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• The content of potentially toxic metal in KB and PB was low. • Terminal temperature remarkably affected the morphology of potentially toxic metals in biochar. • PB and KB were not hazardous waste with low environmental risk. • PB and KB can fix potentially toxic metal in Tibet soil admirably. This study investigated the morphology and potentially toxic metal concentrations of paper waste-based biochar (PB) and kitchen waste-based biochar (KB) obtained at 500 and 700 °C. The morphology and potentially toxic metals (Cr, Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ag, and Ba) concentrations in the biochars were determined by SEM and FT-IR analysis. The Cr, Mn, Cu, and Cd concentrations in PB were low, while the Ba content was relatively high at 0.1 mg∙kg−1. An increase in the terminal temperature led to an increase in the concentrations of Fe/Mn oxide-bound potentially toxic metals of PB, and a decrease in the concentrations of organic matter-bound potentially toxic metals. The Fe/Mn oxide-bound Cr, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations of KB decreased with an increase in the terminal temperature. Therefore, increasing the terminal temperature could reduce the bioavailability of potentially toxic metals in PB and KB. The environmental risk of the different biochars when used for soil remediation was assessed by the potential ecological risk index (RI), and a case study of a Tibetan soil was also conducted. The potentially toxic metal concentrations leached from both PB and KB were lower than the relevant standards. The findings showed that both PB and KB can be safely used for soil remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to update our understanding of the carbon cycle in the Himalayas, the most intense collisional orogeny globally, by providing new insight into its impact on Cenozoic climate cooling through the use of isotopic variations in both organic and inorganic carbon and an isotopic mass balance model. Our results from 20 selected hot springs show that the relative contributions of dissolved carbon from the mantle, metamorphic decarbonization, aqueous dissolution, and soil organic matter are approximately 2%, 82%, 6%, and 10%, respectively. Approximately 87% ± 5% of CO2 generated in the deep crust precipitates as calcite, while approximately 5.5% ± 1% of this carbon is converted to biomass through microbial chemosynthesis at depths less than 2 km. Our random forests approach yielded a metamorphic carbon flux from the entire Himalayan orogenic belt of approximately 2.7 ∼ 4.5 × 1012 mol/yr. The minor CO2 released into the atmosphere (2.5 ∼ 4.2 × 1011 mol/yr) is comparable to the carbon consumption driven by Himalayan weathering. This paper provides new insights into deep carbon cycling, notably that approximately 93% of deeply sourced carbon is trapped in the shallow crust, rendering orogenic processes carbon neutral and possibly acting as one of the major triggers of long‐term climate cooling in the Cenozoic. Plain Language Summary: Large‐scale deep metamorphic decarbonization and CO2 release into the atmosphere during continental collision orogenesis worldwide have had significant impacts on Cenozoic global climate change. However, the carbon sources and sinks and the mechanisms underlying their impacts on climate change are not fully understood. This paper reports the chemistry of aqueous solutions, carbon isotopic compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and helium and carbon isotopic compositions of free gases from hot springs in southern Tibet. The carbon isotope fractionation model between gas and aqueous solutions revealed that the carbon released from depth underwent six different stages. Based on the random forests machine learning algorithm, we estimated the metamorphic carbon flux across the Himalayan orogenic belt. Furthermore, only a small fraction (7%) of deep carbon is eventually released into the atmosphere, and this volume is the same magnitude as the amount of carbon absorbed by silicate weathering on the Tibetan Plateau. This paper emphasizes that the carbon sequestration process in the upper crust may have resulted in nearly carbon‐neutral geological bodies in the Himalayan orogenic belt, thus playing a critical role in Cenozoic climate cooling. Key Points: Approximately 87% of deeply sourced carbon precipitates as calcite, while approximately 5.5% is sequestered as biomass in the shallow crustThe carbon flux across the Himalayan orogenic belt was estimated by the random forests approachCrustal thickening has attenuated long‐term deep carbon emissions from the Himalayas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northwest Yunnan is nested in the border areas of Tibet, Myanmar, and Southwest China. The religiously and ethnically diverse region has astonishingly seen a lack of "conflict", as is often assumed in regions of ethnic and religious differences. This paper argues that there is an organic form of pluralism through frequent inter-ethnic and inter-religious marriages, multi-lingual daily interactions, and strategic ethnicity registrations. Ethnic and religious boundaries are made permanently or temporarily permeable through the celebration of boundary-crossing rituals such as weddings and funerals and other shared experiences such as collective labor and migrant work. Despite an increasingly strong push to be integrated into the state power through various top-down developmental projects, minority peoples here still use kinship, collective rituals, and other shared experiences to foster group formation that is fluid, porous, and malleable, instilling empathy and obligation as the basis of this pluralistic borderland society. This organic form of pluralism presents an alternative to the nation as the standard modern form of community. This paper ultimately argues that this specific type of plurality requires us to think beyond the normative liberal notions of religious tolerance and diversity that are still promoted within the frame of the exclusivist nation-state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing uncertainty of urban security, urban resilience construction with risk awareness and bottom-line thinking has become essential for promoting sustainable urban development. This paper measures China's urban resilience development index (CRDI) based on 284 cities in China (except Tibet) using the entropy method from four dimensions: economic, social, environmental, and infrastructure, and analyzes it by combining coupling coordination degree and barrier factor analysis. We find that: (1) At the national level, CRDI and its sub-dimensions show an increasing trend in time, a decreasing spatial layout from coastal to inland, and a "high-high-low-low" clustering feature in space. (2) At the regional level, the CRDI is from high to low in the east, middle, and west order. The sub-dimensions are from high to low in the order of east, middle, and west for economic, social, and infrastructure resilience and from high to low in the order of east, west, and middle for environmental resilience. (3) To coupling coordination degree, the CRDI index coupling coordination is increasing in time trend but is still on the verge of dissonance. (4) Social resilience is the main obstacle factor. In the indicator layer, human resources, innovation, education, security, living, and environmental protection are the areas where CRDI coordinated development is the key to improvement. Based on the above empirical evidence, this paper proposes countermeasures to optimize urban resilience construction from four perspectives: economic, social, environmental, and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precipitation estimation with high spatial and temporal resolution over Tibet is of great significance for monitoring the stability of the plateau ecosystem and early warning of natural disasters. In response to the problem of the unsatisfactory accuracy in traditional real-time precipitation inversion methods and quantitative accuracy estimation products in this region. This paper adopts deep-learning methods to explore the corresponding relationship between precipitation and multi-band observation data from geostationary satellite imagery. The U-High Resolution Network (U-HRNet) as backbone is fully exploited to generate multi-scale features and fused using attention gates to extract high-resolution spatial representations representing precipitation clouds, thereby achieving precipitation estimation of target clouds at different scales. In addition, in response to the characteristics of high precipitation intensity and drastic cloud cluster changes in summer convective weather within a short period of time, a multi-head attention mechanism is introduced to extract temporal information from time series inputs and fuse it with spatial features to improve the accuracy of real-time precipitation estimation. Compared with the operational precipitation products and baseline deep-learning models, the classification metrics such as Probability of detection (POD), False Alarm Ratio (FAR) and Critical success index (CSI) show that the proposed model (U-HRNet+) has better performance in test set and has high generalization ability for estimating short-term heavy rainfall over Tibet and its surrounding areas in summer. Therefore, the proposed model has the potential to serve as a more accurate and reliable satellite-based precipitation estimation product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report five new dinosaur track sites in Chaya County, about 120 km southeast of Changdu City. The track assemblages are dominated by sauropods (45 tracks), which have been identified tentatively as cf. Brontopodus. Also present are two thyreophoran trackways consisting of 13 tracks that show strong similarities with the ichnogenus Deltapodus, the potential trackmakers of which were probably stegosaurids. The sauropod tracks from the Chaya region are dominated by large tracks with different affinities if compared to those of the Changdu area. The isolated sauropod tracks from Changdu and Chaya regions show similar morphological patterns, but those from the Chaya region lack large scale tracks. This paper compares and discusses the known ichno and body fossil records of sauropods, theropods, and ornithischians from the Middle Jurassic of Yunnan, Sichuan, and eastern Tibet and their importance for our understanding of dinosaur faunas from this region. The absence of basal neornithischian records in the Yunnan and Changdu regions is likely a preservational bias but also an ecological pecularity cannot be completely excluded. The palaeogeographic position of the four sampled skeleton and track sites suggests the possible existence of a corridor through which faunal exchanges were taking place throughout the Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the exponential increase in the number of refugees and displaced people worldwide, it has become critical to examine the experiences of refugees; particularly their identity, since it is an important marker of their adjustment to the new context. Besides other factors impacting their identity and adjustment, the role of the leader is important as it can impact the construction of refugee identities. This paper explores the construction and negotiation of Tibetan refugee identities through the identity entrepreneurship of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and erstwhile political leader of the Tibetans. It is postulated that leaders are entrepreneurs of identity who shape identity construction and negotiation. With an emphasis on the social, political, and historical context, three kinds of sources are analysed using a discourse‐historical approach to understand how leaders function as entrepreneurs of identity across the various contexts and negotiate identity construction across the shifting contexts. First, 12 speeches by the Dalai Lama on 10 critical events in Tibetan history since 1959; second, six speeches by the Dalai Lama for Tibetan Uprising Day (1961–2009); and third, two international interviews (CNN, 2009; BBC, 2012). The analysis demonstrates that the identity entrepreneurship of the Dalai Lama has strong elements of protection towards the ingroup, that is, the Tibetan refugees, through the crafting of a collective sense of identity for Tibetans. The study sheds new light on the nature of refugee leadership, acknowledging the impact of the shifting nature of identity, from a native citizen to refugee; and the leader's identity entrepreneurship in these evolving and often malleable contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherent biases in numerical simulation models of global climate models (GCMs) reduce the scope for accurately assessing future droughts under multimodel ensemble. The aim of this research is to increase the efficiency of multimodel ensembles. Consequently, this paper introduces a two-way hybrid weighting scheme for ensembling multiple GCMs. The proposed weighting scheme enhances the coherence of the multimodel ensemble of climate model simulations with real observed data and minimizes the impact of non-identical seasonal behavior in climate simulations within the multimodel ensemble. In the application, we consider precipitation data from 18 GCMs of CMIP6 from the Tibet Plateau region. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, we compared the proposed ensemble data with simple model averaged (SMA) ensemble using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r), root mean squared error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). Furthermore, we assessed the future characteristics of various drought categories using the steady-state probabilities of a Markov Chain. Small values of errors metircs and high correlation indicate that the proposed hybrid weighting scheme exhibits better performance than the SMA. Under the proposed index, the long term probabilities of various drought classe show variations across different time scales of drought. These results provide perspectives on how the the long term probabilities of various drought categories evolve over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical origins of the Tibet issue in Sino-Indian relations remain understudied. Most diplomatic histories on this subject focus on the highest levels of government, glossing over the immense role of domestic actors in shaping the Tibet question in the India-China relationship. This paper aims to address this gap by studying the domestic response to Dalai Lama's flight to India. Specifically, it analyses the domestic and international advocacy of the noted freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan. The paper highlights how Narayan's advocacy was critical in building global and public opinion on the Tibet question, culminating in the passage of Resolution 1723 at the United Nations. It argues that understanding his actions on Tibet is critical because of its negative impact on the Indian government's policy of preventing the issue from gaining international recognition – a gesture aimed at steadying the declining relationship with China. By hindering the government's efforts at damage control, the paper demonstrates how Jayaprakash Narayan's advocacy was a key factor explaining why Sino-Indian ties precipitously declined over the Tibet issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the statistics of cloud cover at night from 2016 to 2018 above the Ali observatory has been summarized, using the meso-scale numerical model and the cameras (Canon and AllSky-340 Camera). Above the western Tibetan Plateau, in the area of 200 km × 200 km centred at the Ali site, the average cloud cover during night was basically less than 30 per cent in 2016, and the Ali site was located in the zone with small value around 20 per cent; large cloud cover always occurred in summer, with mean value above 50 per cent in most parts of this area; while in winter, the smallest cloud cover was basically below 10 per cent; in other seasons, the cloud cover was mostly less than 30 per cent, and the Ali site located in the zone with cloud cover below 10 per cent in autumn and below 20 per cent in spring. At each monitored field of view from 90° to 45°, the cloud cover varied little; the proportion of clear nights with cloud cover below 10 per cent was close to 60 per cent of total observable nights per year, and the less cloudy nights with cloud cover below 40 per cent accounted for more than 70 per cent, besides, the observable nights with cloud cover below 70 per cent was around 80 per cent every year. Generally, the cloud cover condition at the Ali observatory above the western plateau is excellent, there are always abundant observable nights, while a bit worse just in July and August. Meanwhile, the numerical model has been proved to be a reliable tool to estimate cloud cover conditions above the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During comprehensive regional prospecting evaluation and delineation of a prospecting target area, various types of data, including geological, geophysical, geochemical, and remote sensing, are usually integrated and visualized in a unified spatial environment, making it convenient for researchers to identify mineralization. To maximize the precision of spatial boundaries, the maps traditionally used in prospecting are predominantly in vector formats. However, with the rapid development of modern real-time 3D graphics and computer cartography technology, raster maps can now provide richer detail representation compared to traditional vector maps while still meeting the precision requirements. In this paper, we present a new GPU-based 3D visualization method for spatial data, specifically, two types of bitmap-based maps called dynamic geochemical maps (DGMs) and interactive geological maps (IGMs). A novel software system implementing this method was developed and has been applied in the exploration of the Zhunuo ore district, Tibet, showing large advantages over traditional vector maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the harmonic characteristics of electric locomotives connected to a photovoltaic (PV) power grid based on the actual parameters of a region in Tibet, this paper establishes a simulation model of an electric power grid, including PV and electric locomotive. First, theoretical analysis is conducted to study the harmonic characteristics of electric locomotives and PV power stations. On this basis, we built the MATLAB model to analyze the influence of dynamic working conditions on the locomotive and PV sides on the harmonic characteristics of the power grid. Through the first, second, and third working conditions, a simulation analysis is performed to examine the harmonic characteristics of an electric locomotive when connected to the grid, which includes a PV power source. The results show that the grid side current, including PV and electric locomotive, has a three-phase equilibrium phenomenon, and at the same time, the grid side current harmonic characteristics, including PV and electric locomotive, are mainly reflected in the 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 frequency odd harmonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan Buddhism has an inseparable connection with the spatial characteristics, development process, and human-natural environment of the Tibetan Plateau. This paper takes monasteries as carriers of Tibetan Buddhist culture in U-Tsang region which is one of the traditional geographical units of Tibet. Using geospatial analysis methods, this study explores the spatial quantification characteristics of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and qualitatively and quantitatively analyzes the factors that influence the spatial distribution of monasteries. The results indicate that: (1) Political activities of human society influence the pattern of political power. Under the unique context of Tibetan theocracy system, the scope of political authority has a significant influence and affects the religious spatial pattern in the U-Tsang region throughout history. The distribution of monasteries in the U-Tsang region shows significant spatial differences at three sub-regional scales. (2) The religious spatial pattern in the U-Tsang is the result of the diverse interaction of human-natural factors. The results indirectly endorse that religious space is an inevitable product of the interaction between humans and the environment. (3) The religious spatial distribution patterns in the three major Tibetan regions have distinct characteristics, closely related to the superior conditions of their respective historical and geographical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoshonitic rocks are widely distributed in post-collisional settings and provide key information on deep geodynamic mechanisms and magmatic evolution. In this paper, we present petrographic, zircon U-Pb age-related, trace elemental, Hf isotopic, bulk-rock elemental, and Sr-Nd isotopic data of the Dalongtan shoshonitic syenite porphyries (DSSPs) in central Yunnan, southeastern Tibet. The DSSPs formed at 33.2 ± 0.3 Ma in a post-collisional setting. They define linear trends on Harker diagrams, and they display similar trace element patterns and enriched bulk-rock Sr-Nd isotopes [(87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.70964–0.70968, εNd(t) = −12.9 to −12.7] and zircon Hf isotopes (εHf(t) = −15.7 to −13.1) to the coeval mantle-derived potassic mafic rocks. This suggests that the DSSPs were fractionated from the lithospheric mantle-derived mafic magmas. The DSSPs, along with the coeval felsic and mafic magmatic rocks (37.2–32.3 Ma), exhibit a planar distribution on the SE Tibet and predate the left-lateral shearing of the Ailaoshan–Red River shear zone (ARSZ) (32–22 Ma), suggesting that there are no genetic relationships between them. The DSSPs have geochemical characteristics similar to those of A-type granites, with high total alkalinity (10.39–11.17 wt.%), HFSE concentrations (Zr + Nb + Ce + Y = 890.2–1054.3 ppm), Ga/Al ratios (10,000 × Ga/Al = 2.95–3.46), whole-rock zircon saturation temperatures (906–947 °C), and oxygen fugacity (ΔFMQ = +3.30–+4.65), indicating that they are products of the high-temperature melting of the lithosphere as a result of asthenosphere upwelling in extensional settings. Based on our data and regional observations, it is proposed that the generation of the DSSPs may be linked to the convective thinning of the thickened lithospheric mantle following the India–Asia collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed study of the ancient caravan routes connecting Mongolia and Tibet has yet to be established. This paper describes the results of initial investigations on the identification of caravan traces through Mongolia from historical sources, fieldwork, and remote sensing reconnaissance. Recreating the Roerich Central Asian Expedition of 1927, we identify several artifacts and locations that support our belief that these routes contributed to the movement and exchange of people, ideas, and commerce across the desert landscapes of Inner Asia and helped shape cultural and religious identities that still exist to this day. Moreover, we argue the Mongolia to Tibet caravan routes were part of the greater network of ancient Silk Roads and should be considered as such: an important, intangible cultural heritage worthy of further exploration, preservation, and scholarly study. • Mongolia-Tibet caravan routes were pivotal in shaping Inner Asian identities but are often overlooked in Silk Roads research. • Evidence of these routes include tracks, cairns, temples, and forts, signifying their role as well-traveled trade paths. • These routes were part of the broader Silk Roads network and merit attention for their intangible cultural heritage value. • Inclusive Silk Roads heritage acknowledges diverse cultural contributions and fosters understanding and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports lithium concentrations and isotopic compositions of olivines in the oceanized subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) peridotites of the Tibetan Yunzhug ophiolite. The results show systematic Li isotope changes with distance from the rim of olivine grains. δ7Li values of olivine in dunites decrease from + 10.46 to + 1.33‰ with increasing distance to olivine rim from 26.15 to 124.71 μm. A negative correlation of δ7Li and Li content in olivine from dunite and harzburgite indicates recent diffusive ingress of Li into the peridotites. The extremely heavy Li isotopic composition requires the seawater or seawater alteration endmember in the mixing model, and reveals Li diffusion from seawater into olivine. As in dunites, olivines in a harzburgite sample show similar variations in δ7Li as a function of distance from the grain rim (e.g., 6.01 to 1.73 in sample 14YZ13). We suggest that the behavior of Li in the oceanized SCLM peridotites may be controlled by Li diffusion from seawater, as Li activity in the liquid state is higher than the solid state in transporting Li through the olivines in the peridotites. This study supports that seawater Li diffusion is one of the important factors for the heterogeneity of mantle Li isotopes in ophiolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports lithium concentrations and isotopic compositions of olivines in the oceanized subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) peridotites of the Tibetan Yunzhug ophiolite. The results show systematic Li isotope changes with distance from the rim of olivine grains. δ7Li values of olivine in dunites decrease from + 10.46 to + 1.33‰ with increasing distance to olivine rim from 26.15 to 124.71 μm. A negative correlation of δ7Li and Li content in olivine from dunite and harzburgite indicates recent diffusive ingress of Li into the peridotites. The extremely heavy Li isotopic composition requires the seawater or seawater alteration endmember in the mixing model, and reveals Li diffusion from seawater into olivine. As in dunites, olivines in a harzburgite sample show similar variations in δ7Li as a function of distance from the grain rim (e.g., 6.01 to 1.73 in sample 14YZ13). We suggest that the behavior of Li in the oceanized SCLM peridotites may be controlled by Li diffusion from seawater, as Li activity in the liquid state is higher than the solid state in transporting Li through the olivines in the peridotites. This study supports that seawater Li diffusion is one of the important factors for the heterogeneity of mantle Li isotopes in ophiolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although celestial sources emitting in the few tens of GeV up to a few TeV are being investigated by imaging atmospheric Čerenkov telescope arrays such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, at higher energies, up to PeV, more suitable instrumentation is required to detect ultra-high-energy photons, such as extensive air shower arrays, as HAWC, LHAASO, Tibet AS- γ. The Italian National Institute for Astrophysics has recently become the leader of an international project, the ASTRI Mini-Array, with the aim of installing and operating an array of nine dual-mirror Čerenkov telescopes at the Observatorio del Teide in Spain starting in 2025. The ASTRI Mini-Array is expected to span a wide range of energies (1–200 TeV), with a large field of view (about 10 degrees) and an angular and energy resolution of ∼3 arcmin and ∼10 %, respectively. The first four years of operations will be dedicated to the exploitation of Core Science, with a small and selected number of pointings with the goal of addressing some of the fundamental questions on the origin of cosmic rays, cosmology, and fundamental physics, the time-domain astrophysics and non γ -ray studies (e.g., stellar intensity interferometry and direct measurements of cosmic rays). Subsequently, four more years will be dedicated to Observatory Science, open to the scientific community through the submission of observational proposals selected on a competitive basis. In this paper, I will review the Core Science topics and provide examples of possible Observatory Science cases, taking into account the synergies with current and upcoming observational facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piper motuoense X.W.Qin, F.Su & C.Y.Hao, a new species of Piperaceae from Xizang, China, is described and illustrated in this paper. The new species resembles P. yinkiangense and P. anisotis, but it can be readily distinguished from the compared species by several characteristics. Gonophyll leaves are chartaceous and the leaf secondary vein count is 7–9, with the outermost pair being very weak when there are nine veins. Additionally, the apical pair arises 2–4 cm above the base and the leaf base is asymmetrical, with bilateral petioles that cling and heal together. Pistillate floral bracts are sessile, with 3, 4 or 5 stigmas. The description of the new species includes photographs, detailed descriptions, notes on etymology, distribution and habitat, as well as comparisons with morphologically similar species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State‐promoted and market‐oriented horticultural production has fundamentally reshaped land use and agricultural economy in peri‐urban Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. This paper examines two scenarios amidst this transformation. In the first, peri‐urban land has been valorised for vegetable production through the erection of greenhouses and the introduction of agronomic science. However, Tibetans refrain from participating directly, preferring to lease the land to Han migrants, and citing structural inequalities between Han and Tibetans and Tibetan work ethic as explanation. In the second, the municipal government is more proactive in introducing agro‐science and providing technical training to enrol Tibetans. However, the participation of Tibetans is selective and partial, contingent on the same non‐market rationalities that Tibetans invoke to justify non‐participation in the first scenario. This paper explicates the diverging modes of participation for Tibetans by engaging with the Callonian approach on economisation and marketisation, and interrogating how socio‐technical relations established among humans, material infrastructure and agro‐science culminate in variegated calculative and non‐calculative agencies. Focusing in particular on the structural relations and cultural conventions that frustrate the unilinear enactment of a market order, this study contributes to the geographies of marketisation in two ways. First, it works with an analytical framework centred on the ongoing dynamic of framing, overflowing and reframing to argue that the marketisation approach can be expanded to account for the encounters between market agencements and local socio‐cultural contingencies. Geographically, second, it also contributes to the agenda of interrogating diverse market variants and the richness of economic differences in real space‐times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking document analysis as its method, this paper examines the Tibetans' response to the Chinese state nationalism. Due to the fear of political secession, the Chinese government has stayed silent about the Tibetans' right to self‐determination and subjected regional ethnic autonomy to the centralised political system. The Chinese authorities continue to dismiss the Tibetans' nationalist struggles as an imported foreign design and warn the international community not to sympathise with the Dalai Lama and his supporters. Amidst an adverse national and international political environment, the Tibetans have managed to sustain their nationalist wishes and obtain substantive international attention. Taking this background into account, this paper explores how the Tibetans have succeeded to resist China's state nationalism and position themselves as a champion of inclusion, justice, and minority rights. It argues that the Tibetans recognise the Chinese government's fear of secession and utilise that fear to forward their nationalist aspirations. The Tibetans shift their demand from independence to autonomy and highlight their own desire for recognition as a distinct community within the Chinese state. This strategy has helped them to claim that they are against the violations of autonomy but not against the Chinese state's territorial norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of the geodynamic evolution of the Tethyan realm cannot be complete without paleogeographical reconstructions of the North Qiangtang Block (NQB) that occupies a central position in Tibet. However, the reliability of such a reconstruction for the Paleozoic still requires substantial improvement. In this paper, we present paleomagnetic results obtained from the Middle Permian limestones and Upper Permian volcanic rocks in the Tanggula area, aiming to provide precise constraints on the NQB kinematics during the geodynamic evolution of the Tethys realm. Combined with other available paleomagnetic data from the NQB, our results suggest that the block was stably located at ~24°S for a long time before the Middle Permian, started to drift rapidly northward in the Middle Permian, and reached ~8.4°S in the Late Permian. The NQB continued drifting rapidly northward during the Triassic until merging with the southern margin of Eurasia in the Late Triassic. We reviewed new and available paleomagnetic and geological data and proposed a revised model for the tectonic evolution of the eastern Tethys realm. The NQB likely belonged to a ribbon-like separate continental archipelago in the middle of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean during the early--late Paleozoic. The Cimmerian continent, including the South Qiangtang Block (SQB), rifted away from the northern margin of Gondwana and drifted northward to ~22°S in the Middle Permian. The continent approached or partially collided with the NQB, resulting in the rapid northward movement of the NQB and the formation of the Longmuco--Shuanghu suture between the NQB and SQB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in patterns of meteorological parameters, like precipitations, temperature, wind, etc., are causing significant increases in various extreme events. And these extreme events, i.e., floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, droughts, etc., lead to a shortage of water resources, crop failures, wildfires, and economic losses. However, Global Circulation Models (GCMs) are considered the most important tools for quantifying climate change. Therefore, we selected 20 different GCMs of precipitation in our research, as the frequency of extreme events, like drought and flood, is highly related to changes in precipitation patterns. However, this research introduced a new weighting scheme — MCFSAWS-Ensemble: Monte Carlo Feature Selection Adaptive Weighting Scheme to Ensemble multiple GCMs, whereas, Monte Carlo Feature Selection (MCFS) is one of the most popular algorithms for discovering important variables. However, the proposed weighting scheme (MCFSAWS-Ensemble) is mainly based on two sources. Initially, it evaluates the prior performance of each GCM model to define their relative importance using MCFS. Then, it computes value by value difference between the observed and simulated model. In addition, the application of this paper is based on the monthly time series data of precipitation in the Tibet Plateau region of China. In addition, we used twenty GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) to analyze the implications of the MCFSAWS-Ensemble. Further, we compared the performance of the MCFSAWS-Ensemble scheme with Simple Model Averaging (SMA) through Mean Average Error (MAE) and correlation statistics. The results of this research indicate that the proposed weighting scheme (MCFSAWS-Ensemble) is more accurate than the SMA approach. Consequently, we recommend the use of advanced machine learning algorithms such as MCFS for making accurate multi-model ensembles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the surface landscape characteristics, evolution patterns and epidemiological significance of the Himalayan dry otter plague natural epidemic sites under the dual influence of natural environment and major projects such as the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. Methods Based on the continuous land use, NDVI and other geographic environmental data of the natural source of Himalayan dry otter plague along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway in Sichuan from 2010 to 2021, paper quantitatively analyzed the changes in the geographic pattern of the natural source of plague and its association with the Himalayan dry otter population with the help of land use shift matrix, NDVI trend analysis and landscape index. Results During 2010-2020, the dominant vegetation type is grassland, the transfer between various types of land is gentle, the overall vegetation cover rises gently by 24.78%, the area of vegetation improvement zone accounts for 75.84%, the aggregation of various types of grassland strengthens, the differentiation of land classes intensifies, and the density of Himalayan dry otter decreases. After 2020, the transfer of land is relatively intensified, mainly the conversion between forest land and grassland, the scattered expansion of various types of grassland, and the density of Himalayan dry otter decreases. The boundary between classes gradually weakens, and the density of Himalayan dry otter increases. Conclusion Dual natural and anthropogenic disturbances will intensify changes in the landscape pattern of the natural source of Himalayan dry otter plague along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, destroy the overall stability of the ecosystem of the natural source of plague. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economy has shifted from the stage of high-speed growth to the stage of high-quality development. This paper selects panel data of 30 provinces, municipalities directly under the Central Government and autonomous regions (except Tibet) in mainland China with the time dimension of 2006–2016, selects indicators from five dimensions of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing, uses principal component analysis to construct a system of indicators of high-quality economic development, and uses the spatial Durbin model to empirically the impact of government investment behavior in the three industries on the regional economic high-quality development was studied. The results show that: first, there is a significant positive spatial correlation between China's economic quality development. Second, government investment in different industries has different effects on the quality development of the economy. Investment in the tertiary industry can boost employment, raise income level, promote economic quality development, and enhance sharing, coordination and innovation; investment in the secondary industry can enhance innovation, but because of the "crowding-out effect", it will reduce openness and sharing, and is not conducive to promoting economic quality development; investment in the primary industry can Investment in the primary industry can significantly improve coordination, but it will reduce innovation, greenness, openness and sharing, which will also have a negative impact on the overall high-quality economic development. Third, there is a significant spatial spillover effect of government investment behavior on regional economic quality development, and the economic quality development of this region will have an impact on neighboring regions. Finally, based on the research results, this paper puts forward countermeasure suggestions for promoting high-quality economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bangongco–Nujiang metallogenic belt of Tibet is a main suture zone in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, which is known as an important porphyry–epithermal–skarn Cu-polymetallic mineralization zone in China. The western part of the Bangongco–Nujiang metallogenic belt exposes several medium high-silica terrestrial alkaline volcanic rocks with strong alteration influenced by collision orogeny. Some research has shown that clues to mineralization such as malachite and gossan are found on the surface. However, volcanic rock areas with varied topography place a huge burden on geological investigation, and the existing research on predicting mineralization is relatively scarce. This paper describes the extraction of alteration mineral information based on medium spatial resolution and hyperspectral resolution images, establishing a spectral library of alteration minerals in this area. By analyzing radar data, digital elevation, and synthesis results of different spectral bands, we combine remote sensing with geographic information technology to establish crater markers. The extraction results from multisource and chemical exploration data are superimposed onto the analysis of mineralization characteristics and geological conditions so as to establish the mineralization signatures for terrestrial volcanic rock areas. Eighteen mineralization prospect areas were identified, which can provide technical support for future mineralization research in this belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea house represents the most important secular public space for the Tibetan people, which not only affects people’s survival, development, living habits and value orientation, but also builds a bridge between cultural exchanges, tradition and modernity, market economy and interpersonal relationship, grand narrative and daily orientation. By tracing back to the historical origin of Tibetan tea culture and analyzing the generation and change process of tea house culture, this paper explores the Tibetan people’s perception on life, the changes in consumption habits, daily behavior and so on. Besides, it analyzes the role of tea houses culture played in the social development of Tibet, in promoting exchanges and integration of all ethnic groups, as well as in building a strong sense of the Chinese nation community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration is a key part of the water cycle between the atmosphere and the land surface, and it is an important parameter for studying the land–atmosphere system. Change and evolution have important implications. Therefore, the understanding and research of actual evapotranspiration (AET) can profoundly affect water use, ecological environment, temperature, and precipitation. In this paper, the single-layer monthly average reanalysis meteorological data of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau from 1981 to 2020 was used to study and calculate the actual evapotranspiration in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and the temporal and spatial variation characteristics, variation laws, and changes were analyzed by methods such as cumulative anomalies and the Mann–Kendall trend test. The results showed the following: (1) The evapotranspiration gradually decreased from southeast to northwest. The evapotranspiration in the southeastern region is strong, and the maximum value appears in the Hengduan Mountains. (2) The evapotranspiration was the largest in summer and gradually decreased from southeast to northwest; the evapotranspiration in spring and autumn was relatively uniform, with little overall difference, and the evapotranspiration was the lowest in winter. (3) There were mainly three spatial distribution modes of evapotranspiration in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, which were characterized by a significant and consistent change centered on the Tibet region, an east–west reverse type, and an east–west "negative-positive-negative" of the distributed three-pole space. The corresponding time coefficients characterized the interdecadal and interannual variation, and the decadal variation characteristics are more significant than the annual variation characteristics. (4) The actual evapotranspiration had step change; the step change years were 1989, 2002, 2011, and 2015, and there was an interval of about 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 11 October and 3 November 2018, two large landslides occurred in Baige Village, Tibet, China, forcing the Jinsha River to be cut off and form a dammed lake, resulting in massive economic damages and deaths. This paper uses ground-based radar (GBR) and spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technologies to perform dynamic monitoring of the Baige landslide. Firstly, the GBR results suggest that the cumulative deformation from 4 to 10 December 2018 was 1.4 m, and the landslide still exhibits a risk of instability. Secondly, with the Sentinel-1A ascending and descending orbit images from December 2018 to February 2022, the InSAR-stacking technology assisted by the generic atmospheric correction online service (GACOS) and the multidimensional small baseline subset (MSBAS) method are utilized to obtain the annual deformation velocity and cumulative deformation in the satellite radar line of sight (LOS) direction of the landslide. Finally, according to the spatial–temporal deformation characteristics of feature points, combined with optical images, field investigation, and geological conditions, the development trend and inducing factors of the Baige landslide are comprehensively analyzed. It is shown that the Baige landslide is in constant motion at present, and the deformation is spreading from the slope to its right side. This research establishes a framework of combining emergency monitoring (i.e., GBR) with long-term monitoring (i.e., spaceborne InSAR). The framework is more conducive to obtaining the deformation and evolution of landslides, providing a greater possibility for studying the development trend and risk assessment of landslides, and assisting in reducing or even avoiding the losses caused by landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a basic industry in Tibet Autonomous Region, the development of agriculture and animal husbandry circular economy is of great practical significance, which is actively reflected in national high-quality development and new agriculture and animal husbandry circular model. The development direction and future trend directly determine the promotion and enhancement of regional agriculture and animal husbandry economy, which is highly valued and welcomed by academic circles. This paper mainly expounds the development connotation of agriculture and animal husbandry circular economy system from the perspective of Tibet's agriculture and animal husbandry economic development. It focuses on sorting out the construction and future direction of circular economy development system, effectively puts forward ideas and comprehensive understanding of the circular economy development system of agriculture and animal husbandry in Tibet, effectively promotes the promotion and basic change of circular economy of agriculture and animal husbandry, and effectively changes the traditional development model and new innovation model of agriculture and animal husbandry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic understanding of the spatio-temporal changes and driving factors in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau holds significant scientific reference value for the future of ecological sustainable development. This paper utilizes MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and meteorological data to investigate the spatio-temporal changes and driving factors of vegetation coverage in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 2001 to 2020. Methods employed include the dimidiate pixel model, trend analysis, partial correlation analysis, and residual analysis. The results demonstrate a generally fluctuating upward trend in vegetation coverage across the Tibetan Plateau over the past two decades, with spatial expansion occurring from northwest to southeast. Vegetation coverage exhibits a positive correlation with climate factors. Approximately 60.7% of the area showed a positive correlation between vegetation fractional cover (FVC) and precipitation, with 8.66% of the area demonstrating extremely significant (p < 0.05) and significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation. Human activities, on the whole, have contributed to the enhancement of vegetation cover in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The areas where human activities have positively impacted vegetation cover are primarily situated in north-central Qinghai and north of Ngari, while areas experiencing degradation include certain grassland regions in central-eastern Yushu, Nagqu, and Lhasa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bayan Har Basin is an important part of the Tethys tectonic in the Tibet Plateau. There are various conjectures regarding the basement and tectonic attributes of the Bayan Har Basin. Based on the aeromagnetic anomaly characteristics in the Bayan Har Basin, the structural units and fault system are derived, and the basement composition and structural attributes are discussed in this paper. We draw the following conclusions: (1) The Bayan Har Basin and its adjacent regions can be divided into five magnetic structural units, consisting of the southern Tarim Block, the Qiangtang Block, the western Yangtze Block, the Qinling–Qiliang–Kunlun Orogenic Belt and the Bayan Har Basin. (2) The Muztagh–Kunlun–A'nyêmaqên suture zone and the Xijir Ulan–Yushu–Jinsha River suture zone are the basic frameworks of the north–south division of the basin. (3) The basement in the eastern Bayan Har Basin is composed of Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, and the basement in the western and central basin is composed of Meso–Neoproterozoic metamorphic rocks. (4) The Triassic tectonic attribute of the Bayan Har Basin may be foreland basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old Uyghur developed on the basis of religious and non-religious literature. While non-religious literature constitutes civil documents related to daily life, religious literature mainly constitutes the translation of literary sources related to circles such as Buddhism, Manichaeism and Nestorian Christianity. Among these, Buddhism has the largest place when it comes to the translation of religious literature. In fact, Buddhism does not take place among the Uyghurs with a single school. Northern Buddhism, or Mahāyāna school, in other words, and many schools, whether they originated in India or not, are traced in Buddhist Uyghur literature. Tibetan Buddhism is also a school that has a place in the Buddhist Uyghur literature, whose existence was witnessed especially in the last period of the Qocho Uyghur Khanate [850-1250] with its literary sources. Tibetan Buddhism, which is essentially based on Vajrayāna or Tantric Buddhism and blended with the Tibetan local religion Bön, has found its place in Tibet and Mongolia today. At this point, Sitatapatrādhāra?ī, which is also the subject of this paper, is a text written in this tradition. In this paper, three fragments identified as belonging to the Old Uyghur Sitātapatrādhāra?ī and preserved today in the Berlin Turfan Collection with archival numbers U 2250 (T I [544]), U 2251 (T I [545]) and U 2252 (T I [546]) will be examined. The philological edition of these fragments, which have not been published until now, will be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores difference within geographical writings in the transition to modernity in nineteenth century China. In some maps, the experiential realities of travelers were valued and expressed. More significantly, landscape maps sometimes pointed to a reality of absence rather than of presence. This contrasted with the arising modern commitment to triangulation, which deleted the phenomenological in favour of an omniscient 'view from nowhere'. It is conventional to treat this transition as an expression of progress in which non-Western scholars started to undo a scientific deficit regarding precision and measurement with the use of new tools, or for postcolonial scholars to propose heroic resistance from native map makers. Against these interpretations, the minutiae in the 1886 Chinese gazetteer Tukao of Tibet do not simply show a progressive or coerced transition, but rather the expression of an inconsistent difference. Tukao reflects different survey methods, producing fundamentally incompatible ontological worlds. The paper shows that the Tukao does not legislate between different practices, and argues that the alterity in Tukao offers lessons for postcolonial theory and practice, avoiding both hegemony of modern science and relativism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, considering the heterogeneity of travelers' decision-making behavior caused by travel environment factors, thus affecting the choice of travel path, the theories and methods of travel path choice based on improved cumulative prospect theory (ICPT) in complex environment were proposed. On the basis of cumulative prospect theory (CPT), the value function was improved, and the parameter value range was enlarged. The nonlinear curve of value function and weight function of cumulative prospect theory was fitted through thousands of data tests and experiments. Then according to the decision preference, the decision makers were divided into different categories and the reference point value relationship of heterogeneous decision makers was found. In this paper, fuzzy travel time reference point and periodic dynamic risk degree reference point were set up, and a dynamic path selection model based on heterogeneous double reference point was established to improve the cumulative prospect value. Taking the highway network in Sichuan-Tibet region for example, the optimal path selection scheme of heterogeneous travel groups under the complex environmental factors such as debris flow and landslide in each time stage was studied, and the influence of preference parameter of travel time and risk degree on path choice was analyzed, and then the parameter sensitivity in the cumulative prospect theory (ICPT) was analyzed. The research results verified the rationality of the improved theory and method proposed in this study, which not only provide a new way of thinking for the study of travel path choice in complex environment but also provide theoretical guidance value for supporting regional traffic planning and construction in complex environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are one of the most dangerous natural disasters, which have affected national economic development and social stability. This paper proposes a method to indirectly monitor the deformation characteristics of landslides by extracting the abnormal vegetation information, especially for the inaccessible high-mountain landslides in southwestern China. This paper extracts the vegetation anomaly information in the Jizong Shed-Tunnel landslide which is located on the main traffic road to Tibet by the optical remote sensing Gaofen-1 (GF-1) data, and analyzes the temporal and spatial characteristics of the vegetation anomaly information through a time series. Then, we use the small baseline subsets interferometry synthetic aperture radar (SBAS-InSAR) technology to process Sentinel-1 data to obtain the time-series surface deformation information. Finally, we analyze and verify the results of the two methods. The results show that there is obvious vegetation coverage (VC) decline, with a maximum increasing percentage of 8.77% for the low and medium VC, and obvious surface deformation around the landslide, with the highest settlement rate of between 0 mm/year and 30 mm/year. Through the time-series analysis, we find that the change trends of the two methods are basically the same. This paper shows that the method of using abnormal vegetation information to monitor the Jizong Shed-Tunnel landslide has a certain degree of reliability and practicability. It can provide a new idea and effective supplement for landslide monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emissions trading system, a crucial and fundamental system reform in the environmental resources field of China, was established to promote the continuous and effective reduction of total emissions of major pollutants. In this context, based on the panel data of 285 Chinese cities (except Tibet) from 2004 to 2018, this paper uses the quasi-experimental method of Difference in Difference to assess the effect of the emissions trading system introduced on sulfur dioxide emissions of China and the transmission mechanism. The article generates several intriguing findings. (1) The emissions trading system has a significant suppressive effect on sulfur dioxide emissions. (2) Mechanistic tests show that the emissions trading system can effectively suppress sulfur dioxide emissions by reducing government intervention, stimulating green patent innovation, and improving resource use efficiency, in which green utility patents have a masking effect. (3) From the east, central and west divisions, the emissions trading system has a significant suppression effect on sulfur dioxide emission in the eastern and central regions, and the eastern region is better than the central region. (4) In terms of factor endowment, the emissions trading system has a significant suppression effect on sulfur dioxide emissions in both resource-based and non-resource-based cities, with non-resource-based cities outperforming resource-based cities; while within resource-based effect exists only in regenerative cities. (5) The emissions trading system has a significant suppression effect on sulfur dioxide emissions in old and non-old industrial base cities in industrial base zoning. The suppression effect in non-old industrial base cities is better than that in old industrial base cities. This paper provides empirical evidence for evaluating the emissions trading system at the provincial level in China and suggests policy recommendations for selecting government tools to effectively curb sulfur dioxide emissions. Although the emissions trading system has made an outstanding contribution to sulfur dioxide emissions reduction, there is still much space for further development of potential emission reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes seven cities in the Tibet Autonomous Region as the study area, and collects data from more than 20 monitoring stations covering the Tibet Autonomous Region in the ambient air quality online monitoring platform to analyze the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO and O3MAD8 (ozone daily maximum 8-h average). The results show that (1) the multi-year average PM2.5 concentration in Tibet Autonomous Region is 12.03 μg/m3; the multi-year average PM10 concentration is 28. 27 μg/m3; the multi-year average CO concentration is 0. 59 mg/m3; the multi-year average NO2 concentration is 12.34 μg/m3; the multi-year average SO2 concentration is 7. 00 μg/m3; the multi-year average value of O3 is 89. 54 μg/m3. The concentrations of atmospheric pollutants all meet the primary concentration limits of the Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095 -2012). (2) The air environment in the Tibet Autonomous Region in spring is relatively poor, with about 20% of excellent days and 80% of good days. The air environment is relatively good in summer, autumn and winter, with about 65% -87% of excellent days and 35% -13% of good days. The air environment quality of Tibet Autonomous Region is excellent; winter > autumn > summer > spring, and good; spring > summer > autumn > winter. (3) Except for NO2 which is more influenced by automobile exhaust and SO2 which is more influenced by man-made source in winter, the ambient air quality in Tibet Autonomous Region is less influenced by industry. The variability characteristics of the six atmospheric pollutants studied in this paper are strongly correlated with the unique natural environment of Tibet (air pressure, altitude, wind speed, temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, etc). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new species of Entedon Dalman, E. flavifemur sp. nov. is described from Tibet and three species, E. albifemur Kamijo, E. crassiscapus Erdös, and E. nomizonis Kamijo are reported from China for the first time. A detailed description and illustrations of the new species are provided, as well as diagnoses and illustrations of the three newly recorded species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing exploitation of mineral resources by humans, exploring non-traditional areas for hidden resources such as deep earth and sediment-covered regions has become a significant challenge in the field of mineral exploration. Geochemical data, as a crucial information carrier of geological bodies, serves as one of the direct and effective sources for quantitative analysis of regional geological evolution and mineralization prediction studies. It plays an indispensable role in geographic information system (GIS)-based mineral exploration. Due to the neglect of spatial distribution characteristics and the variability of statistical features with spatial metrics in traditional statistical methods, this paper employs fractal/multifractal and the local singularity analysis to identify geochemical anomalies from background and characterize geochemical distributions associated with porphyry Cu-Au mineralization in the Duolong mineral district, Tibet, China. A novel algorithm for estimating the singularity index, which takes anisotropy into consideration, is proposed and practically applied to the Duolong district. By comparing with the isotropic singularity index, this new method objectively identifies anisotropic geochemical signatures and investigates non-linear behaviors of ore-forming elements, making it more practical and effective in geo-anomaly extraction. Furthermore, the current method is capable of indicating variations in geochemical distributions at different scales through directional arrows marking analytical windows. The summed-up direction of these multi-scale vectors effectively demonstrates migration trends of ore materials at each location within the study area. The new method can pinpoint the location of ore-forming element accumulation and migration directions, unlocking valuable insights from complex datasets. This promises to revolutionize our understanding of how minerals are formed and distributed within the Earth's crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being the smallest branch of Buddhism worldwide, Vajrayana Buddhism is the majority religion in Tibet, Mongolia, and Bhutan, where it wields significant religious and political power. This power has traditionally been concentrated among a small number of lamas, most notably the Dalai Lama, who upon their passing are replaced by a successor in accordance with traditional rituals. Since Tibet came under control of China in 1950, the Chinese Communist Party has sought to gain complete control over Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, coopting these leadership institutions by installing its own puppet lamas. However, the flight of the current Dalai Lama from the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 led to the exodus of Tibetans to India, where a government-in- exile was established in Dharamsala. This government, which derives its legitimacy from the Dalai Lama, represents the interests of the Tibetan people, including challenging Chinese rule over Tibet. The current Dalai Lama is now an octogenarian, and his passing will create a religious power vacuum at the core of Vajrayana Buddhism. This paper explores several possible outcomes of this religious power vacuum, and whether Vajrayana Buddhism can maintain its integrity and autonomy moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eocene igneous rocks along the Gangdese belt in southern Tibetan Plateau are important for understanding the India–Eurasia collision and Tibetan Plateau uplift. These magmatic rocks are widely considered to be related to roll-back or break-off of the Neotethyan slab during northward subduction. However, Eocene rhyolites in the northwestern Gangdese belt (SW Qiangtang margin) do not fit either the rollback or breakoff models. This paper investigates these Early Eocene lavas and compares them with contemporaneous igneous rocks along the Gangdese belt via detailed field observations, petrology, zircon geochronology, zircon Lu–Hf isotopes and whole-rock geochemistry. These felsic lavas form large outcrops in western Tibet and have two zircon U–Pb ages of 54.71 ± 0.14 Ma and 54.74 ± 0.27 Ma. They have high SiO2 and alkali contents, FeO*/MgO, and Ga/Al ratios as well as strongly negative Eu anomalies and slightly positive zircon εHf(t) values (+2.5 to +4.4). Both Ti-in-zircon and Zr saturation thermometers confirm high magmatic temperatures (~900°C). They are ferroan, A-type rhyolites. Furthermore, the distinctive low εHf(t) values imply that these rhyolites are likely partial melting products of the southwestern Qiangtang Terrane. The lithosphere in this region undergone long-term shortening and thickening since 80–95 Ma. Pre-thickened lithosphere may be a prerequisite for the Early Eocene delamination, and the simultaneous inducement is a far-field tectonic effect from the India–Eurasia collision. We suggest that: (1) India collided with Eurasia before 55 Ma and triggered delamination to form the Shiquanhe A-type rhyolites on the southwestern Qiangtang margin thereafter; and (2) tectonic stresses related to India–Eurasia collision during the Eocene were transmitted efficiently over large distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its successor GRACE Follow-On mission have been estimating temporal gravity field models for various geoscience applications since 2002. While the errors in atmospheric and oceanic de-aliasing (AOD) model are still the key limitation for GRACE-type missions especially taking advantages of improved laser ranging interferometer (LRI), this paper explores the realistic assumption of continuously reducing AOD model error in global scale and regional scale (e.g. ocean, Greenland, Qinghai-Tibet plateau and South America) in the anticipated future. For this, using a realistic orbit scenario and error assumptions both for instrument and background model errors, the 5-yr full-scale simulations are implemented in the context of 26 scenarios with different AOD model errors. Our overall simulation results demonstrate that: (1) when the AOD model errors are reduced in the global scale, the corresponding gain in temporal gravity field determination is significant, with the cumulative geoid height error decrease from 11.28 to 6.25 mm in spectral domain, as well as 26.3–65.2 per cent noise reduction in terms of mean RMS residuals over ocean in spatial domain. (2) When the AOD model errors are reduced in the regional scale, the improvements of temporal gravity field estimations are diverse in different simulation scenarios. The most notable noise reduction, with 22.9–43.9 per cent noise reduction in spatial domain, is observed when the AOD model error decreases in ocean. The limited noise reductions (0.1 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively in spectral and spatial domain) are observed in the temporal gravity field estimations if the AOD model is refined in other typical regions such as the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the Greenland and the South America. (3) However, when the satellites passing over the AOD model refined regions, the along-orbit range rate analysis indicates that, there are visible differences by about 50.0 nm s−1 in terms of range rate residuals as well as 11.0–48.5 nm s−1 in terms of the mean RMS of range rate residuals. These results reflect the benefits of reducing AOD model error in both global and regional scale for improving GRACE-type temporal gravity estimation, especially considering the development of LRI technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subduction of the Bangong–Nujiang Ocean is important in the geological evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we report new zircon U-Pb age and Lu-Hf isotopic data and whole-rock elemental and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data for Early Cretaceous dacites from the Rena-Co area (RCA) in the southern Qiangtang Terrane (QT), central Tibet and use these data to better understand the tectonic evolution of the Bangong–Nujiang suture. LA–ICP-MS dating of zircons yields ages of 109.5 ± 0.6 Ma to 109.6 ± 0.8 Ma for the dacites from the RCA. Geochemically, these dacites are medium-K calc-alkaline and show high SiO2 contents of 64.79–70.37 wt.%, high Sr contents of 517–598 ppm and low Y contents of 8.45–10.7 ppm, similar to those of typical adakites. Additionally, all the rocks are strongly enriched in light rare earth elements and some large ion lithophile elements (e.g. Rb, U, K and Cs) but significantly depleted in high-field-strength elements (e.g. Nb, Ta and Ti), consistent with the geochemical characteristics of arc-type magmas formed in the subduction zone. Moreover, these adakite-like dacites show whole-rock initial (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.705119 to 0.705491, (206Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 18.489 to 18.508, (207Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 15.591 to 15.612, (208Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 38.599 to 38.686, ϵ Nd (t) values of −0.28 to +1.25 and single-stage Nd model ages of 642 to 818 Ma, as well as significantly positive zircon ϵ Hf(t) values of 3.9–13.1, with young Hf-depleted mantle ages of 331 to 923 Ma. These geochemical and isotopic data indicate that they are most likely derived from the juvenile thickened mafic lower continental crust, which contains partial melts of metasomatized peridotite and subduction-related fluids in the magma source region. Based on previous studies and our new data, we propose that the RCA adakite-like dacites are most likely a result of the northwards subduction of the Bangong–Nujiang Ocean lithosphere beneath the southern QT during the Early Cretaceous and that a slab rollback model could explain the formation of the RCA adakite-like dacites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the northward subduction and final closure of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust, the Indian and Eurasian plates finally collided together and underwent a strong collision orogenic event, resulting in large-scale crust–mantle magmatic interactions. In order to clarify the controversies about tectono-magmatic activities after the Indian–Eurasian continental collision, we report the newly dated Eocene Qiongduojiang gabbro explored in the Tethyan–Himalaya belt, southern Tibet. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating shows that the crystallization age of the Qiongduojiang gabbro is 46.1 ± 1.7 Ma. The whole-rock major and trace elements, as well as Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Pb isotopic data results, show that the Qiongduojiang gabbro is apparently depleted in Nd isotopes, is enriched in Pb isotopes, and has maintained a consistent 87Sr/86Sr(t) value. This paper argues that the E-MORB-like Qiongduojiang gabbro originated from asthenosphere upwelling caused by slab breakoff of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic plate. This event caused large-scale magmatic activities, a magmatic mixing process between ancient crust and deep mantle, and wild distribution of Eocene Gangdese plutons along the Yarlung–Tsangpo Suture Zone, and it rendered the subduction-modified Tibetan lithosphere fertile from the Gangdese porphyry Cu deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent prospecting and prediction are important research foci in the field of mineral resource exploration. To solve the problem of the performance degradation of deep convolutional neural networks, enhancing the attention to target information and suppressing unnecessary feature information, this paper proposes a new prospecting prediction method based on a two-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN2D). This method mainly uses known Cu deposits as the positive sample labels, adopts the sliding window method for data enhancement, and uses the window area as a unit to extract spatial variation features. It is important to supplement squeeze-and-excitation networks (SENets) to add an attention mechanism to the channel dimension, assign a weight value to each feature layer, and finally make prospecting predictions by matching the features of the known deposit window area and the features of the unknown window area. This method allows the neural network to focus on certain characteristic channels and realizes prospecting prediction in the case where there are few known deposits so that the deep learning method can be more effectively used for the prospecting prediction of mineralization. Based on geological data, geochemical exploration data of water system sediments, and aeromagnetic data, and via this method, this study carried out prospecting prediction of Cu deposits in the Zhunuo area of Tibet and predicted 12 favorable Cu prospecting prediction areas. Combined with previous research results and field exploration, the predicted result is consistent with the established mineralization and prospecting pattern and has good prospects for Cu deposit prospecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake moment tensors and centroid locations in the catalogue of the Global CMT (gCMT) project, formerly the Harvard CMT project, have become an essential resource for studying active global tectonics, used by many solid-Earth researchers. The catalogue's quality, long duration (1976–present), ease of access and global coverage of earthquakes larger than about Mw 5.5 have transformed our ability to study regional patterns of earthquake locations and focal mechanisms. It also allows researchers to easily identify earthquakes with anomalous mechanisms and depths that stand out from the global or regional patterns, some of which require us to look more closely at accepted interpretations of geodynamics, tectonics or rheology. But, as in all catalogues that are, to some extent and necessarily, produced in a semi-routine fashion, the catalogue may contain anomalies that are in fact errors. Thus, before re-assessing geodynamic, tectonic or rheological understanding on the basis of anomalous earthquake locations or mechanisms in the gCMT catalogue, it is first prudent to check those anomalies are real. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that necessity in the eastern Himalayas and SE Tibet, where two earthquakes that would otherwise require a radical revision of current geodynamic understanding are shown, in fact, to have gCMT depths (and, in one case, also focal mechanism) that are incorrect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current limited approaches to calculating hillslope erosion rate hamper the study of the relationships among the rates of hillslope erosion, river incision, and tectonic uplift and hence the discussion of steady-state landscape evolution. In this paper, we use remote sensing and geochronological methods to calculate the upper and lower bounding hillslope erosion rates in the Qilian Shan range, Tibet. Our analysis focuses on five convex landslide sediment units derived from the weathered hillslopes at Qingyang Mountain on the tectonically active northeastern Tibetan Plateau. These sediment units range in thickness from 5.5 to 12.8 m and in volume from 119 × 103 to 260 × 103 m3. Based on field observations, measurements extracted from high-resolution DEMs, and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages on fluvial terraces, we obtain lower and upper bounding rates of 0.13 ± 0.03 and 0.21 ± 0.04 mm/yr, respectively. Finally, we calculate incision rates, ranging from 0.21 ± 0.02 to 0.39 ± 0.01 mm/yr, from heights of a dated fluvial terrace above the present river and the time of abandonment of the associated bedrock strath estimated from OSL ages. The rates of hillslope erosion and river incision at Qingyang Mountain and the tectonic uplift of the Qilian Mountains are estimated to be within a factor of two over the past 117 ka, suggesting that a state of dynamic equilibrium has likely existed on this timescale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth history of the Tibetan Plateau provides a valuable natural laboratory to understand tectonic processes of the India–Asia collision and their impact on and interactions with Asian and global climate change. However, both Tibetan Plateau growth and Asian paleoenvironments are generally poorly documented in pre-Pliocene times and reflect limited temporal coverage for different parts of the plateau. In this paper, the 238 m thick Cenozoic sediments in the Hongzhuang section of the Xunhua Basin were tested and analyzed via paleomagnetic and environmental magnetic methods. The formation age was determined, and the evolution history of the regional climate environment was analyzed. The magnetostratigraphy study shows that the sediments record a continuous sequence of geomagnetic polarity changes from C5ACn to C10r, which spans an interval of approximately 30~14.3 Ma from the early Oligocene to the middle Miocene. The magnetic susceptibility of the Hongzhuang section is basically similar to the deep-sea oxygen isotope fluctuation, indicating that the monsoon climate change indicated by the magnetic susceptibility is affected by global temperature. It is worth noting that at ~27 Ma and ~15 Ma, there is a negative correlation between magnetic susceptibility and deep-sea oxygen isotope, and magnetic susceptibility lags behind the increase in deep-sea oxygen isotope. Combined with the change in the sedimentary rate curve, we explain the asynchrony between the magnetic susceptibility and the deep-sea oxygen isotope around ~27 Ma and ~15 Ma. As the uplift of the plateau leads to the enhancement of the East Asian summer monsoon, the soil formation in the region is strengthened, resulting in an increase in magnetic susceptibility. At the same time, the rapid uplift of the plateau caused the erosion of the surrounding mountains to strengthen, and the input of near-source materials may promote the increase in magnetic susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal infrared data of Fengyun 4A (FY-4A) geostationary meteorological satellite can be used to retrieve hourly land surface temperature (LST). In this paper, seven candidate algorithms are compared and evaluated. The Ulivieri (1985) algorithm is determined to be optimal for the algorithm of FY-4A LST official products. The refined algorithm coefficients for distinguishing dry and moist atmosphere were established for daytime and nighttime, respectively. Then, FY-4A LST official products under clear-sky conditions are produced. The validation results show that: (1) Compared with in-situ measured LST data at the HeBi crop measurement network, the root mean square errors (RMSE) were 2.139 and 2.447 K. Compared with in-situ measured LST data at Naqu alpine meadow site of Tibet plateau, the RMSE was 2.86 K. (2) When compared with the MODIS LST product, the RMSE was 1.64, 2.17, 2.6, and 1.73 K in March, July, October, and December, respectively. By the bias long-time change at a single site, RMSE of the XLHT (city) and GZH (desert) sites were 2.735 and 2.97 K, respectively. Overall, the preferred algorithm exhibits good accuracy and meets the required accuracy of the FY-4A mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]