptic diversity in G. aristata, and identified rampant hybridization between genetic clusters along a geological barrier.These findings suggest that geological barriers and climatic fluctuations have an important role in triggering diversification as well as hybridization, indicating that cryptic diversity and hybridization are essential factors in biodiversity formation within the QTP region.

Identification and distribution of 13003 landslides in the northwest margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on human-computer interaction remote sensing interpretation

The periphery of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is renowned for its susceptibility to landslides.However,the northwestern margin of this region,characterised by limited human activities and challenging transportation,remains insufficiently explored concerning landslide occurrence and dispersion.With the planning and construction of the Xinjiang-Tibet Railway,a comprehensive investigation into disastrous landslides in this area is essential for effective disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.By using the human-computer interaction interpretation approach,the authors established a landslide database encompassing 13003 landslides,collectively spanning an area of 3351.24 km^(2)(36°N-40°N,73°E-78°E).The database incorporates diverse topographical and environmental parameters,including regional elevation,slope angle,slope aspect,distance to faults,distance to roads,distance to rivers,annual precipitation,and stratum.The statistical characteristics of number and area of landslides,landslide number density(LND),and landslide area percentage(LAP)are analyzed.The authors found that a predominant concentration of landslide origins within high slope angle regions,with the highest incidence observed in intervals characterised by average slopes of 20°to 30°,maximum slope angle above 80°,along with orientations towards the north(N),northeast(NE),and southwest(SW).Additionally,elevations above 4.5 km,distance to rivers below 1 km,rainfall between 20-30 mm and 30-40 mm emerge as particularly susceptible to landslide development.The study area’s geological composition primarily comprises Mesozoic and Upper Paleozoic outcrops.Both fault and human engineering activities have different degrees of influence on landslide development.Furthermore,the significance of the landslide database,the relationship between landslide distribution and environmental factors,and the geometric and morphological characteristics of landslides are discussed.The landslide H/L ratios in the study area are mainly concentrated between 0.4 and 0.64.It means the landslides mobility in the region is relatively low,and the authors speculate that landslides in this region more possibly triggered by earthquakes or located in meizoseismal area.

A phylogenetic approach identifies patterns of beta diversity and floristic subregions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity and their relationships with environmental correlates can help reveal the origin and evolutionary history of regional biota.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)harbors an exceptionally diverse flora,however,a phylogenetic perspective has rarely been used to investigate its beta diversity and floristic regions.In this study,we used a phylogenetic approach to identify patterns of beta diversity and quantitatively delimit floristic regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We also examined the relationships between multifaceted beta diversity,geographical distance,and climatic difference,and evaluated the relative importance of various factors(i.e.,climate,topography and history)in shaping patterns of beta diversity.Sørensen dissimilarity indices indicated that patterns of species turnover among sites dominated the QTP.We also found that patterns of both taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity were significantly related to geographical distance and climatic difference.The environmental factors that contributed most to these patterns of beta diversity include annual precipitation,mean annual temperature,climatic gradients and climatic instability.Hierarchical dendrograms of dissimilarity and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination based on phylogenetic beta diversity data identified ten floristic subregions in the QTP.Our results suggest that the contemporary environment and historical climate changes have filtered species composition among sites and eventually determined beta diversity patterns of plants in the QTP.

Biological soil crusts and their potential applications in the sand land over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is now experiencing ecological degradation risks as a result of climate change and human activities.The alpine grassland ecology in permafrost zones is fragile and susceptible to deterioration due to its high altitude,low temperature,and limited oxygen,which complicates the repair of damaged land.Biological soil crusts(BSCs)are crucial for land restoration in plateau regions because they can thrive in harsh conditions and have environmentally beneficial traits.Inoculated biological soil crust(IBSC)has shown success in low-altitude desert regions,but may not be easily duplicated to the plateau environment.Therefore,it is essential to do a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of the basic theoretical comprehension and practical application of BSCs on the Tibetan Plateau.This review article aims to provide a brief summary of the ecological significance and the mechanisms related to the creation,growth,and progression of BSCs.It discusses the techniques used for cultivating BSCs in laboratories and using them in the field,focusing on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau circumstance.We thoroughly discussed the potential and the required paths for further studies.This study may be used as a basis for selecting suitable microbial strains and accompanying supplemental actions for implementing IBSCs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Insights into some large-scale landslides in southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(SMQTP)is of a typical large landslide-prone area due to intense tectonic activity,deeply incised valleys,high geostress and frequent earthquakes.To gain insights into large landslides in southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an area covering 3.34×105 km2 that extends 80e150 km on both sides of the Sichuan-Tibet traffic corridors(G318)was used to examine the spatial distribution and corresponding characteristics of landslides.The results showed that the study area contains at least 629 large landslides that are mainly concentrated on 7 zones(zones IeVII).Zones IeVII are in the southern section of the Longmenshan fault zone(with no large river)and sections with Dadu River,Jinsha River,Lancang River,Nujiang River and Yarlung Zangbo River.There are more landslides in the Jinsha River section(totaling 186 landslides)than the other sections.According to the updated Varnes classification,408 large landslides(64.9%)were recognized and divided into 4 major types,i.e.flows(275 cases),slides(58 cases),topples(44 cases)and slope deformations(31 cases).Flows,which consist of rock avalanches and iceerock avalanches,are the most common landslide type.Large landslide triggers(178 events,28.3%)are also recognized,and earthquakes may be the most common trigger.Due to the limited data,these landslide type classifications and landslide triggers are perhaps immature,and further systematic analysis is needed.

Growth behavior and resource potential evaluation of gas hydrate in core fractures in Qilian Mountain permafrost area, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qilian Mountain permafrost area located in the northern of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a favorable place for natural gas hydrate formation and enrichment,due to its well-developed fractures and abundant gas sources.Understanding the formation and distribution of multi-component gas hydrates in fractures is crucial in accurately evaluating the hydrate reservoir resources in this area.The hydrate formation experiments were carried out using the core samples drilled from hydrate-bearing sediments in Qilian Mountain permafrost area and the multi-component gas with similar composition to natural gas hydrates in Qilian Mountain permafrost area.The formation and distribution characteristics of multi-component gas hydrates in core samples were observed in situ by X-ray Computed Tomography(X-CT)under high pressure and low temperature conditions.Results show that hydrates are mainly formed and distributed in the fractures with good connectivity.The ratios of volume of hydrates formed in fractures to the volume of fractures are about 96.8%and 60.67%in two different core samples.This indicates that the fracture surface may act as a favorable reaction site for hydrate formation in core samples.Based on the field geological data and the experimental results,it is preliminarily estimated that the inventory of methane stored in the fractured gas hydrate in Qilian Mountain permafrost area is about 8.67×1013 m3,with a resource abundance of 8.67×108 m3/km2.This study demonstrates the great resource potential of fractured gas hydrate and also provides a new way to further understand the prospect of natural gas hydrate and other oil and gas resources in Qilian Mountain permafrost area.

Impact of a retrogressive thaw slump on surrounding vegetation communities in the Fenghuoshan mountains,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Under global warming,permafrost around the world is experiencing degradation which is especially so on the Third Pole,the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),China.Retrogressive thaw slump(RTS)is one of the thermokarst features caused by rapid degradation of ice rich permafrost,which transforms landforms and threatens infrastructures,and even affects the terrestrial carbon cycle.In this work,vegetation communities surrounding a RTS in the Fenghuoshan Mountains of the interior portion of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been investigated to examine the impact from RTS.This investigation indicates that the occurrence of RTS influences the vegetation community by altering their habitats,especially the soil water content,which forces the vegetation community to evolve in order to adapt to the alterations.In the interior part of RTS where it has been disturbed tremendously,alterations have produced a wider niche and richer plant species.This favors species of a wet environment in a habitat where it was a relatively dry environment of alpine steppe prior to the occurrence of RTS.This study adds to limited observations regarding the impact of RTS to vegetation community on the QTP and helps us to reach a broader understanding of the effects of permafrost degradation as well as global warming.

Extracting water body data based on SDWI and threshold segmentation:A case study in permafrost area surrounding Salt Lake in Hoh Xil,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

There are a large number of lakes,rivers,and other natural water bodies distributed in the permafrost area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The changes in water bodies will affect the distribution of water resources in sur-rounding areas and downstream areas,resulting in environmental impact and bringing potential flood disasters,which will induce more serious issues and problems in alpine and high-altitude areas with a fragile habitat(such as the QTP in China).Generally,effective,reasonable,and scientific monitoring of large-scale water bodies can not only document the changes in water bodies intuitively,but also provide important theoretical reference for subsequent environmental impact prediction,and disaster prevention and mitigation in due course of time.The large-scale water extraction technology derived from the optical remote sensing(RS)image is seriously affected by clouds,bringing about large differences among the extracted water result products.Synthetic aperture radar(SAR)RS technology has the unique advantage characteristics of all-weather,all-day,strong penetration,and not being affected by clouds,which is hopeful in extracting water body data,especially for days with cloudy weather.The data extraction of large-scale water bodies based on SAR images can effectively avoid the errors caused by clouds that become prevalent at present.In this paper,the Hoh Xil Salt Lake on the QTP and its surrounding five lakes are taken as the research objects.The 2-scene Sentinel-1 SAR image data covering the whole area on 22 August 2022 was used to verify the feasibility of extracting water body data in permafrost zones.Furthermore,on 22 August 2022,the wealth here was cloudy,which made the optical RS images,e.g.,Sentinel-2 images full of clouds.The results show that:using the Sentinel-1 image and threshold segmentation method to extract water body data is efficient and effective with excellent results in permafrost areas.Concretely,the Sentinel-1 dual-polarized water index(SDWI),calculated by combining dual vertical–vertical(VV)polarized and verti-cal–horizontal(VH)polarized data is a useful index for water extraction and the result is better than each of the VV or VH polarized images.

Lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are conducive to regional permafrost development

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)possesses the largest areas of permafrost in the midand low latitude regions on the earth and many large lakes in the permafrost area.Based on a comprehensive investigation around certain typical lakes,this study found that although the presence of lakes formed different ranges of unfrozen zones in permafrost,the heating effect of lake water on surrounding permafrost is limited to a small extent.The temperature of permafrost around the lake is closely related to the distance to the lake and the ice content of the permafrost.Around lakes are ice-rich permafrost zones and permafrost temperature in this area is significantly lower than that far away from the lake,which indicates that the existence of lakes in the QTP has special effect on the permafrost distribution.Based on the monitoring results,this study presents the typical distribution pattern of the permafrost around large lakes and discusses the reasons for the distribution pattern.Due to the huge area of lakes and the significant impact of lakes on permafrost distribution,it is suggested to re-estimate the total permafrost area and underground ice storage in the QTP.

Assessing the dynamics of human activity intensity and its natural and socioeconomic determinants in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Investigating the spatiotemporal variation of human activity intensity and its determinants is a crucial basis for further revealing the mechanism of human-environment interaction and optimizing the human development mode.In this study,the human activity intensity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)from 1990 to 2020 was measured based on the quantitative model of land use data and the actual regional background,and the under-lying natural and socioeconomic determinants were investigated using spatial econometric methods.The results demonstrate that(1)the human activity intensity in QTP has increased by 11.96%,and there are differences in different spatial scales;the areas with high human activity intensity are distributed in the Hehuang Valley where Xining City and its surrounding areas are located,as well as the One-River and Two-River Area where Lhasa City and surrounding areas are located.(2)Human activity intensity has significant positive spatial spillover,suggesting that local changes will cause changes in the same direction in adjacent areas.(3)The human activ-ity intensity in QTP is affected by various determinants.Concerning socioeconomic factors,the economic level has no significant impact on the human activity intensity in QTP,which differs from the general regional law.Both urbanization and traffic conditions have a significant positive effect,and the impact intensity continues to increase.Concerning natural factors,topographic relief has a significant positive effect;the impacts of temper-ature and vegetation coverage have changed from insignificant to a significant positive effect;the impacts of precipitation and river network density have not been verified;there is no linear relationship between altitude and human activity intensity in the entire QTP,while it exists in local regions.Finally,this study proposes three policy implications for the realization of a more harmonious human-environment relationship in QTP.

Evaluation of Performance of Polar WRF Model in Simulating Precipitation over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Considering the complex topographic forcing and large cryosphere concentration,the present study utilized the polar-optimized WRF model(Polar WRF)to conduct downscaling simulations over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(TP)and its surrounding regions.Multi-group experiments with the 10 km horizontal resolution are used to evaluate the modeling of precipitation.Firstly,on the basis of the model ground surface properties upgrade and the optimized Noah-MP,the“better-performing”configuration suite for modeling precipitation is comprehensively examined.Various model parameters such as nudging options,five cumulus parameterization schemes,two planetary boundary layer schemes,and six microphysics schemes are investigated to further refine the Polar WRF configuration.Moreover,the precipitation simulation for a full calendar year is compared with multiple reanalyses and observations.The simulations demonstrate that the Polar WRF model successfully captures the general features of precipitation over this region and is sensitive to model parameters.Based on the results,it is recommended to use grid nudging with q intensity coefficient of 0.0002,the multi-scale kain-fritsch cumulus parameterization,the Yonsei University boundary layer scheme,and the Morrison 2-mom microphysics with reduced default droplet concentration value of 100 cm-3.Overall,the model performance is better than the ERA-interim and TRMM 3b42.It is comparable to,and in some cases slightly better than,the CRA-Land,especially in the prediction for the western part of the plateau where in situ observations are limited,and the cryosphere-atmosphere interaction is more pronounced.

Contribution of external forcing to summer precipitation trends over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Southwest China

在过去的60年中,全球气候经历了快速变暖和短暂的变暖停滞,而中国的区域降水也经历了多样而复杂的变化.本文分析了1961年至2014年外强迫因子对青藏高原和中国西南地区夏季降水趋势的影响.观测数据显示,青藏高原的夏季降水呈增加趋势,而中国西南地区的夏季降水呈减少趋势,这两个相邻地区的夏季降水变化趋势相反.利用CMIP6数据,本文研究了不同外强迫因子对两个区域夏季降水趋势的影响.结果表明,温室气体对青藏高原夏季降水的增加具有显著影响,而气溶胶在中国西南地区夏季降水减少中起主要作用。

Countermeasures for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to Cope with Climate Change and Ecological Environment Safety

The monitoring,prediction and assessment of status about climate changes and ecological environment at home and abroad were discussed in this study,and the scientific significance and countermeasures for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to cope with these problems were also put forward.

Land cover change along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Railway from 1981 to 2001

Based on the NOAA AVHRR-NDVI monthly data from 1981 to 2001, the spatial distribution and dynamic change of land cover along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Railway were studied. The results of the analytical data indicate that the NDVI values in July, August and September are rather high during a year, and a linear trend by calculating NDVI of each pixel computed based on the average values of NDVI in July, August and September were obtained. The results are as follows： 1） Land cover of the study area by NDVI displays high at two sides of the area and low in the center, and agriculture area 〉 alpine meadow 〉 alpine grassland 〉 desert grassland. 2） In the study area, the amount ofpixels with high increase, slight increase, no change, slight decrease and high decrease account for 0.29%, 14.86%, 67.61%, 16.7% and 0.57% of the whole area, respectively. The increase of land cover pixels is mainly in the agriculture and alpine meadow and the decrease pixels mainly in the alpine grassland, desert grassland and hungriness. Grassland and hungriness contribute to the decrease mostly and artificial land and meadow contribute to the increase mostly. 3） In the area where human beings live, the changing trend is obvious, such as the valleys of Lhasa River and Huangshui River and area along the Yellow River; in the high altitude area with fewer people living, the changing trend is relatively low, like the area of Hoh Xil. 4） Human being＇s behaviors are a key factor followed by the climate changes affecting land cover.

Characteristics of Permafrost along Highway G214 in the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The characteristics of the permafrost along National Highway No. 214(G214) in Qinghai province(between kilometer markers K310 and K670),including the distribution patterns of permafrost and seasonally frozen ground(SFG), ground ice content and mean annual ground temperature(MAGT), were analyzed using a large quantity of drilling and measured ground temperature data. Three topographic units can be distinguished along the highway: the northern mountains, including Ela Mountain and Longstone Mountain; the medial alluvial plain and the southern Bayan Har Mountains.The horizontal distribution patterns of permafrost can be divided into four sections, from north to south: the northern continuous permafrost zone(K310-K460),the island permafrost zone(K460-K560), the southern continuous permafrost zone(K560-K630),and the discontinuous permafrost zone(K630-K670).Vertically, the permafrost lower limits(PLLs) of the discontinuous zone were 4200/4325 m, 4230/4350 m,and 4350/4450 m on the north-facing/south-facing slopes of Ela Mountain, Longstone Mountain and Bayan Har Mountains, respectively. The permafrost was generally warm, with MAGTs between-1.0°C and0°C in the northern continuous permafrost zone,approximately-0.5°C in the island permafrost zone,between-1.5°C and 0°C in the southern continuous permafrost zone, and higher than-0.5°C in the discontinuous permafrost zone. In contrast, the spatial variations in ground ice content were mainly controlled by the local soil water content and lithology.The relationships between the mean annual air temperature(MAAT) and the PLLs indicated that the PLLs varied between-3.3°C and-4.1°C for the northern Ela and Longstone Mountains and between-4.1°C and-4.6°C in the southern Bayan Har Mountains.

Influence of proximity to the Qinghai-Tibet highway and railway on variations of soil heavy metal concentrations and bacterial community diversity on the Tibetan Plateau

An understanding of soil microbial communities is crucial in roadside soil environmental assessments.The 16S rRNA se quencing of a stressed microbial community in soil adjacent to the Qinghai-Tibet Highway(QTH)revealed that the accu mulation of heavy metals(over about 10 years)has affected the diversity of bacterial abundance and microbial community structure.The proximity of a sampling site to the QTH/Qinghai-Tibet Railway(QTR),which is effectively a measure of the density of human engineering,was the dominant factor influencing bacterial community diversity.The diversity of bacterial communities shows that 16S rRNA gene abundance decreased in relation to proximity to the QTH and QTR in both alpine wetland and meadow areas.The dominant phyla across all samples were Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria.The concentration of Cr and Cd in the soil were positively correlated with proximity to the QTH and QTR(MC/WC sam pling sites),and Ni,Co,and V were positively correlated with proximity to the QTH and QTR(MA/WA sampling sites).The results presented in this study provide an insight into the relationships among heavy metals and soil microbial commu nities,and have important implications for assessing and predicting the impacts of human-induced activities from the QTH and QTR in such an extreme and fragile environment.

Evidence of the Pan-Lake Stage in the Period of 40-28 ka B.P. on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet plateau is one of major saline lake regions in China, where saline lakes are widespread and constitute an important object of researches on the palaeoclimatic change in the region. On the basis of comprehensive investigations of the evolution of the lake's surface and sediments on the plateau, the authors have further demonstrated the existence of a pan-lake stage (river and lake flooding stage) on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau during the period of about 40+-28 ka B.P. and analyzed the palaeoclimatic characteristics of the pan-lake period and relationships between the ancient monsoons and the uplift of the plateau since the beginning of the Quaternary.

Temporal-Spatial Structure of Intraplate Uplift in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The intraplate uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau took place on the basis of breakup and assembly of the Precambrian supercontinent, and southward ocean-continent transition of the Proto-, Paleo-, Meso- and Neo-Tethys during the Caledonian, Indosinian, Yanshanian and Early Himalayan movements. The intraplate tectonic evolution of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau underwent the early stage of intraplate orogeny characterized by migrational tectonic uplift, horizontal movement and geological processes during 180-7 Ma, and the late stage of isostatic mountain building characterized by pulsative rapid uplift, vertical movement and geographical processes since 3.6 Ma. The spatial-temporal evolution of the intraplate orogeny within the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau shows a regular transition from the northern part through the central part to the southern part during 180-120 Ma, 65-35 Ma, and 25-7 Ma respectively, with extensive intraplate faulting, folding, block movement, magmatism and metallogenesis. Simultaneous intraplate orogeny and basin formation resulted from crustal rheological stratification and basin-orogen coupling that was induced by lateral viscous flow in the lower crust. This continental dynamic process was controlled by lateral flow of hot and soft materials within the lower crust because of slab dehydration and melted mantle upwelling above the subducted plates during the southward Tethyan ocean-continent transition processes or asthenosphere diapirism. Intraplate orogeny and basin formation were irrelevant to plate collision. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a whole was actually formed by the isostatic mountain building processes since 3.6 Ma that were characterized by crust-scale vertical movement, and integral rapid uplift of the plateau, accompanied by isostatic subsidence of peripheral basins and depressions, and great changes in topography and environment. A series of pulsative mountain building events, associated with gravity equilibrium and isostatic adjustment of crustal materials, at 3.6 Ma, 2.5 Ma, 1.8-1.2 Ma, 0.9-0.8 Ma and 0.15-0.12 Ma led to the formation of a composite orogenic belt by unifying the originally relatively independent Himalayas, Gangdise, Tanghla, Longmenshan, Kunlun, Altyn Tagh, and Qilian mountains, and the formation of the complete Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a unified mountain root after Miocene uplift of the plateau as a whole.