Significant CO₂ sink over the Tibet's largest lake: Implication for carbon neutrality across the Tibetan Plateau

In this study, the CO₂ flux over Siling Co Lake, the largest lake in Tibet, was analyzed employing the eddy covariance observation from 26 April 2014 to 22 March 2015. The results showed that Siling Co Lake acts as a net sink of CO₂ with annual absorption of 315.5 g C m^-2 a^-1. The inorganic processes might be the main reason of CO₂ absorption in Siling Co Lake owing to its high pH as an endorheic lake. Therefore, it is essential to consider the carbon absorption of lakes when assessing the carbon sink function of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). There would be more carbon surplus on the TP when the carbon absorption by lakes is considered, which will greatly contribute to the realization of carbon neutralization across TP. This study highlights the need to strengthen the systematic observation of long-term series of CO₂ flux in lakes on the TP, and further analyse the mechanism of CO₂ exchange between lakes and the atmosphere.