The spatially heterogeneous distribution of precipitation of the Anduo area, Tibetan Plateau, in summer 1998

Examination of precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau is important to understanding the regional water cycle processes and the plateau-scale energy budget. Based on hourly precipitation data obtained during the GAME-Tibet intensive observation period at four sites, the spatial distribution of precipitation in summer 1998 within the Anduo area was examined. The results show that, between 1 July and 11 September 1998, the precipitation that occurred simultaneously (at the same hours) at the sites accounted for 6.9–15.3% of the total precipitation at each site during the study period. Even at the two observation sites that are only 20 km apart, the percentage of precipitation that occurred simultaneously was quite small. This indicates that precipitation occurred not only frequently but also very locally, except on several days with very strong monsoon precipitation. The limited observations highlight that the precipitation distribution is quite complex, and large-scale intensive precipitation observations are needed in the future to clarify the heterogeneity of precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau.