A robust but variable lake expansion on the Tibetan Plateau

Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are an indicator and sentinel of climatic changes [1]. We extended lake area changes on the TP from 2010 [2] to 2018, and provided a long and dense lake observations between the 1970s and 2018. We found that the number of lakes, with area larger than 1 km², has increased to ∼1,400 in 2018 from ∼1,000 in the 1970s. The total area of these lakes decreased between the 1970s and ∼1995, and then showed a robust increase, with the exception of a slight decrease in 2015. This expansion of the lakes on the highest plateau in the world is a response to a hydrological cycle intensified by recent climate changes [3].