Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau
In recent decades, global warming has had a significant impact on the streamflow across the Tibetan Plateau. As the largest tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Yalong river is known for its abundant hydropower resources, and the world’s largest multi-energy complementary base ha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad0311 |
| _version_ | 1797649123866836992 |
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| author | Mao Hu Youping Chen Feng Chen Xiaoen Zhao Weipeng Yue Honghua Cao Junqiang Niu Shijie Wang Yujiang Yuan |
| author_facet | Mao Hu Youping Chen Feng Chen Xiaoen Zhao Weipeng Yue Honghua Cao Junqiang Niu Shijie Wang Yujiang Yuan |
| author_sort | Mao Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent decades, global warming has had a significant impact on the streamflow across the Tibetan Plateau. As the largest tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Yalong river is known for its abundant hydropower resources, and the world’s largest multi-energy complementary base has been built in the Yalong River Basin. However, prudent water resource planning is limited by the lack of long-term, detailed and reliable streamflow records over the Yalong river basin. Here, we develop an October–June streamflow reconstruction for the Yalong River, based on composite tree-ring chronology of Picea likiangensis from seven sampling sites. The reconstruction goes back to 1480 CE, and accounts for 46.5% of the instrumental streamflow variance during 1962–2012. This record indicates that the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation were the major contributing factors to streamflow variations. A significant and stable correlation with temperature was found over the past few centuries on the interannual scale. Projections suggest that future climate change may lead to more frequent flood disasters in the Yalong River Basin. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:41:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01536962b50749bbb59241c51c2d885e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:41:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-01536962b50749bbb59241c51c2d885e2023-10-26T11:12:05ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262023-01-01181111404010.1088/1748-9326/ad0311Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan PlateauMao Hu0Youping Chen1Feng Chen2Xiaoen Zhao3Weipeng Yue4Honghua Cao5Junqiang Niu6Shijie Wang7Yujiang Yuan8Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of China; Southwest United Graduate School, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of China; Southwest United Graduate School, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of China; Southwest United Graduate School, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of China; Southwest United Graduate School, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University , Kunming 650504, People’s Republic of ChinaKey Laboratory of Tree-ring Physical and Chemical Research, Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration , Urumqi 830002, People’s Republic of ChinaIn recent decades, global warming has had a significant impact on the streamflow across the Tibetan Plateau. As the largest tributary in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Yalong river is known for its abundant hydropower resources, and the world’s largest multi-energy complementary base has been built in the Yalong River Basin. However, prudent water resource planning is limited by the lack of long-term, detailed and reliable streamflow records over the Yalong river basin. Here, we develop an October–June streamflow reconstruction for the Yalong River, based on composite tree-ring chronology of Picea likiangensis from seven sampling sites. The reconstruction goes back to 1480 CE, and accounts for 46.5% of the instrumental streamflow variance during 1962–2012. This record indicates that the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation were the major contributing factors to streamflow variations. A significant and stable correlation with temperature was found over the past few centuries on the interannual scale. Projections suggest that future climate change may lead to more frequent flood disasters in the Yalong River Basin.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad0311tree ringsYalong Riverstreamflow reconstructionfuture projections |
| spellingShingle | Mao Hu Youping Chen Feng Chen Xiaoen Zhao Weipeng Yue Honghua Cao Junqiang Niu Shijie Wang Yujiang Yuan Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau Environmental Research Letters tree rings Yalong River streamflow reconstruction future projections |
| title | Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | climate change increases the instability of the water supply for hydropower stations on the tibetan plateau |
| topic | tree rings Yalong River streamflow reconstruction future projections |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad0311 |
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