In the early hours, Shi Kaihao braces against a biting wind. He runs across the frostbitten plateau, dragging a hydrogen balloon the size of a satellite dish. The wind tugs violently, nearly lifting him from the ground. With quiet determination, he and his colleagues release the balloon, equipped with sensors for tracking temperature, humidity, and wind speed. It rises slowly over the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station, a remote outpost located at 4,534 meters above sea level.
This isolated station lies near the source of the Yangtze River, in the windswept city of Golmud in China’s Qinghai province. Established in 1956, the Tuotuohe outpost has long played a crucial role in collecting data from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Researchers there provide vital information for understanding climate change on what’s often called the roof of the world. Despite its remoteness, the station continues to contribute to global meteorological research. With each balloon release, the team adds another datapoint to the unfolding story of planetary transformation.
Conditions here stretch human endurance. The oxygen level barely reaches 60 percent of what one breathes at sea level. Wind gusts can tear across the landscape at 17 metres per second. Even in spring, sub-zero temperatures dominate the air, making simple movements taxing. Sometimes, the gusts are so fierce they send technicians sprawling during balloon releases.
Shi, just 28 years old, spends his days in this demanding environment. Alongside daily balloon launches, he monitors permafrost, measures temperature fluctuations, and assists in ecological fieldwork. His work goes beyond duty—it’s a mission to document a region undergoing rapid change. “Even walking in the city feels overwhelming after working here,” he says. Life on the plateau reshapes a person.
The team consists of just nine members, all in their mid-to-late twenties. Miao Peilin, 36, leads the group while also handling routine weather tracking. He watches over the younger staff, who often face emotional and physical strain in the isolation. Despite the hardships, Miao finds solace in knowing their efforts matter. “Our observations hold real weight,” he explains, referring to their role in international climate data sharing.
A small cat offers a rare dose of cheer in the bleak landscape. For a place governed by routine and solitude, the cat’s antics offer brief but needed joy. The station’s residents rely on each other and on small comforts. Over decades, the station has witnessed both personal and environmental transformations. From lonely beginnings to modernisation, Tuotuohe has grown resilient.
Wang Shengcang remembers when the station lacked a railway and staff traveled two days to reach it. Back then, food supplies amounted to little more than potatoes and cabbage. A single monthly letter from home became his greatest comfort. He worked there for twelve years starting in 1993, forging lifelong bonds with both the land and his colleagues. “Those days shaped who I am,” he recalls.
Today, modernisation has reached Tuotuohe. Oxygen-equipped dormitories and proper brick buildings now replace makeshift shelters. Technological upgrades have revolutionised data collection, most notably the new BeiDou satellite system. This system now delivers real-time atmospheric data as weather balloons rise and fall. The improvements have transformed both efficiency and precision.
Meteorological data from the past 30 years reveals a warming Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Annual temperatures have risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius. Rainfall has increased by 13.8 percent. Meanwhile, sandstorm days dropped from 11 per year to just five. These trends illustrate not only a changing climate but also the impact of ecological protection.
Zhang Chengxiang of Golmud’s meteorological bureau links these changes to both global warming and local conservation. He cites grassland restoration and desert control in Sanjiangyuan as key interventions. The region serves as the headwaters for the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers. As such, its health influences much of Asia. “The data confirms climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,” Zhang concludes.
Tracking climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has become both a scientific imperative and a human story. From braving windstorms to raising balloons, the station’s staff embody dedication. Through evolving technologies and unchanging resolve, they continue to record the planet’s pulse. They endure not for recognition, but for responsibility. And in doing so, they track climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for us all.
