The Latest Breaking News from The Tibetan Plateau

Welsh adventurer trekked 4,000 miles from the Yangtze's source to Shanghai

British adventurer Ash Dykes became the first person to walk the length of China's Yangtze River, covering 6,437 kilometres, or about 4,000 miles, from the river's scientific source in southern Qinghai to its mouth near Shanghai. Guinness World Records officially recognised the feat after Dykes began his expedition on August…

The Times of India · Sep 22

How heat on the Tibetan Plateau fuels powerful storms in California, half a world away

The Tibetan Plateau may be on the other side of the world from California, but what happens on this high-altitude landscape in Asia can set off a chain of events that fuels powerful atmospheric rivers with flooding rainfall and heavy snow hitting the U.S. West Coast.

The Conversation · Sep 10

Is China behind California’s 2017 catastrophic rain? New study finds a surprising 'climate teleconnection' linking the Rocky Mountains and Tibetan Plateau

Is China behind California’s 2017 catastrophic rain? Recent studies indicate that unusually warm temperatures on the Tibetan Plateau have a direct correlation with extreme rainfall occurrences in California. This climatic teleconnection plays a crucial role in the formation of atmospheric rivers along the Pacific Coast. By linking distant warming patterns…

The Economic Times · Sep 10

Shapeshifting 'braided river' in Tibet is the highest in the world, and is becoming increasingly unstable — Earth from space

A 2025 satellite photo shows a particularly complex section of the Yarlung Zangbo River as it twists its way through the Tibetan Plateau. This part of the "braided" waterway has experienced drastic visual changes over recent decades, which could soon be accentuated by climate change.

LiveScience · Oct 14, 2025

Tibetan Women Have Evolved a Pregnancy Superpower

A new study from Case Western Reserve University shows how ethnic Tibetan women have evolved to thrive during pregnancy at high altitudes in Nepal.

Inverse · Oct 21, 2024

Lessons from Ladakh: the Himalayan birthplace of the localisation movement

I Wrote The Book On It: Helena Norberg-Hodge, the author of Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh for a Globalizing World and founder of Local Futures shares big lessons from ancient traditions on the Tibetan Plateau 

Evening Standard · Aug 4, 2024

Indian Continental Plate potentially splitting in two, reveals new study

A new study reveals that the Indian Continental Plate could be splitting, leading to the formation of the Tibetan Plateau. Scientists are surprised by this...

Top News · Jan 24, 2024

Buddhist ritual saves exotic fish from slaughter — only for 'adventurous' Tibetan otters to feast on them instead

Exotic fish released as part of a Buddhist religious practice have become the preferred food option for otters, potentially mitigating the impact these introductions have on native species.

LiveScience · Jul 26, 2023

How milk tamed the Third Pole: research reveals a 3,500-year history of dairy consumption on the Tibetan Plateau

It’s not called the Third Pole for nothing. The Tibetan Plateau forms the major portion of a vast upland area of ice and glaciers that covers some 100,000 square kilometres of Earth’s surface.

The Conversation · Apr 12, 2023

This Ancient Beverage Helped Tibetans Thrive On The “Roof of The World”

A new study has found that dairy farming on the Tibetan Plateau dates back to 3,500 years ago, helping ancient humans thrive in the most harshest environments.

Inverse · Apr 12, 2023