Introduction to the special issue on Tibet: Contemporary geodetic-geophysical observations and interpretations

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau is known as the Third Pole of the Earth, playing unique roles in plate tectonics, glaciology, limnology, hydrology, climate, and environmental changes. Like major scientific hotspots elsewhere in the world, long-term geophysical data are needed for in-depth scientific studies. The Tibetan Plateau has very sparse and inadequate in situ data sets publicly available. However, large amount of satellite data have become available during the last few decades. Such data allow researchers to detect long-term evolutions of geophysical signals and to enable more accurate modeling of their mechanisms. These data, in combination with the limited available seismic/magnetic profiles and other in situ data, are poised to potentially be able to extract previously missing features vital to the interpretation of a targeted geophysical process.