The data set includes soil bulk density data of representative soil samples collected from July 2012 to August 2013 in the Heihe River Basin. The first soil survey was conducted in 2012. After the representativeness evaluation of collected samples, we conducted an additional sampling in 2013. These samples are representative enough to represent the soil variation in the Heihe River Basin, of which the soil variation in each landscape could be accounted for. The sampling depths in field refer to the sampling specification of Chinese Soil Taxonomy, in which soil samples were taken from genetic soil horizons.

The data set includes soil organic carbon concentrations data of representative soil samples collected from July 2012 to August 2013 in the Heihe River Basin. The first soil survey was conducted in 2012. After the representativeness evaluation of collected samples, we conducted an additional sampling in 2013. These samples are representative enough to represent the soil variation in the Heihe River Basin, of which the soil variation in each landscape could be accounted for. The sampling depths in field refer to the sampling specification of Chinese Soil Taxonomy, in which soil samples were taken from genetic soil horizons.

The data set integrated glacier inventory data and 426 Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI images, and adopted manual visual interpretation to extract glacial lake boundaries within a 10-km buffer from glacier terminals using ArcGIS and ENVI software, normalized difference water index maps, and Google Earth images. It was established that 26,089 and 28,953 glacial lakes in HMA, with sizes of 0.0054–5.83 km2, covered a combined area of 1692.74 ± 231.44 and 1955.94 ± 259.68 km2 in 1990 and 2018, respectively.The current glacial lake inventory provided fundamental data for water resource evaluation, assessment of glacial lake outburst floods, and glacier hydrology research in the mountain cryosphere region

This data is obtained by spatial interpolation and permafrost simulation through the surface temperature at 0 cm of nine stations in and outside the source area of the upper reaches of Heihe River. In the figure, 1 represents seasonal frozen soil and 2 represents permafrost. The data is in TIFF format, WGS-84 is used for projection, and the spatial range is 37.7263n-39.0976n, 98.5769e-101.1608e.

There are three types of glacial lakes: supraglacial lakes, lakes attached to the end of the glacier and lakes not attached to the end of the glacier. Based on this classification, the following properties are studied: the variation in the number and area of glacial lakes in different basins in the Third Pole region, the changes in extent in terms of size and area, distance from glaciers, the differences in area changes between lakes with and without the supply of glacial melt water runoff, the characteristics of changes in the glacial lake area with respect to elevation, etc. Data source: Landsat TM/ETM+ 1990, 2000, 2010. The data were visually interpreted, which included checking and editing by comparing the original image with Google Earth images when the area was greater than 0.003 square kilometres. The data were applied to glacial lake changes and glacial lake outburst flood assessments in the Third Pole region. Data type: Vector data. Projected Coordinate System: Albers Conical Equal Area.

Under the background of global warming, mountain glaciers worldwide are facing strong ablation and retreat, but from existing field observations, it is found that most of the glaciers in the Karakorum region remain stable or are advancing, which is called the ＂Karakorum anomaly＂. Glacier surface velocity is an important parameter for studying glacier dynamics and mass balance. Studying the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of glacier velocity in central Karakorum is significant for understanding the dynamic characteristics of the glacier in this region and its response to climate change. Four pairs of Landsat 7 ETM+ images acquired in 1999 to 2003 (images acquired on 1999.7.16, 2000.6.16, 2001.7.21, 2002.8.9, 2002.4.19, 2003.3.21) were selected; using the panchromatic band with a resolution of 15 m, each pair of images was accurately registered, and then cross-correlation calculations were then performed on each image pair after registration to obtain the surface velocity of the glacier in the central Karakorum region from 1999 to 2003. Due to the lack of velocity observation data in the study area, the accuracy of the ice flow results is estimated using the offset value of the stable region, and the surface velocity error of the glacier is approximately ±7 m/year. The glacier velocity data dates are from 1999 to 2003, with a temporal resolution of one year. They cover the central Karakorum region, with a spatial resolution of 30 m. The data are stored as a GeoTIFF file every year. For details regarding the data, please refer to the data description.

The data set of bacterial diversity in Tibetan soil provides the microbial distribution characteristics of the soil surface (0-2 cm) of the Tibetan Plateau. The samples were collected from July 1st to July 15th, 2015, from three types of ecosystems: meadows, grasslands and desert. The soil samples were stored in ice packs and transported to the Ecological Laboratory of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research in Beijing. The DNA from the soil was extracted using an MO BIO Power Soil DNA kit. The soil surface samples were stored in liquid nitrogen after collection, shipped to the Sydney laboratory, and then extracted using a Fast Prep DNA kit. The extracted DNA samples adopted 515F (5'-GTGCCAGCMGCCGCGGTAA-3') and 909r (5'-GGACTACHVGGGTWTCTAAT-3') to amplify the 16S rRNA gene fragments. The amplified fragments were sequenced by the Illumina Miseq PE250 method, and the raw data were analyzed using Mothur software. The sequences with poor sequencing quality were first removed; the sequences were sorted, and the chimeric sequences were removed. The similarities between the sequences were then calculated, the sequences with similarities above 97% were clustered into one OTU, and the OTU representative sequence was defined. The OTU representative sequence was compared with the Silva database and identified as level one when the reliability exceeded 80%. The microbial diversities in these data on the Tibetan Plateau were systematically compared, which made them significant to the study of the microbial distribution on the Tibetan Plateau.

Microbial diversity data of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau. One hundred and thirty-eight samples were collected from July 1st to July 15th, 2015, from 28 lakes (Bamco, Baima Lake, Bange Salt Lake, Bangong Lake, Bengco, Bieruozeco, Cuoeco, Cuoe (Pingcuo North), Dawaco, Dangqiongco, Dangreyongco, Dongco, Eyacuoqiong, Gongzhuco, Guogenco, Jiarebuco, Mapangyongco, Namco, Nieerco (Salt Lake), Normaco, Pengyanco, Pengco, Qiangyong, Selinco, Wuruco, Wumaco, Zharinanmuco, and Zhaxico). The salinity gradients range from 0.07-118 ppm. The DNA extraction method: The DNA was extracted using an MO BIO PowerSoil DNA kit after the lake water was filtered onto a 0.45 membrane. The 16S rRNA gene fragment amplification primers were 515F (5'-GTGCCAGCMGCCGCGGTAA-3') and 909r (5'-GGACTACHVGGGTWTCTAAT-3'). The sequencing method was Illumina MiSeq PE250, and the raw data were analyzed by Mothur software, including quality filtering and chimera removal. The sequence classification was based on the Silva109 database, and archaea, eukaryotic and unknown source sequences have been removed. OTUs were classified by 97% similarity, and sequences that appear once in the database were then removed. Finally, each sample was resampled to 7,230 sequences/sample. GPS coordinates, evolutionary information, and environmental factors are listed in the data.

The continuous advancement of SAR interferometry technology makes it possible to obtain multitemporal DEMs with high precision in the glacial area. In particular, in 2000, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) led by NASA provided DEM data covering the area from 56ºS to 60ºN; the TanDEM-X bistatic SAR interferometry system of DLR could provide the global DEM data with high resolution and precision. These high-quality, large-coverage SAR interferometry data, as well as published DEM data products, provided valuable information for using the multitemporal DEMs to detect changes in ice thickness. The temporal coverage of the ice thickness variation data of typical glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau was from 2000 to 2013, covering Puruogangri and the west Qilian Mountains with a spatial resolution of 30 meters. Using TanDEM-X bistatic InSAR data and a C-band SRTM DEM, the differential radar interferometry method was first used to generate a TanDEM-X DEM with high precision. Then, based on the precise registration of DEM, the DEM data obtained in different periods were compared. Lastly, the ice thickness changes were estimated. The format of the data set was GeoTIFF, and each typical glacier ice thickness change was stored in a folder. For details of the data, please refer to the Ice elevation changes for typical glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau - Data Description.

The glacial bacterial resource database of the Tibetan Plateau provides the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences of several glaciers, which are seven glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau separated by an experimental group led by Yongqin Liu during 2010 to 2018 (East Rongbuk Glacier of Mt. Qomolangma, Tianshan Glacier No.1, Guliya Glacier, Laohugou Glacier, Muztagh Ata Glacier, Qiyi Glacier and Yuzhufeng Glacier), the Malan Glacier separated by Shurong Xiang and the Puruogangri Glacier separated by Xinfang Zhang. After the glacier samples were collected, they were taken to the Ecological Laboratory of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and the National Cryosphere Laboratory in Lanzhou. After applying the spread plate method, the samples were cultured at different temperatures (4-25 °C) for 20 days to 90 days, and single colonies were picked out for purification. After the DNA was extracted from the isolated bacteria, the 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragment was amplified with 27F/1492R primer and sequenced using the Sanger method. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence was compared with the RDP database using the "Classifier" software and identified as level one when the reliability exceeded 80%. These data contain the 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragment sequence and glacier sources of each sequence. Compared with sequences based on high-throughput sequencing, these data have a longer sequence and more accurate classification and can better serve in glacier microbiology research.

Using the Modis1B data of 11 scenes from 2003 to 2013 (the ice shelf Modis1B data published on the NSIDC website), the surface velocity of the Antarctic Amery Ice Shelf was extracted by the subpixel cross-correlation method, the ice velocity was extracted by the COSI-Corr software, and then the time sequence of annual average velocities for nearly ten years was obtained. Due to the lack of field observations in the study area, the accuracy of the ice flow results was estimated by using the offset value of the stable region, and the ice flow error was approximately ±50 m/year. The ice velocity data date from 2003 to 2013, the temporal resolution is one year, and the data cover the Amery area with a spatial resolution of 500 m. A GeoTIFF file of velocity data is stored every year. For details regarding the data, please refer to the Amery Ice Flow Field - Data Description.