Aerosol characteristics and impacts on weather and climate over the Tibetan Plateau

With themostmassive snowand ice globally between 60◦S and 60◦N, the Tibetan Plateau (TP), also called the third pole of the world, plays significant roles in the weather, climate and lives in South Asia and East Asia and even the world [1–3]. Investigating the variation of weather and the climate system over the TP has long been carried out, which is significant for fresh water supplies for over 1.4 billion people in Asia. Actually, the ‘Third Pole Environment’ program was initiated to call international efforts tounderstand both climate and environment changes on the plateau [1], which has already shown rapid warming and intensified cryospheric melt and water cycle. Previous studies have indicated that the clouds and radiation are particularly sensitive to aerosols over pristine regions [4], such as the Arctic and TP. Thus, aerosols could play an essential role in the weather and climate system over the TP by directly absorbing and scattering solar radiation and indirectly modifying the cloud properties, particularly when absorbing aerosols such as black carbon (BC) fall into snow at the surface. Actually, it has been reported that the atmospheric aerosols are highly related to the shrinkage of glaciers and snow over the TP [3]. Increasing attention has been paid to the TP for aerosol characteristics and impacts [3,5]. Particularly, the TP is surrounded by East Asia and South Asia— two regions with almost the world’s most serious anthropogenic emissions and a world-known Taklamakan Desert. Studies have shown that the anthropogenic emissions in South Asia and dust from the Taklamakan Desert can be transported to the TP region [3,6]. Moreover, large amounts of light-absorbing aerosols (LAAs) such as BC have been found over the northern Indo-Gangetic plain, implying non-negligible transport of LAAs from India to the TP [7]. AEROSOL CHARACTERISTICS