Trends of land surface heat fluxes on the Tibetan Plateau from 2001 to 2012

A parameterization approach of effective roughness length was introduced into the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model to account for subgrid-scale topographical influences. Regional distribution of land surface heat flux values (including net radiation flux, ground heat flux, sensible heat flux, and latent heat flux) was estimated on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) based on the SEBS model, and utilizing remote sensing products and reanalysis datasets. We then investigated annual trends in these fluxes for the period 2001–2012. It was found that land surface net radiation flux increased slightly, especially in high, mountainous regions and the central TP, and was influenced by glacial retreat and topsoil wetting, respectively. Sensible heat flux decreased overall, especially in the central and northern TP. In the Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR) Basin, the sensible heat flux increased because of a rise in the ground-air temperature difference. The latent heat flux increased over the majority TP, except for areas in the YZR Basin. This can be attributed to increases in precipitation and vegetation greening.