Time-dependent warming amplification over the Tibetan Plateau during the past few decades

Abstract

It is reported that surface warming over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been faster than the global average, but exactly how much faster remains controversial. This study investigates the time dependency of warming amplification over the TP using CRU_TS4.01 grid dataset during 1961–2016 with a consideration of its consistency with the global average. We find that the magnitude of warming on the TP and its consistency with the global average have been variable. Compared to the global average, the TP warming during 1983–2016 is faster than in the period of 1961–1983, and has a higher consistency with the global average in the period of 1983–2016. The TP warming has a seasonal amplification of 1.1–1.4 times than the global average during 1983–2016, while warming amplification during 1961–1983 is relatively less evident. Generally, the magnitude of warming on the TP is smaller than in the northern high-latitudes, but larger than in the Southern Hemisphere and the Tropics. Based on current scientific understanding, the possible contribution of snow/ice-albedo feedback may have played an important role in warming amplification on the TP since the 1980s.