Summary/Abstract
During recent decades, summer precipitation has increased over the western and northeastern Tibetan Plateau and decreased over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. This peer-reviewed study uses climate modeling to investigate the extent to which these changes can be attributed to anthropogenic activities. The researchers find both that anthropogenic activities are largely to blame for the observed precipitation changes, and that the Interpacific Oscillation, a recurrent natural atmospheric phenomenon, is a reliable predictor of fluctuations in temperature patterns over the Tibetan Plateau. The results provide evidence that the negative impact which China is facing due alternately to extreme precipitation and drought are attributable to human emissions of greenhouse gases. They also provide a means of predicting these extremes, allowing the population time to prepare for potentially disruptive climate events.