Changes of key hydrological elements and research progress of water cycle in the Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia
Received date: 2021-11-12
Revised date: 2021-11-23
Online published: 2022-01-21
Located in the hinterland of Eurasia, Tianshan Mountains are the main water source in the middle part of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The water circulations of the Tianshan Mountains are distinguished by large spatiotemporal variations, complex water generation mechanisms, multiple runoff composition, and a fragile water system. The runoff processes are extremely sensitive to even minor changes in hydrological elements caused by climate change. It is difficult to describe the internal hydrological mechanism using the current hydrological model. Based on the literature review, the paper systematically analyzes the key hydrological elements under climate change, including identification of the water vapor source and its transport, changes in water cycle elements and their impact on precipitation, the impacts of climate change on precipitation, runoff generation, glacier accumulation/melting, snow and water resources in the Tianshan Mountains. The hot issues on the water cycle in the Tianshan Mountains are presented to provide a scientific basis for understanding the water cycle mechanism of the mountainous areas and ensuring the safety of water resources in the middle parts of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
Yaning CHEN , Zhi LI , Gonghuan FANG . Changes of key hydrological elements and research progress of water cycle in the Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia[J]. Arid Land Geography, 2022 , 45(1) : 1 -8 . DOI: 10.12118/j.issn.1000–6060.2021.535
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