Can δ18O help indicate the causes of recent lake area expansion on the western Tibetan Plateau? A case study from Aweng Co

Zhang, Yuzhi; Jones, Matthew; Zhang, Jiawu; McGowan, Suzanne; Metcalfe, Sarah

Abstract

© 2020, Springer Nature B.V. Glacier-fed lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have undergone rapid expansions since the late 1990s, concurrent with the changing climate. However, the dominant cause(s) of lake area increases is still debated. To identify the drivers of lake expansion, we studied Aweng Co, a glacier-fed lake in the western TP, where surface area has increased (0.74km2year−1) since the late 1970s and most rapidly (0.998 km2year−1) since the late 1990s. A water balance model was used to clarify the reasons for increased lake water volume, supported by stable isotope hydrology and the δ18O change recorded in recent sediments. Results showed that glacial meltwater probably had the biggest impact on changes in Aweng Co lake level in recent decades, but that precipitation was also an important contributor. Our study shows that δ18O of carbonate (δ18Ocarb) has great potential for indicating source changes of water supply in such lakes, but there is a need to be cautious when interpreting δ18Ocarb due to the influence of multiple hydrological factors, which can change in dominance over time.

Citation

Zhang, Y., Jones, M., Zhang, J., McGowan, S., & Metcalfe, S. (2020). Can δ18O help indicate the causes of recent lake area expansion on the western Tibetan Plateau? A case study from Aweng Co. Journal of Paleolimnology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-020-00158-6

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 24, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 23, 2020
• Publication Date: Oct 23, 2020
• Deposit Date: Oct 24, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 24, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Paleolimnology
• Print ISSN: 0921-2728
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-0417
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-020-00158-6
• Keywords: Earth-Surface Processes; Aquatic Science
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4986841
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10933-020-00158-6