Rapid warming results in formation of 99 new lakes in 40 years across Tibet Plateau

New Delhi: In a latest study, researchers claim that rapid warming has resulted in formation of 99 new lakes and lake expansion across the Tibet Plateau in last 40 years.

As per climate change researchers, besides the north and south poles, the Qinghai-Tibet and Mongolian plateaus are the most sensitive regions to climate change, said Zhang Guoqing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research.

The two adjacent plateaus have been changing in opposite directions in response to climate change, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the paper as saying.

"We found 99 new lakes and extensive lake expansion on the Tibetan Plateau during the past four decades from 1970 to 2013," said Zhang.

The team attributed this to increased precipitation and cryospheric contributions to the region's water balance.

In contrast, on the Mongolian Plateau, 208 lakes have disappeared and 75 per cent of those remaining have shrunk. The shrinking is mainly due to activities by mankind, Zhang said.

"We hope the findings could provide useful information for ecological and water resource planning in these fragile landscapes," he said.

Repeated studies have shown the effects of climate change to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

A report by the institute in 2015 said the region's average annual temperature rose by 0.3-0.4 degree Celsius every 10 years from 1960 to 2012, about twice the average of the rest of the world.

The temperature rose more sharply year on year in winter and in northern part of the plateau, it said.

According to climate change models, the next 100 years may see the plateau warming by 4 degrees Celsius.

(With PTI inputs)