The dual role of meltwater in buffering river runoff in the Yarlung Zangbo Basin, Tibetan Plateau

The Yarlung Zangbo Basin (YZB) on the Tibetan Plateau, the world's highest river basin, features a significant cryosphere with glaciers and seasonal snow cover crucial to its hydrology. The study focuses on the region between the Nuxia and Dexing river gauging stations, where glaciers cover 15.4 % of the area. The research quantifies the contributions of snow melt (SM) runoff, glacier melt (GM) runoff, rainfall runoff, and baseflow to the total runoff in the YZB. The Spatial Processes in Hydrology (SPHY) model, enhanced with a cryosphere module, was utilized, calibrated with runoff data from the Nuxia station and evapotranspiration data from 2003 to 2014. The study found rainfall runoff to be the primary contributor to annual runoff (66.3 %), followed by snow melt runoff (19.7 %), glacier melt runoff (6.2 %), and baseflow (7.8 %). Snow melt runoff is dominant in early spring, while baseflow prevails in winter. Glacier melt runoff contributes directly to river flow (90.1 %) and replenishes groundwater (9.9 %), which then drains as baseflow. In glacier-rich areas, percolated glacier meltwater significantly recharges groundwater, underscoring its vital role in sustaining river flow in the YZB. This research enhances the understanding of hydrological processes in large alpine river basins and highlights the crucial role of glacier and snow melt in maintaining the Tibetan Plateau's water resources. [Display omitted] •Study: Snowmelt and glacier meltwater vital for Tibetan Plateau runoff.•Glacier meltwater supports rivers directly and as slow-releasing groundwater.•Snowmelt runoff dominates early spring flow (19.7 % annual runoff).•This study underscores the critical role of cryosphere in the YZB hydrology.