(Table 1) Lake elevation change derived from 4 or more years of measurements ...

• Main Authors: Zhang, Guoqing, Xie, Hongjie, Kang, Shichang, Yi, Donghui, Ackley, Stephen F
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2011
• Subjects: Event label; Latitude of event; Longitude of event; Lake; Number; Number of years; ELEVATION; Date/time start; Elevation 2; Date/time end; Standard deviation; Water level change; Lake type; Sector; Multiple investigations; ICESat satellite data; International Polar Year 2007-2008 IPY; International Polar Year; IPY
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.842774; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.842774

In this study, ICESat altimetry data are used to provide precise lake elevations of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) during the period of 2003-2009. Among the 261 lakes examined ICESat data are available on 111 lakes: 74 lakes with ICESat footprints for 4-7 years and 37 lakes with footprints for 1 -3 years. This is the first time that precise lake elevation data are provided for the 111 lakes. Those ICESat elevation data can be used as baselines for future changes in lake levels as well as for changes during the 2003-2009 period. It is found that in the 74 lakes (56 salt lakes) examined, 62 (i.e. 84%) of all lakes and 50 (i.e. 89%) of the salt lakes show tendency of lake level increase. The mean lake water level increase rate is 0.23 m/year for the 56 salt lakes and 0.27 m/year for the 50 salt lakes of water level increase. The largest lake level increase rate (0.80 m/year) found in this study is the lake Cedo Caka. The 74 lakes are grouped into four subareas based on geographical locations and change tendencies in ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...