| Summary: | Reference evapotranspiration (<i>ET</i><sub>0</sub>) is a key factor in the hydrological cycle and energy cycle. In the context of rapid climate change, studying the dynamic changes in <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is of great significance for water resource management in Asian countries. This study uses the Penman–Monteith formula to calculate the daily <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> of the TP and subsequently uses the Mann–Kendall (MK) test, cumulative anomaly curve, and sliding <i>t</i>-test to identify abrupt change points. Morlet wavelet analysis and the Hurst index based on rescaled range analysis (R/S) are utilized to predict the future trends of <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub>. The Spearman correlation coefficient is used to explore the relationship between <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> changes and other climate factors. The results show that the <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> on the TP exhibited an increasing trend from 1961 to 2017, with the most significant increase occurring in winter; an abrupt change to a tendency to decrease occurred in 1988, and another abrupt change to a tendency to increase occurred in 2005. Spatially, the <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> of the TP shows an increasing trend from east to west. The change trend of the <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> on the TP will not be sustainable into the future. In addition, the mean temperature has the greatest impact on the <i>ET</i><sub>0</sub> changes in the TP.
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