China's largest inland lake in recovery
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Statistics from the meteorological bureau of Qinghai showed that average rainfall from 2004 to 2008 was 431.3 millimeters, 13 percent up from the average from 1971 to 2000.
"More rainfall resulted in the rise of water level," said Duan Shuiqiang.
While Dai Sheng from the climate research center of Qinghai said, "more clouds over the lake reduced the evaporation in the lake, which slowed down the drop of water level."
Global warming was cited as another cause of the recovery.
From 2001 to 2008, average temperature around the lake was up 0.6 degrees Celcius from the 1990s. Monitoring stations found that the inflowing rivers obviously swollen.
The temperature in Tibet Autonomous Region has risen by an average of 0.32 degrees Celsius every 10 years from 1961 to 2008, according to China Meteorological Administration (CMA) data.
"Due to global warming, glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are retreating extensively at a speed faster than in any other part of the world. In the short term, this will cause expansion of lakes," said Qin Dahe, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who is former head of CMA.
Despite the recovery, water level of the lake was still generally below that 50 years ago.
"From 1955 to 2004, the water level dropped four meters. We are not sure if it could return to the past level," Duan Shuiqiang said.
While Cai Qing noted that the lake's shoreline had retreated for nearly 100 meters.
But meteorological experts were optimistic.
"In the next two decades, the lake will still see abundant rainfall," said Dai Sheng.
"By 2030, the lake will return to what it was like in the 1970s,and the water level will be three meters higher than the current," he said.
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