The joint application of the third stage “Dragon Plan” project, Monitor the Evolvement of Tibet Plateau Cryosphere Using Synthetic Earth Observation Methods, was approved recently. The project will begin in July 2012. As one of the main participators, WHIGG will devote to researching the temporal and spatial features and the law of mass distribution of the glacial, frozen soil and inland lakes by using InSAR, satellite altimetry, satellite gravity and GNSS.

The domestic research teams includes Chinese University of Hong Kong (leading role), Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics (CAS), Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CAS), Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAS). The European research teams consist of University of Technology Munich (German), Delft University of Technology, (Holland) and German Space Agency. Both sides will jointly utilize active and passive satellite remote sensing, space geodesy and earth observations to explore the Cryosphere evolutionary pattern in Tibet Plateau. The dynamic interactive response and feedback mechanism among glacial, frozen soil and inland lakes is a very important research issue.