A simple method to calculate atmospheric heat over the Tibetan Plateau is constructed based on the monthly average conventional observation data of 198 stations from 1961 to 1995 over the Tibetan Plateau and in its vicinity and the heat source Q_1 over the Plateau.Using the calculated heat,the climatic characteristics of Q_1 in various regions and seasons and the relationship between Q_1 over the Tibetan Plateau in winter and air circulation in spring are also analyzed.The results show that the amount of Q_1 in the north-eastern part of the Plateau is less than that in the southern part,that the Q_1 in the each regions presents an upward trend from 1970s to the ealy 1980s and that there exists a negative correlation between the winter heat source over the Plateau and the geopotential height field around the Plateau in spring,which is proved by a climate simulation.