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Combined ICESat and CryoSat-2 Altimetry for Accessing Water Level Dynamics of Tibetan Lakes over 2003-2014.
- Source :
- Water (20734441); 2015, Vol. 7 Issue 9, p4685-4700, 16p
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Long-term observations of lake water level are essential to our understanding of the evolution of Tibetan lake system. CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data over the Tibetan Plateau (2010-2014, P2) is used to extend lake level measurements from ICESat laser altimetry (2003-2009, P1). This study evaluates the performance of CryoSat-2 data by comparing with gauge-based water levels that are calibrated by ICESat-observed water level time series, and quantifies the uncertainty of water-level change rate estimates from satellite altimetry measurements. We completely investigate the 131 lakes that were observed by both ICESat and CryoSat-2. The mean change rate of water level for all of examined lakes in P2 (0.19 ' 0.03 m·year-1) is slightly lower than that (0.21 ' 0.02 m·year-1) observed in P1. The extended lake level time series also indicates that, in the past few years, lakes in the Northern Changtang (especially in Hol Xil) showed accelerated growth; and that the extensive lake level rises north to the Gangdise Mountains, during 2003-2009, were found dampened during the CryoSat-2 observation period. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of precipitation observed from weather stations can be used to partly explain the observed temporal pattern of lake level changes over different sub-zones of the plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ALTIMETRY
DATA analysis
WATER balance (Hydrology)
CLIMATE change
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20734441
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Water (20734441)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 110021704
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/w7094685