Analysis of Ice Phenology of Middle and Large Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Considered as a sensitive indicator of climate change, lake ice phenology can have significant influences on regional climate by affecting lake-atmosphere energy and water exchange. However, in situ measurements of ice phenology events are quite limited over high-elevation lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, where satellite monitoring can make up such deficiency. In this study, by a combination of AMSR-E (2002–2011) and AMSR-2 (2012–2021) passive microwave data, MODIS optimal products and in situ measurements of temperature profiles in four lakes, the ice phenology events of 40 high-elevation large lakes were derived and their inter-annual trends and influencing factors were analyzed. The freeze-up start date (FUS) mainly occurs in November-December with an average date of 9 December and the break-up end date (BUE) is concentrated in April-May with a multi-year average of 5 May. Under climate warming, 24 of the 34 (70.6%) lakes show delayed FUS at an average trend of 0.35 days/year, and 7 (20.6%) lakes show advanced BUE (rate of change CR = −0.17 days/year). The average ice coverage duration (ID) was 147 days, and 13 (38.2%) lakes shortened ID at an average rate of −0.33 days/year. By synthesizing other ice phenology products, we obtained the assembled products of lake ice phenology, and found that air temperature dominates during the freeze-thaw process, with a higher dependence of BUE than that of FUS on air temperature.