Compared with arctic and subarctic catchments, our knowledge about the hydrological functions of glaciers and porous aquifers is still limited for the partly glacierized alpine‐gorge headwaters in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Here we examine the impact of glacial and groundwater storage on the variability of warm‐season (June to September) discharge from the Hulugou catchment, an alpine‐gorge headwater with 3% glacial coverage, by quantifying the timing and magnitude of contributions of glacier‐snow meltwater, baseflow, and rainwater to streamflow using a three‐component hydrograph separation model. It is found that baseflow was the largest component (55 ± 2%) of warm‐season streamflow while glacier‐snow meltwater also contributed significantly (30 ± 10%) despite of the very low glacial coverage. We suggest that the water flowing out of glaciers was mainly supplied by the melting short‐ and intermediate‐term storages (i.e., snow over glaciers), which led to the high meltwater contribution to streams during the warm season and the high peaks of meltwater discharge following heavy precipitation events. The porous aquifers in piedmont plain may serve as major reservoirs that store a growing body of groundwater during the warm season, which explains the general increasing trend of baseflow contribution during this period. The moraine and talus deposits in high mountains, by contrast, allow groundwater to pass through them quickly and therefore being responsible for the obvious responses of baseflow contribution amount to heavy rainfall events. Our findings suggest that small mountain glaciers and porous aquifers may play a greater role than expected in hydrological regulation in the alpine‐gorge catchments of northeastern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.

Abstract. Climate warming is changing streamflow regimes and groundwater storage in cold alpine regions. In this study, the Yangbajain headwater catchment in the Lhasa River basin is adopted as the study area to assess streamflow changes and active groundwater storage in response to climate warming. The results show that both annual streamflow and the mean air temperature increase significantly at respective rates of about 12.30 mm per decade and 0.28 ∘C per decade from 1979 to 2013 in the study area. The results of gray relational analysis indicate that the air temperature acts as a primary factor for the increased streamflow. Due to climate warming, the total glacier volume has retreated by over 25 % during the past 50 years, and the areal extent of permafrost has degraded by 15.3 % over the last 20 years. Parallel comparisons with other subbasins in the Lhasa River basin indirectly reveal that the increased streamflow at the Yangbajain Station is mainly fed by the accelerated glacier retreat. Using baseflow recession analysis, we also find that the estimated groundwater storage that is comparable with the GRACE data increases significantly at rates of about 19.32 mm per decade during the abovementioned period. That is to say, as permafrost thaws, more spaces have been made available to accommodate the increasing meltwater. Finally, a large water imbalance (of more than 5.79×107 m3 a−1) between the melt-derived runoff and the actual increase in runoff as well as the groundwater storage is also observed. The results from this study suggest that the impacts of glacial retreat and permafrost degradation show compound behaviors on the storage–discharge mechanism due to climate warming, and that this fundamentally affects the water supply and the mechanisms of streamflow generation and change.

In the context of expected future melt reductions in the high‐Andes, the buffering capacity of non‐glacial stores, and especially of high‐altitude bofedal wetlands, is of increasing importance. Isotope signatures potentially indicative of water undergoing evaporation on transit through bofedales have been found in the tropics, but end‐member uncertainty has so far prevented streamflow separation using this signal. We undertook a stable isotope sampling campaign over the 2022 wet‐dry season transition in a 53.6 km2, 16% glacierized catchment in southern Peru with a bofedal coverage of 11%. Diurnal proglacial hydrographs and remote sensing were used to interpret seasonal snowmelt dynamics and identify the dry periods when glacial melt and bofedal contributions are assessed to be the two principal components of streamflow. Following the final wet season precipitation event, a rapid ~3 week transition occurs in the main river from a stable isotope signature consistent with dynamic rainfall/snowmelt contributions to one of ice‐melt. In both wet and dry seasons, the main river and tributary streams show evaporative enrichment suggesting ongoing supply from water transiting bofedales. A two‐component mixing model using lc‐excess during the dry season shows the bofedal source contribution varies from 9% to 20% [±9–10%], indicating that streamflow is greatly augmented by the presence of glaciers at these headwater scales. However, applying these proportions to river discharge shows a sustained bofedal contribution of around 0.09 m3/s during the dry season study window whereas the flux of glacial water halves from 0.73 to 0.36 m3/s over this timeframe. The results highlight the important role of bofedales and the connected groundwater system in buffering seasonal declines in streamflow months into the dry season, and suggests the hydrological functioning of bofedales as part of this wider system should be considered when exploring the effectiveness of potential options to sustain baseflows in a post‐glacial future.

Abstract We employ a high‐resolution Köppen climate classification dataset to examine shifts in Tundra zones within the Alps and Asia. Our analysis shows substantial reductions in Tundra areas by the mid‐21st century under different Shared. Socioeconomic pathways (SSP1‐2.6, SSP3‐7.0, SSP5‐8.5). Tundra zones in the Alps and the Tibetan Plateau are crucial for their unique climates and role as water reservoirs. Characterized by short, mild summers and long, severe winters, these zones are vital for the glaciers and perennial snow. The projected climate instability may significantly reduce alpine snow cover by mid‐century with irreversible consequences. A 2°C temperature increase from the 1981–2010 baseline could eliminate the Tundra climate in the Alps and reduce it by over 70% in Asia. This is particularly concerning given that rivers from the Tibetan Plateau sustain nearly 40% of the global population.

Water transit times strongly influence water quality, temperature, and seasonal hydrologic response of river systems. How water transit times may shift under future climates remains unconstrained, especially in mountainous regions experiencing rapid snowpack declines. Here, we estimated historical (2006–2013) and future (2086–2093) water transit times in five headwater catchments within the U.S. Pacific Northwest using sequential precipitation input tagging with the Water Tracer enabled version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Hydrologic model. Our results indicate water transit times are 18% (35–64 days) faster on average under the RCP 8.5 climate scenario due to shifts in rain-snow partitioning, with higher fractions of younger water in the wet season and older water in the dry season. These results suggest shifts in rain-snow partitioning in snowmelt dominated catchments of the Pacific Northwest will shorten water transit times leading to likely declines in regional water quality, increases in water temperature, and altered seasonal hydrologic responses.

Abstract We employ a high‐resolution Köppen climate classification dataset to examine shifts in Tundra zones within the Alps and Asia. Our analysis shows substantial reductions in Tundra areas by the mid‐21st century under different Shared. Socioeconomic pathways (SSP1‐2.6, SSP3‐7.0, SSP5‐8.5). Tundra zones in the Alps and the Tibetan Plateau are crucial for their unique climates and role as water reservoirs. Characterized by short, mild summers and long, severe winters, these zones are vital for the glaciers and perennial snow. The projected climate instability may significantly reduce alpine

National Park. It flows south, then flows west through the Cedar Grove section of Kings Canyon, a glacial valley with high granite cliffs and a meadow floor The Kings River (Spanish: Río de los Santos Reyes) is a 132.9-mile (213.9 km) river draining the Sierra Nevada mountain range in central California in the United States. Its headwaters originate along the Sierra Crest in and around Kings Canyon National Park and form Kings Canyon, one of the deepest river gorges in North America. The river is impounded in Pine Flat Lake before flowing into the San Although most of the original wetlands and riparian zones in the valley have been lost to development, narrow riparian corridors still exist along 40 miles (64 km) of the Kings River between Pine Flat Dam and People's Weir (below Highway 99), and in other places such as lower Fresno Slough. The largest riparian habitats are concentrated in the Centerville Bottoms, east of Sanger, where the river divides into multiple channels over a roughly 5-mile (8.0 km) wide area. Below Highway 99 the river channels, with few exceptions, are almost completely channelized and modified from their native state. A minimum Kings River flow of 100 cubic feet per second (2.8 m3/s) is maintained at all times via releases from Pine Flat Dam, in order to support fish populations and riparian habitats. In the foothills, California oak woodlands consisting mainly of blue and black oak occur along the Kings River, Mill Creek and other perennial tributaries. Other foothill areas are dominated by thick chaparral and brush. At lower to middle elevations in the Sierra Nevada portion of the watershed, mixed conifer forests are the primary habitat, with ponderosa pine and yellow pine being dominant. Some areas, such as the steeper and more exposed north wall of Kings Canyon, remain primarily chaparral and brush. Giant sequoias are found in this area of the watershed. The General Grant Grove is located about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the Middle and South Fork confluence; the Kings River groves, a set of four smaller groves, are situated lower in elevation and close to the South Fork. Higher up in the Sierra, subalpine forests below the treeless alpine zone are characterized by red fir, lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, mountain hemlock and foxtail pine. Above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation, glacial features such as cirques and tarns characterize the landscape, with various wildflower and shrub species occurring in between areas of bare rock. Although the high country is usually covered in snow from November to May, as many as 600 plant species occur in the alpine zone of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks, and twice that many are present in other parts of the parks. Starting in 2002, the…