Abstract: Using the meteorological observation data including temperature and precipitation at 66 stations over the Tibetan Plateau from 1961 to 2007, by means of the typical climate zoning, the spatio-temporal variations of climatic variables over the plateau in the recent 47 years were systematically studied, and the differences of climate change in different sub-regions were shown. The results indicate that the climate over the Tibetan Plateau overally showed a significant warming trend in the recent 47 years, the annual mean temperature rose at a rate of 0.37℃/10a; the warming was more remarkable in nighttime than in daytime, and in winter than in other seasons. The change from colder to warmer was the most significant in February, but the least in August, when climate showed a cooling trend in some areas. Climate warming at the edge of the plateau was more obvious than in the hinterland. The northern of Qinghai, especially the Qaidam Basin was a most sensitive area to climate change. Precipitation showed a rising trend at a tendency rate of 9.1 mm/10a; but regional differences were very apparent, the western of Sichuan, which lies in the southeast of Tibet, was the most significant in precipitation-increasing in the whole Tibetan Plateau; Precipitation in winter and spring (from December to May of the next year) in all areas increased with the climate warming; but the drought trend in the upstream of Yellow River was obvious after 1987.

Key words: climate change, warming and wetting, Tibetan Plateau