TY  - JOUR
A1  - Smith, Taylor
A1  - Bookhagen, Bodo
T1  - Changes in seasonal snow water equivalent distribution in High Mountain Asia (1987 to 2009)
JF  - Science Advances
N2  - Snow meltwaters account for most of the yearly water budgets of many catchments in High Mountain Asia (HMA). We examine trends in snow water equivalent (SWE) using passive microwave data (1987 to 2009). We find an overall decrease in SWE in HMA, despite regions of increased SWE in the Pamir, Kunlun Shan, Eastern Himalaya, and Eastern Tien Shan. Although the average decline in annual SWE across HMA (contributing area, 2641 x 10(3) km(2)) is low (average, -0.3%), annual SWE losses conceal distinct seasonal and spatial heterogeneities across the study region. For example, the Tien Shan has seen both strong increases in winter SWE and sharp declines in spring and summer SWE. In the majority of catchments, the most negative SWE trends are found in mid-elevation zones, which often correspond to the regions of highest snow-water storage and are somewhat distinct from glaciated areas. Negative changes in SWE storage in these mid-elevation zones have strong implications for downstream water availability.
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1701550
SN  - 2375-2548
VL  - 4
IS  - 1
PB  - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science
CY  - Washington
ER  -