Abstract: [Purposes] Studying lake level changes of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau that known as the “Water Tower of Asia” is crucial for understanding regional ecological stability and climate change. [Methods] Here,we takes Namco Lake of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau as a case study.First,the water level of Namco Lake is extracted using SWOT satellite data.Then,the accuracy of the water level extracted by SWOT satellite is verified using DAHITI and HydroWeb altimeter datasets.Finally,we analyzed the the influence of rainfall on the water level changes of Namco Lake. [Findings] The results show that a strong correlation and consistency between the water level extracted by SWOT satellite and those from DAHITI and HydroWeb.The average RMSE values between SWOT water level and the DAHITI and HydroWeb datasets are 0.102 m and 0.054 m,respectively; while the average correlation coefficients (R²) are 0.865 and 0.942,respectively.Furthermore,the water level changes in Namco Lake show a significant positive correlation with rainfall changes,with their overall trends being largely consistent,implying that rainfall as a key factor driving the water level changes in Namco Lake. [Conclusions] This study verifies the feasibility of using SWOT satellite to monitor the water level in Namco Lake and provides a scientific basis for further revealing the relationship between lakes and climate change on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Key words: Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, climate change, SWOT satellite, Namco Lake, lake level