Linking Northeastern Indian Subcontinental High Temperature to Extreme Glacier Mass Loss on the South‐Central Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Extreme glacier mass loss on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has seldom been investigated, limiting our knowledge of regional water availability and glacier‐related natural hazards. Here we present glacier mass balance estimates for the south–central TP based on glacio‐meteorological observations and geodetic data from 1960 to 2019. The results show that the frequency, intensity, and variability of extreme glacier mass loss events have increased and shifted in recent decades. The extreme mass loss events are mainly attributed to the extremely high air temperature ( T a ) during the ablation season (June–September), which generates exceptionally high incoming longwave radiation and sensible heat fluxes that greatly reduce albedo and enhance melting. The high T a on the south–central TP is linked to that over the northeastern Indian subcontinent by enhanced southerly wind, which, as a component of the Indian summer monsoon, transports heat northward from the Indian subcontinent to the TP. The enhanced T a in both regions is further associated with European geopotential heights, western tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures, and regional warming trends. This study demonstrates that glacier and climate changes on the TP are influenced by heat variations in the surrounding lowlands, where dominant winds associated with large‐scale atmospheric circulation transport the heat into the TP. Thus, further research on identifying key regions of surrounding lowlands that contribute to the climate changes on the TP, and mitigating climate warming in key heat‐source regions (e.g., Indian subcontinent), are crucial for the preservation of glaciers on the TP.