The Tibetan Plateau is a dynamic environment, with geological, surface and climatic processes interacting across timescales. This Focus issue highlights the complex evolution of the region, from its geological origins to projected changes under anthropogenic forcing.
The Tibetan Plateau has witnessed mountain building on timescales of tens of millions of years, through to rapid contemporary climatic and ecological changes over seasonal to decadal timescales. These changes and their resulting impacts are discussed in this Focus issue, and summarised in the figure. Anthropogenic forcings are pushing a delicately balanced system beyond repair, with wide-reaching societal implications. Echoed throughout this issue is the need for co-operation and collaboration to understand and protect the Tibetan Plateau.
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A changing Tibetan Plateau. Nat Rev Earth Environ 3, 607 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00358-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00358-w