青藏高原雨季的客观监测方法及其近60年的变化趋势

本文通过对青藏高原降水季节演变特征的分析,选取日降水量和降水频率两个特征量来定义青藏高原各站点及全区的雨季,揭示了1961—2019年青藏高原雨季开始时间、结束时间、雨季长度和总雨量等的气候和变化特征.分析发现,青藏高原雨季的开始自东向西推进,而结束西早东晚,雨季持续时间自东向西缩短,雨季雨量东多西少.就青藏高原整体而言,雨季开始的平均日期在5月4日,结束的平均日期在10月15日,雨季平均持续163天,雨季雨量平均为413.2 mm.近60年,青藏高原雨季发生了显著变化,表现为开始时间提前、结束时间推迟、雨季延长、雨量增多.青藏高原各站点雨季的变化具有一定的区域性差异,主要表现为：高原雨季的开始整体提前,但是,高原东部边缘雨季开始提前的变化幅度相对较小;高原雨季的结束时间在南部和北部提前而在中部和东部推后;高原大部地区雨季雨量增多,但南部边缘等部分地区雨季雨量有所减少.     

21世纪初青藏高原感热年代际增强对中国东部季风雨带关键区夏季降水年代际转折的影响

基于中国气象局提供的气象站点月值资料,NOAA、CMAP降水格点月值资料,NDVI卫星资料及再分析资料,利用统计方法分析了1961-2014年青藏高原感热与中国东部季风雨带关键区夏季降水的年代际变化,并根据热动力平衡方程结合CESM模式试验解释了21世纪初高原感热异常对关键区夏季降水的影响机理.结果表明:21世纪初,黄淮、江淮地区降水增加,而长江以南地区降水减少.同时,高原感热也发生年代际增强,当春季感热增强后,大气热能上传导致夏季高原近地面产生气旋性环流异常,大气辐合;高层产生反气旋性环流异常,大气辐散.黄淮、江淮地区在对流层中低层受异常偏南风控制,高层受高原上空的大尺度反气旋环流影响产生异常偏北风.此外,高原感热增强通过影响黄淮、江淮地区产生暖平流输送和非绝热加热正异常,该区域产生异常的上升运动,降水量增加.长江以南地区在对流层中低层存在一个异常的反气性环流,有来自海洋的冷平流输送,同时大气非绝热加热在该地区为负异常,产生异常的下沉运动,降水量减少.模式敏感性试验的结果证实了当高原感热发生年代际增强,黄淮、江淮地区水平温度平流及非绝热加热为正异常,而在华南地区为负异常,从而导致黄淮、江淮地区大气上升运动增强,降水增加;而华南地区下沉运动增强,降水减少.     

青藏高原冬春积雪对长江流域夏季降水的影响

本文根据青藏高原主体72个气象站日测资料建立的积雪序列分析了高原积雪对长江流域夏季降水的影响,高原冬春积雪异常与长江流域汛期特别是6、7月降水呈显著的正相关关系.青藏高原冬春多雪年,随后夏季多出现Ⅱ、Ⅲ类雨型,长江中游和下游鄱阳湖地区多偏涝;青藏高原冬春少雪年,随后夏季多出现Ⅰ、Ⅱ类雨型,长江下游鄱阳湖地区多偏旱,长江中游多正常偏旱.多(少)雪年东亚洲大陆上空的气温明显偏低(高),而大陆南部海洋上空的气温明显偏高(低),降低(增加)了陆海温差,延迟(促进)了东亚夏季风的到来,一定程度上减弱(加强)东亚季风的强度.多(少)雪随后夏季,由于南亚夏季风和东亚夏季风都明显减弱(增强),对流层中低层从孟加拉湾吹向中南半岛的西南风减弱(增强),我国大陆东部的南风也明显减弱(增强),西太副高偏南(北);青藏高原东南侧到中南半岛北部的上升运动较弱(强),长江中下游及其以东洋面上升运动较强(弱),长江中下游地区多(少)雨.     

青藏高原植被变化与地表热源及中国降水关系的初步分析

利用设在青藏高原的5个自动气象站（AWS）近地层梯度观测资料、归一化植被指数（GIMMS NDVI）和中国624个台站月降水资料,初步分析了青藏高原植被变化与地表热源及中国降水的关系．结果表明：青藏高原植被与地表热源之间存在明显的正相关关系．高原西部感热与NDVI的正相关关系较高原东部显著,而高原东部地表潜热与NDVI的正相关关系则好于高原西部．植被改善后,各季节地表热源以增加为主,尤其夏季,热源增量最大;冬、春季感热对地表热源增量贡献较大,潜热贡献相对较小;夏、秋季感热与潜热对地表热源增量贡献同等重要．青藏高原植被与中国夏季降水相关系数从南到北,呈“＋-＋”带状分布．植被变化引起的高原地表加热异常可能是影响中国夏季降水的重要因子之一．     

孟加拉湾热带风暴对青藏高原降水和土壤湿度的影响

利用JTWC提供的1981~2011年孟加拉湾热带风暴最佳路径资料,研究春季、初夏(AMJ)及秋冬季节(SOND)孟加拉湾风暴对青藏高原降水及土壤湿度的影响特征.研究表明:每年平均约1.35个孟加拉湾风暴能够影响青藏高原,5和10月是孟加拉湾风暴影响青藏高原的两个主要时期,且在AMJ生成的风暴比SOND影响范围更大,影响的纬度更偏北;孟加拉湾风暴引起的降水最大可超过当地当月降水量的50%,同时也能够占到整个季节的20%.资料分析还表明春季风暴降水引起的青藏高原表层土壤湿度异常大概能维持20~25 d,秋冬季节孟加拉湾风暴引起的高原积雪也仅能维持20 d左右便基本消融殆尽.数值试验表明青藏高原表层土壤湿度异常仅持续20 d左右,次表层异常则大概可以持续2个月,而更深层次土壤湿度异常则可维持数个月甚至更久.最后,统计关系还表明前期风暴引起的高原积雪及土壤湿度异常并不足以影响到东亚夏季降水,其与中国东部夏季降水异常无直接联系.近30年来孟加拉湾风暴强度增强,使得20世纪90年代中期以后孟加拉湾风暴对青藏高原春季降水的影响有所增强.     

青藏高原东部玉树降水中稳定同位素季节变化与水汽输送

青藏高原东部玉树降水中稳定同位素的季节变化特征与青藏高原南部的西南季风区和北部的内陆地区有显著不同, 降水中δ¹⁸O波动幅度大季节变化特征不明显. 降水中稳定同位素变化的差异反映了水汽来源变化的差异. 通过降水中稳定同位素的空间对比以及结合NCAR/NCEP再分析数据研究了形成该地区降水的水汽来源变化与降水中稳定同位素之间的关系. 研究发现青藏高原东部降水的水汽来源受夏季西南季风直接带来的水汽以及北部内陆与局地蒸发水汽的共同影响; 水汽来源以西南季风为主, 但西南季风的输送强度较青藏高原南部地区偏弱, 而北方的大陆水汽输送与局地水汽增强. 其结果导致夏季玉树降水中δ¹⁸O波动幅度增加, 而季节变化特征减弱.     

基于TRMM/TMI的亚洲夏季降水研究

利用热带测雨卫星(TRMM)微波成像仪(TMI)的长期观测资料, 对亚洲夏季降水的水平分布特征进行了统计分析, 指出了孟加拉湾北部沿岸, 中国南海南部, 赤道西太平洋暖池三个稳定的强降水中心. 并借助全球降水气候计划(GPCP)地表降水资料, 对亚洲范围内洋面, 陆面及6个典型区域的TMI降水准确性进行了评估, 结果表明利用TMI和GPCP资料对亚洲夏季降水的强弱降水中心及雨带位置的指示基本一致, TMI对陆面降水仍存在普遍的低估, 最大相对偏差在25%左右. 差异水平分布显示出极强的地域性特征, 出现最大差异(>3 mm/d)的区域位于陆地上青藏高原周边(正偏差), 及孟加拉湾北部地区(负偏差). 对产生偏差原因的分析表明, TMI陆面算法强烈依赖于降水云系统上层冰粒子含量的特性是构成其系统性偏低和局部地区对降水高估的主要因素, 而进一步的分析也显示GPCP雨量计极不均匀的分布对差异的产生也有所贡献, 尤其是在雨量计稀少的高原周边地区.     

东亚热带与副热带季风区对流降水和层云降水季节变化特征对比分析研究

利用10年TRMM卫星2A25资料,对东亚热带和副热带季风区对流降水和层云降水的季节变化特征进行了对比分析,研究了热带和副热带季风区降水性质的差异,并结合IPCC第4次报告中24个模式的20c3m模拟资料,对现有模式在东亚热带和副热带季风区关于对流降水及层云降水的模拟能力做了一个简单的评估,分析了模式中可能存在的问题.结果表明：夏季风爆发后,东亚热带与副热带季风区对流降水和层云降水都明显增加,但热带季风区对流降水所占比重明显减少,而副热带季风区对流降水所占比重明显增加,热带和副热带季风区存在明显不同;现有模式对东亚季风区对流降水百分比的模拟普遍偏高,而对层云降水的模拟偏少,这在热带季风区尤其明显;模式较好地模拟出了副热带季风区中对流降水百分比的季节变化特征,而对热带季风区对流降水百分比的季节变化没有正确描述;研究结果表明对流降水和层云降水在时间和空间上经常同时出现,具有很强的伴随性,而模式没有正确描述这种相关性,这可能是模式对层云降水百分比模拟不好的一个重要原因.     

1990s长江流域降水趋势分析

依据国家气象局提供的实测月降水和日降水资料,运用Mann-Kendall(M-K)非参数检验法验证了降水趋势,并通过空间插补法,由点扩展到面,分析了1990s长江流域降水变化特征,发现1990s长江流域降水变化以降水在时间和空间分布上的集中度的增加为主要特点:时间上,年降水的增加趋势以冬季1月和夏季6月降水的集中增加为主;一日降水量大于等于50mm的暴雨日数和暴雨量在1990s也有了较明显的增加.空间上,年降水、夏季降水、冬季降水的增加都以中下游区的增加为主,尤其以鄱阳湖水系、洞庭湖水系的降水增加为主.1990s长江流域春季和秋季降水的减少以5月和9月两个汛期月份的降水减少为主,除金沙江水系和洞庭湖水系等少数地区外,流域大部分地区降水呈减少趋势.上述1990s出现的降水趋势明显与近年来全球变暖背景下长江流域各地区不同的温度及水循环变异有关.     

全球海温对太阳射电通量异常的响应及其对降水的影响

太阳活动对全球气候的影响一直是人们关心的热门话题,尤其是太阳活动对海温和降水的影响吸引更多学者的目光.本文通过研究全球0～700m海温对太阳射电通量(Solar Radio Flux,缩写为SRF)的响应,发现全球海温对太阳活动响应具有空间分布不均匀性特征,显著响应的地区集中在太平洋和南大西洋,显著响应的层次主要在0～200m.利用响应太阳活动显著区域的海温资料,定义一个响应太阳活动的海温异常指数,研究该指数与同期和滞后1年全球冬夏季降水的相关分布,发现指数高时夏季热带中太平洋降水增多,南北半球中高纬地区降水增加,呈带状分布,南极地区降水显著减少;我国江南东部地区、青藏高原和山东半岛降水减少.冬季热带中部太平洋和东南太平洋地区降水增多,赤道西太平洋降水明显偏少,北极地区降水显著偏多,热带西太平洋和孟加拉湾降水减少,南北两个半球中高纬度地区降水增多;我国华南地区广西和广东西部、海南一带降水增多,东北地区降水减少,青藏高原地区降水显著增加.当海温异常指数低时,情况相反.研究结果表明,海温异常通过影响降水放大了太阳活动的作用.由此推测,在考虑夏季降水的预测问题时,由太阳活动引起的太平洋和大西洋海温异常对降水的影响应该引起重视.     

Precipitation and temperature trends for the Southwest China: 1960–2007

Daily temperature and precipitation data from 136 stations of Southwest China (SWC) during the last five decades, from 1960 to 2007, were analysed to determine the spatial and temporal trends by using the Mann–Kendall trend test. Results show that SWC has become warmer over the last five decades, especially in the recent 20–25 years. The increasing trends in winter months are more significant than those in the months of other seasons, and spatially Tibet, Hengduan mountains area and west Sichuan Plateau have larger temperature trend in magnitude than the other regions have. A downward trend was detected in Sichuan Basin also, but the region with cooler temperature was shrinking due to the statistically significant increasing trend of temperature after 1990s. Both annual and seasonal means of daily maximum and minimum temperatures show an increasing trend, but trend magnitude of minimum temperature was larger than that of maximum temperature, resulting in the decrease of diurnal temperature range for SWC in the last 50 years. Annual precipitation showed slightly and statistically insignificant increasing trend, but statistically significant increasing trend has been detected in winter season while autumn witnessed a statistically significant decreasing trend. The results could be a reference for the planning and management of water resources under climate change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青藏高原东缘及四川盆地的壳幔导电性结构研究

自从2008年M_S8.0级汶川大地震发生以来,青藏高原东缘便成为地质与地球物理研究的热点区域.该区域的龙门山断裂带标志着青藏高原东缘与四川盆地的边界.汶川地震即发生于龙门山断裂带内的映秀-北川断裂上.该地区现有的研究工作多集中于青藏高原东缘及四川盆地的西部,对四川盆地东部构造情况的研究目前较少.在SinoProbe项目的资助下,完成了一条跨越青藏高原东缘及整个四川盆地的大地电磁测深剖面.该剖面自西北始于青藏高原内部的松潘-甘孜地块,向东南延伸穿过龙门山断裂带、四川盆地内部及四川盆地东部的华蓥山断裂,最终止于重庆东南的川东滑脱褶皱带附近.维性分析表明剖面数据整体二维性较好,通过二维反演得到了最终的电性结构模型.该模型表明,从电性结构上看,沿剖面可分为三个主要的电性结构单元,分别为:浅部高阻、中下地壳低阻的松潘-甘孜地块,浅部低阻、中下地壳相对高阻的四川盆地,以及华蓥山以东整体为高阻特征的扬子克拉通地块.龙门山断裂带在电性结构上表现为倾角较缓、北西倾向的逆冲低阻体,反映了青藏高原东缘相对四川盆地的推覆作用.其在地下向青藏高原内部延伸,深度约为20 km左右.在标志逆冲推覆滑脱面的低阻层下存在一电性梯度带,表征着低阻的青藏高原中下地壳与高阻的扬子地壳之间的电性转换.位于四川盆地东边界的华蓥山断裂在电性结构上表现为一倾向为南东向的低阻体插入高阻的扬子克拉通结晶基底,切割深度约为30 km左右.这一结构反映出华蓥山向西的推覆作用.在电性结构模型的基础上,进一步讨论了青藏高原东缘的壳内物质流、青藏块体与扬子块体的深部关系以及青藏高原东部的隆升机制等构造问题.     

大气季节内振荡的活动与江淮流域夏季旱涝

观测资料的分析极为清楚地表明,江淮流域的夏季降水有着极为明显的低频变化,周期为30-60d和近20d的振荡是其最基本的特征,尤其是在多雨的年份.对应江淮夏季多雨(涝)年和少雨(旱)年,大气环流的分析表明其大气季节内振荡(IS0)的形势有着显著的差异.例如在多雨(少雨)年,在长江以南的850hPa上为一个低频(IS0)反气旋(气旋)性环流控制,而中国北部和日本一带为气旋(反气旋)性环流,从而在江淮流域形成较强的低频辐合(辐散)气流;在200hPa的青藏高原上却为一个低频气旋(反气旋)性环流所控制.分析还表明,对应多雨年,在江淮流域有明显的由中高讳度向南传播和由低玮度向北传播的大气低频振荡的汇合情况;而对应于少雨年,由中高纬度向南传播的低频系统较不明显,在江淮流域低频系统的汇合也较为不清楚.     

Heating status of the Tibetan Plateau from April to June and rainfall and atmospheric circulation anomaly over East Asia in midsummer

Based on the 1958-1999 monthly averaged reanalysis data of the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the rainfall data of 160 Chinese surface stations, the relationship between rainfall and the atmospheric circulation anomaly over East Asia (EA) in July and the sensible heating (SH) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) from April to June (AMJ) is investigated by using the rotational experimental orthogonal function (REOF) method. The results show that the TP is an isolated heating source in this period. The lagged correlation analysis between the first rotational principal component (RPC) of SH over the TP in May and rainfall of EA in July demonstrates that strong SH over the TP before July leads to a positive rainfall anomaly over the TP, the valley between the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, and the regions south and southeast of the TP, and the Sichuan Basin and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, but less rainfall anomaly over the regions north, northeas     

青藏高原东南缘远震P波层析成像研究

利用中国地震科学探测台阵、小江流动台阵、固定台站等共516个地震台站记录资料,通过波形相关方法获取了111718个远震P波到时数据,运用层析成像技术研究获得了青藏高原东南缘深达650km的上地幔三维P波速度结构。结果表明,四川盆地岩石圈具有克拉通地区的高速结构特征;青藏高原东部地区表现为活动地块常见的低速异常;四川盆地西南部下方岩石圈可能受到青藏高原软流圈物质的侵蚀。在四川盆地南部及以南地区,由北向南从浅到深连续分布的高速异常体,可能是岩石圈底部拆沉造成的。岩石圈拆沉作用可能导致上地幔热物质上涌,地壳介质在热作用下力学强度降低,受青藏高原地壳物质侧向挤出作用,导致该地区陡峭的地形地貌和较强的地震活动性。攀枝花附近存在明显的高速异常,可能与三叠纪地幔柱成因的岩浆上升过程中镁铁质和超镁铁质岩浆侵入岩石圈有关。      

地壳流变结构控制作用下的龙门山断裂带地震发生机理

青藏高原东缘低地形变速率的龙门山断裂带上相继发生了2008汶川M_w7.9级地震和2013芦山M_w6.6级地震.地震勘探与震源定位结果揭示了龙门山区域地震空间分布特征：纵向上,龙门山断裂带这两次地震主震均发生在龙门山断裂带上地壳的底部（14~19 km）,绝大部分余震均发生在上地壳范围（5~25 km）,而在其中、下地壳深度范围内鲜见余震发生;横向上,地震（M_w>3）在龙门山断裂带青藏高原一侧密集分布且曾有大震发生,而四川盆地地震稀少（M_w>3）.为探讨龙门山断裂带地震发生机理,并解释以上龙门山区域地震空间分布特征,本文建立了龙门山断裂带西南段跨芦山地震震中区域的四种不同流变结构的龙门山断裂带三维岩石圈模型,以地表GPS观测资料为约束边界条件,数值模拟龙门山断裂带岩石圈在数千年以上长期匀速构造挤压作用下的应力积累特征,探讨了地壳分层流变性质对地壳应力积累的影响,分析了该区域地震空间分布与构造应力积累速率的关系.计算结果表明：该区域在数千年的应力积累过程中,脆性上地壳中应力表现近于恒定值的线性增长趋势,龙门山断裂带上地壳底部出现应力集中积累现象,这一应力集中现象可以解释龙门山断裂带汶川地震与芦山地震主震的发生,及其大部分余震在脆性上地壳中的触发;青藏高原一侧上地壳应力积累速率远远高于四川盆地的应力积累速率,这一应力积累分布现象可以解释龙门山区域青藏高原一侧地震密集而四川盆地地震稀少的地震空间分布特征;通过比较不同流变结构模型中的应力积累状态,认为导致这一应力积累空间分布状态的重要控制因素在于青藏高原中、下地壳较低的黏滞系数与四川盆地中、下地壳较高的黏滞系数的差异.在柔性的中、下地壳内,应力增长近于指数形式,稳定状态之后其应力增长速率近于零,构造应力积累难以达到岩石破裂强度,因而鲜见地震发生.地壳各层位的应力增长率差异与地震成层分布的现象共同揭示了龙门山区域岩石圈分层流变结构：脆性上地壳、韧性中、下地壳（青藏高原一侧较弱,四川盆地一侧较强）、韧性岩石圈上地幔.     

Geophysical evidence for thrusting of crustal materials from orogenic belts over both sides of the Yangtze Block and its geological significance

Based on deep geophysical detections, we have reconstructed the crustal structure from the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau to the Jiangnan-Xuefeng orogenic belt. The results suggest that the Yangtze Block was overthrusted by crustal materials in its NW direction from the eastern Tibetan Plateau but in its SE direction from the Jiangnan orogen. These overthrusting effects control the crustal structure from the western Sichuan to the western area of the Jiangnan orogen-Xuefeng orogenic belt. The eastward extruded materials from the eastern Tibetan Plateau were blocked by the rigid basement in the Sichuan Basin, where upper-middle crust was overthrusted whereas the lower crust was underthrusted beneath the Sichuan Basin. The underthrusted unit was absorbed by crustal folding, shortening and thickening in the Yangtze Block, forming the Xiongpo and Longquan Mountains tectonic belts and resulting in the NW-directed thrusting of the Pujiang-Chengdu-Deyang fault, and the western hillsiden fault in the Longquan Mountain. These results provide resolution to the controversy where the eastward extrusion material from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had gone. Overall, that Yangtze Block was subjected to thrusting of the crustal materials from the orogenic belts over its both sides. This finding has implications for the study of the intracontinental orogenic mechanism in South China, the reconstruction of tectonic evolutionary history and the kinematics processes during the lateral extrusion of the Tibet Plateau.     

Decadal trend of climate in the Tibetan Plateau—regional temperature and precipitation

The Tibetan Plateau has one of the most complex climates in the world. Analysis of the climate in this region is important for understanding the climate change worldwide. In this study, climate patterns and trends in the Tibetan Plateau were analysed for the period from 1961 to 2001. Air temperature and precipitation were analysed on monthly and annual time scales using data collected from the National Meteorological Centre, China Meteorological Administration. Nonlinear slopes were estimated and analysed to investigate the spatial and temporal trends of air temperature and precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau using a Mann–Kendall method. Spatial analysis of air temperature and precipitation variability across the Tibetan Plateau was undertaken. While most trends are local in nature, there are general basinwide patterns. Temperature during the last several decades showed a long‐term warmer trend, especially the areas around Dingri and Zogong stations, which formed two increasing centres. Only one of the stations investigated exhibited decreasing trend, and this was not significant. Precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau has increased in most regions of the study area over the past several decades, especially in the eastern and central part, while the western Tibetan Region exhibited a decreased trend over the same period. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison analysis of the summer monsoon precipitation between northern and southern slopes of Tanggula Mountains,Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau: a case study in summer 1998

Based on the precipitation data obtained through GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment–Tibet fieldwork from May to September 1998, this study investigated the features of the summer monsoon precipitation on the northern and southern slopes of the huge Tanggula Mountains in the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau. The results show that the precipitation on the southern slope is about 50% higher than on the northern slope, whereas the frequency and diurnal pattern of the precipitation are very similar. The mean precipitation intensity on the southern slope is larger than on the northern slope. In most cases, the daily precipitation showed similar variation on both slopes, demonstrating that the precipitation processes might be similar. In the summer monsoon period, the local convective precipitation contributed to the total precipitation on both slopes and such a contribution on the southern slope is larger. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitivity of the central Asian climate to uplift of the Tibetan Plateau in the coupled climate model (MRI-CGCM1)

Abstract   The relationship between the altitude of the Tibetan Plateau and climate change in central Asia was investigated through a numeric experiment using the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model I (MRI-CGCM1). The results suggest that summer precipitation in central Asia decreased significantly as the Tibetan Plateau rose in height. Spring precipitation, however, increased during initial growth stages when the plateau height was up to 40% of its present-day height, and then decreased with further plateau growth. During the Tibetan Plateau uplift, the difference between precipitation and evaporation was minimal during spring. When the plateau attained a height exceeding 60% of its present height, relatively low precipitation but high evaporation in spring led to a lower amount of ground moisture. In the case of the high plateau, sensible heat flux during summer and fall largely exceeded latent heat flux. Change was particularly significant for cases when the plateau reached 40–60% of its present-day height. The duration of the predominant sensible heat flux became longer with the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The period in which latent heat exceeded sensible heat seems to have been restricted to winter and early spring. The numeric experiments suggest that a significant drying of central Asia corresponded to the period in which the Tibetan Plateau exceeded approximately half its present-day height.