Estimation of landscape water storage changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on multi-source data

Study region: Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP)Study focusLandscape water storage (LWS) in the QTP serves as a critical resource sustaining diverse ecosystems and supporting the livelihoods of societies across Asia. Relying solely on field surveys and single data sources makes it difficult to estimate LWS...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Junjie Lei, Chengsong Li, Wunian Yang, Xin Yang, Xiaolong Xing
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825002691
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Summary:Study region: Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP)Study focusLandscape water storage (LWS) in the QTP serves as a critical resource sustaining diverse ecosystems and supporting the livelihoods of societies across Asia. Relying solely on field surveys and single data sources makes it difficult to estimate LWS. In this study, we utilized multiple data sources to estimate the changes in vegetation water storage (VWS), snow water equivalent storage (SWES), glacier water equivalent storage (GWES), lake and channel water storage (LCWS), and soil water storage (SWS) on the QTP from 2001 to 2020.New hydrological insights for the regionThe entropy method was used to construct the LWS index (LWSI) and a normalized LWS change index (NLWSCI) was constructed to reflect variations across different types of LWS. Two zoning schemes were established based on the NLWSCI and LWSI. From 2001–2020, the total LWS volume decreased by 124.15 km³ ; the total volumes of GWES, SWES, and VWS decreased by 343.76 km³ , 3.70 km³ , and 1.64 km³ , respectively, whereas those of LCWS and SWS increased by 179.24 km³ and 45.71 km³ , respectively. Changes in the area and volume of LWS were determined according to NLWSCI and LWSI zoning schemes. Finally, we analyzed the drivers of spatial distribution changes in different types of LWS and proposed strategies for protecting the LWS of the QTP.
ISSN:2214-5818