Lake ice phenology of Nam Co, Central Tibetan Plateau, China, derived from multiple MODIS data products

Lake ice phenology, including freeze-up and break-up dates, is a sensitive indicator of climate change. However, uniformly created lake ice phenology records are still required on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) for a more accurate analysis of climate change. In this study, we present a new automated method to extend the interpretation of existing in-situ lake ice records, using multiple MODIS data products. Our results showed strong agreement with the in-situ data at Nam Co (Co means lake in Tibetan language) on the central TP. The multiple MODIS based method is therefore well-suited to the detection of lake ice phenology. The result showed that in 2000-2015, the mean lake ice duration (ID) in the middle of Nam Co was ~ 87 d; the freeze-up start (FUS) date delayed 0.58 d/yr and the break-up start (BUS) date delayed 0.09 d/yr, giving a total decrease in ID at the rate of 0.49 d/yr. We suggest the delayed freeze-up dates became more marked in response to climate warming. Changes in lake ice coverage in Nam Co are affected by a number of local and regional climatic factors, such as air temperature and wind speed.