The surface area of the Hai-Tibet Plateau, which is related to global warming, has expanded by 10,000 square kilometers in the last 30 years, as reported by China Daily, citing research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Scientists have found that the retreat of glaciers in high-altitude regions over the past century has caused lakes to expand by an additional 20,000 square kilometers. This expansion will raise the surface level of the plateau by 10 meters and increase the water volume by 652 billion tons. As a result, precipitation intensity within the plateau’s interior will increase four times more than in the past 50 years.

According to Zhanyi Gouzini, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Hai-Tibet Plateau Institute, the expansion of lakes, such as those in Tibet, affects local ecosystems and biodiversity by enhancing the hydrological cycle. Another scientist, Shuyu Fenglin, added that melting ice globally will lead to greater precipitation, potentially doubling the surface area of polar lakes and increasing it by 50% in central regions.

Fenglin also noted that the expansion of lakes in Tibet will contribute to the release of greenhouse gases and accelerate global warming.

Official data reveals that the Hai-Tibet Plateau houses 60,000 lakes with a total surface area of 50,000 square kilometers, accounting for 50% of China’s overall lake surface area.

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