%0 Journal Article
%T Climatic significance of 汛18O records from precipitation on the western Tibetan Plateau
%A WuSheng Yu
%A YaoMing Ma
%A WeiZhen Sun
%A Yu Wang
%J Chinese Science Bulletin
%@ 1861-9541
%D 2009
%I 
%R 10.1007/s11434-009-0495-6
%X Analysis of daily precipitation samples for stable oxygen isotopes (汛18O) collected at the Shiquanhe and G那rz那 (Gaize, Gertse) stations in the Ngari (Ali) region on the western Tibetan Plateau indicates that air temperature affects the 汛18O variations in precipitation at these stations. In summer, Shiquanhe and G那rz那 show strongly similar trends in precipitation 汛18O, especially in simultaneous precipitation events. Moreover, both stations experienced low 汛18O values in precipitation during the active monsoon period, resulting from the southwest monsoon (the summer phase of the Indian monsoon). However, during the break monsoon period (during the summer rainy season, when the monsoon circulation is disrupted), 汛18O values in summer precipitation remain relatively high and local moisture recycling generally controls the moisture sources. Air temperature correlations with 汛18O strengthen during the non-monsoon period (January每June, and October每December) due to continental air masses and the westerlies. In addition, evaporation also influences the 汛18O variations in precipitation. The observed temporal and spatial variations of 汛18O in precipitation on the western Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions show that the late May and early June-the late August and early September time frame provides an important period for the transportation of moisture from various sources on the Tibetan Plateau, and that the region of the West Kunlun-Tanggula Ranges acts as a significant climatic divide on the Plateau, perhaps for all of western China.
%K western Tibetan Plateau
%K precipitation
%K 汛18O
%K air temperature
%K southwest monsoon
%U http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11434-009-0495-6