Why are there so many lakes on the Tibetan Plateau?

Natural lakes are inland bodies of water surrounded by land, typically formed through processes such as glaciation, tectonic activity, or volcanic eruptions. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) hosts a substantial number of lakes (Figure 1A), which can be categorized into two main types: tectonic lakes, formed in depressions created by movement of the Earth's crust and subsequently filled with water, and glacial lakes, which occupy depressions carved by glaciers and are fed by meltwater. The TP's lakes, along with their glaciers and rivers, form a critical component of Asia's "Water Tower", playing an essential role in regional water storage and distribution. Due to their widespread distribution, extensive size, and the closed nature of many basins, these lakes act as key links in the water cycle. They collect inputs such as cryosphere meltwater and precipitation from surrounding watersheds and release water primarily through evaporation from their surfaces. The reasons behind the high concentration of lakes on the TP remain enigmatic, and recent rapid changes in their characteristics make them a particularly intriguing subject for scientific exploration.