@article{187391,
  author = {Cao L.G. Deng X.J. Jia P.H. Zhang W. Xu X. Zhang K.X. Zhao Y.F. Yan B.J. Hu W. Chen Y.Y. Wang L.Z.},
  title = {Changes in aridity index and reference evapotranspiration over the central and eastern Tibetan Plateau in China during 1960{\textendash}2012},
  abstract = { Based on climate data from 68 meteorological stations over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) observed by the China Meteorological Administration in 1960{\textendash}2012, temporal and spatial variations in aridity index (AI) and reference evapotranspiration (ET0) were comprehensively investigated. The abrupt change and the period in AI and ET0were characterized using a comprehensive time series analysis conducted with Mann{\textendash}Kendall test and Morlet wavelet. The results indicated that the regionally averaged value of AI significantly decreased by 0.04/decade during 1960{\textendash}2012 period, with the maximum observed in 1972. Similarly, the regional trend for ET0was at the rate of~-9.6~mm/decade with statistically significant at the 0.01 level. Most of these stations with positive value for AI were primarily distributed at the northern southwestern TP. Moreover, a majority of stations with low values of ET0were substantially distributed at the central and eastern TP, and amounts of the stations with high values of ET0~were mainly located at a lower elevation. Abrupt changes of both AI and ET0~primarily happened in 1980s. The major cycles of AI and ET0~were 15~y and 17~y scale over the study period with apparent periodic oscillation characteristics, respectively, and together with other different scale cycles co-existing. The significant correlations between AI and East Asian Summer Monsoon Index (EASMI) indicated that AI over the TP was related to the EASMI. },
  year = {2014},
  journal = {Quaternary International },
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.07.030},
  language = {eng},
}