Global Climate Impacts of Land‐Surface and Atmospheric Processes Over the Tibetan Plateau.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) impacts local and remote atmospheric circulations, wherein it mechanically and thermally affects air masses or airflows. Moreover, the TP provides a key channel for substance transport between the troposphere and the stratosphere. This study reviews recent advances in research regarding land–atmosphere coupling processes over the TP. The TP experiences climate warming and wetting. Climate warming has caused glacier retreat, permafrost degradation, and a general increase in vegetation density, while climate wetting has led to a significant increase in the number of major lakes, primarily through increased precipitation. Local and regional climates are affected by interactions between the land and the atmosphere. Namely, the TP drives surface pollutants to the upper troposphere in an Asian summer monsoon (ASM) anticyclone circulation, before spreading to the lower stratosphere. Further, the thermal forcing of the TP plays an essential role in the ASM. TP forcing can modulate hemispheric‐scale atmospheric circulations across all seasons. The TP interacts with remote oceans through a forced atmospheric response and is substantially affected by the evolution of the Earth's climate via promoting Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and eliminating Pacific meridional overturning circulation. The extensive influence of the TP is facilitated by its coupling with the ASM in the summer; whereas its winter influence on climate mainly occurs through Rossby waves. The observed increasing trends of temperature and precipitation over the TP are projected to continue throughout the 21st century. Plain Language Summary: The impact of the Tibetan Plateau on atmospheric circulation and the climate has been of great interest to the scientific community. Here, we review the literature on the mechanisms of its climate effects, to provide an overview of recent progress in the field and directives for future research. Key Points: We summarize recent advances in climate change research and observations of the land–atmosphere coupling processes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP)We highlight the impact of the TP on the global climate, including atmospheric species transport, circulation, and air‐sea interactionsWe conclude projected future climate changes over the TP and discuss future research directives for assessing the TP's global climate impact [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]