Study of the cloud structure over the Mount Nyainqêntanglha during summer

Dynamic behavior of clouds has important implications on weather process and hydrological cycle over the Tibetan Plateau. CloudSat data were used to analyzed cloud types and their water content distribution during summer 2006—2010, in Nyainqêntanglha Mount range. It was observed that cloud water content was affected by vertical distribution of cloud, cloud types. And the difference of the cloud types between the mountain glacier and the mountain non-glacierized was about the precipitation clouds, the precipitation clouds were mainly dominated by the deep convective clouds when the ground was covered over with glacier, and the precipitation clouds were dominated by the nimbostratus when the ground had no glacier. Averaged cloud water content on the southern slope over the glacier and non-glacier were 0.14 g/m³ and 0.18 g/m³, respectively, which indicated that the water vapor was easier to form precipitation when the water vapor approached the glacier, and the glacier had negative impact on the water vapor transport.