Third Pole Environment
Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions were
formally proposed as the Third Pole by Nature in 2008.
The Third Pole covers five million km2 in area with more than
100,000 km2 of glaciers, more than 1000 lakes and 10 big
rivers.
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Cryosphere
Anthrosphere
Biosphere
Lithosphere
The unique interactions among the atmosphere, cryosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere and lithosphere on the Third Pole,
significantly influence social and economic development of
China, India, Nepal, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan.
The Third Pole Environment (TPE) has been proposed
aiming to
Address such a theme as ‘water-ice-air-vegetation-rock(soil)-human’
interactions
Reveal environmental change processes and mechanisms and their
influences on and responses to global changes
Serve for more appropriate adaptation to changing earth system and
more efficient sustenance of the future environment sustainability and
for realization of human-nature harmony on the Third Pole.
Apart from the CAS support, the TPE has been endorsed by
the UNESCO, SCOPE, and UNEP in 2011.
Within the TPE program, the science committee functions to
propose scientific questions, clarify research objectives,
evaluate research approaches, and coordinate tasks.
Volker Mosbrugger
Lonnie G.
Thompson
Tandong Yao
TPE organizes joint scientific expeditions through
cooperation with neighboring countries such as Nepal,
Tajikistan, Pakistan, India and China, to get the first-hand
observation data for a TPE database.
TPE sets up integrating observation and research stations
with cooperation of neighboring countries, and combine
them with existing field stations to form the Third Pole
Environment Platform (TPEP)
TPE annual workshops
Six key science questions have been identified:
Environmental and ecological changes having occurred on
different time scales in the past, and driving mechanisms;
Characteristics of water and energy cycles, their main
components, and relationship to the Indian monsoon and
westerlies;
Responses of ecosystems changes to global warming,
especially at high elevations;
The glacial status of the Third Pole, and the response of glacial
retreat and mass balance changes to the water and energy
cycle and its components, in addition to their environmental
impacts;
The impact of anthropogenic activities;
The more appropriate way to adapt to global change and more
efficient way to sustain future environment sustainability in
the Third Pole region.
Observations: 3rd Pole
Observations
-
AntON
GCW
PSTG
WIGOS/WIS,
GAW
3rd Pole
-
High mountain obsevational network
3rd pole-GCW (redesign and improve)
Hydrological measurements improved
Global snow measurements (satellite)
Research: 3rd Pole
Researcch
Research
- WWRP/PPP
- WCRP
- IPI
3rd Pole
-
Regional Climate model
Catchment scale hydrological model needed
Global snow assimilation in NWP
IPI-3rdPole?
Service mapping: 3rd Pole
Services/GIPPS
-
Timescales
User/client sectors
Arctic HYCOS
GFCS/RCC/RCOF
3rd Pole
Beijing RCC
Hours to weeks
- Snowmelt floods
Seasonal scale
- Meltwater availability in seasonal scale
- Extreme events related to weather and water
Annual to decadal scale
- An assessment of water resouces
- Improved regional climate predictions
Platforms
- Globsnow, Beijing-RCC, RCOF
- Cold and arid regions DB (CAREERI)
Partners/Stakeholders
- incl. TC’s & RA’s
- RA-II, Asian CliC, TPE (Third Pole Env.)
- ICIMOD