Abstract:Under the background of global warming, permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been experienced a significant degradation, which may have effects on regional climate, hydrological and ecological processes. Based on long-term observation data in permafrost region of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and reanalysis data, the variation characteristics of temperature and precipitation in permafrost region in recent ten years were analyzed, and the variation trends of active layer thickness, ground temperature and soil water content were examined in this study. The spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation and soil water content in permafrost region from 1980 to 2018 were presented. The results showed that the permafrost in different regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has changed significantly in the past ten years. The thickness of the active layer and the ground temperature has increased, and the soil water content at the bottom of the active layer has increased. At the regional scale, the precipitation and soil water content in permafrost region increased significantly from 1980 to 2018. The possible impacts of permafrost degradation on hydrological processes, lake area changes and surface deformation were discussed. The results are helpful to understand the impact of permafrost changes on regional environment, deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of the interaction between permafrost and water cycle, and provide a scientific basis for environmental protection, engineering design and construction in cold regions.