Chinese Scientists Challenge Study on Atlantic Droughts and Tibetan Water Resources

Chinese Scientists Challenge Study on Atlantic Droughts and Tibetan Water Resources

A recent commentary published in Nature by Chinese scientists challenges a previous study that suggested Atlantic meteorological droughts threaten the water resource security of the Tibetan Plateau. The commentary, published by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, argues that Atlantic meteorological droughts do not pose a threat to the water resource security of the Asian Water Tower.

The Tibetan Plateau plays a crucial role in safeguarding water resources for the surrounding Himalayan region. However, amid global warming, the plateau is undergoing significant changes, raising concerns about its future and the sustainable development of the Himalayan region.

A 2023 study published in Nature by a joint research team from China, the United States, and Switzerland claimed that meteorological droughts in the North Atlantic, where evaporation exceeds precipitation, triggered a significant decline in terrestrial water storage on the Tibetan Plateau between 2003 and 2016. The study further predicted that this decline would intensify in the future, posing severe challenges to water resource security.

However, the Chinese scientists argue that the evidence supporting these conclusions is flawed. They point out that the original study used a water vapor tracking model and suggested that the North Atlantic transports substantial water vapor to the Tibetan Plateau via mid-latitude westerlies, contributing significantly to annual precipitation on the plateau.

However, observations from water vapor stable isotopes indicate that the Indian Ocean monsoon is the primary source of water vapor, contradicting the findings of the 2023 research. Additionally, the original research overlooked the deposition of water vapor along its path from the Atlantic Ocean to the plateau, potentially exaggerating the contribution of the Atlantic.

To better understand the water resource security of the Asian Water Tower, the Chinese scientists emphasize the need to expand the coverage of the water vapor observation network across the plateau and conduct detailed monitoring.