Yang et al. (2026) Precipitation changes dominate the reduced interannual variability of runoff across the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-21
• Authors: Z L Yang, Xiaomang Liu, Kaiwen Wang, C q. Liu
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135906

Research Groups

• Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Short Summary

This study examines the interannual variability of runoff in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin from 1982 to 2020, attributing changes to individual components: rainfall runoff (Qrain), snowmelt runoff (Qsnow), and glacier runoff (Qglacier). The results show that annual runoff magnitude has increased across all four rivers, primarily driven by increasing Qrain.

Objective

• Investigate the evolution of interannual runoff variability in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin and its causal physical processes

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin, a typical cryosphere-influenced basin located in the Third Pole region.
• Temporal Scale: The study period spans from 1982 to 2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: A conceptual hydrological model was integrated with a novel decomposition framework to attribute runoff dynamics to individual components: Qrain, Qsnow, and Qglacier.
• Data sources: Satellite data, observation data, and reanalysis data were used to support the study.

Main Results

• Annual runoff magnitude has increased across all four rivers (Yarlung Tsangpo River, Lhasa River, Nyang River, and Nianchu River), primarily driven by increasing Qrain.
• Interannual runoff variability generally decreases, as the reduced interannual variability of Qrain and Qglacier counteracts the enhanced interannual variability of Qsnow.
• The relative changes in the coefficient of variation (CV) of runoff are −11.5%, +9.9%, −13.5%, and −4.8% for the four rivers.

Contributions

• This study advances the understanding of hydrological dynamics in glacier- and snowmelt-influenced basins by attributing changes to individual components: Qrain, Qsnow, and Qglacier.
• The findings provide new insights into the evolution of interannual runoff variability and its causal physical processes in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42122002) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant No. XDA23000000).

Citation

@article{Yang2026Precipitation,
  author = {Yang, Z L and Liu, Xiaomang and Wang, Kaiwen and Liu, C q.},
  title = {Precipitation changes dominate the reduced interannual variability of runoff across the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135906},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135906}
}