scholarly journals Recent Accelerating Glacier Mass Loss of the Geladandong Mountain, Inner Tibetan Plateau, Estimated from ZiYuan-3 and TanDEM-X Measurements

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Liu ◽  
Liming Jiang ◽  
Zhimin Zhang ◽  
Hansheng Wang ◽  
Xiaoli Ding
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Climate Variations ◽  
Mass Balances ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Melt Water

The headwaters of many Asian rivers are at mountain glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau. Glacier melt-water is a non-negligible contributor of river runoff, especially for a drought year. However, the observation of mass glacier changes was scarce in recent years. Here, we estimated the recent glacier mass change of the Geladandong mountain, by differencing the digital elevation models (DEMs) produced from ZiYuan-3 images and TanDEM-X data. Moreover, we compared the SRTM-C DEM with TanDEM-X DEMs to retrieve glacier mass balances since 2000. The annual mass loss rates of −0.11 ± 0.03 and −0.47 ± 0.09 m w.e. yr−1 were derived in 2000–2012 and 2012−2018, respectively. This result revealed an accelerating rate of negative glacier mass changes during recent years, which is mainly caused by the significant increase of mass loss over non-surge glaciers, rather than surge-type glaciers, which held a slight increase of mass loss. In addition, we found a pronounced discrepancy of glacier mass change between non-surge and surge-type glaciers during 2012−2018, and suggested that this difference may be caused by the heterogeneous responses of surge-type glaciers to climate variations, because of the different timing and type of surge events.

scholarly journals Spatial variability in mass change of glaciers in the Everest region, central Himalaya, between 2000 and 2015

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen King ◽  
Duncan J. Quincey ◽  
Jonathan L. Carrivick ◽  
Ann V. Rowan
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Glacial Lakes ◽  
Equilibrium Line Altitude ◽  
Glacier Recession ◽  
Himalayan Glaciers ◽  
Distinct Process

Abstract. The mass balance of the majority of Himalayan glaciers is currently negative, and has been for several decades. Region wide averaging of mass change estimates has masked any catchment or glacier scale variability in glacier recession, thus the role of a number of glaciological processes in glacier wastage remains poorly understood. In this study, we quantify surface lowering and mass loss rates for the ablation areas of 32 glaciers in different catchments across the Everest region, and specifically examine the role of glacial lakes in glacier mass change. We then assess how future ice loss is likely to differ depending on glacier hypsometry. Spatially variable ice loss is observed within and between the Dudh Koshi and Tama Koshi catchments and glaciers that flow onto the Tibetan Plateau. Surface lowering rates on glaciers flowing onto the Tibetan Plateau are 54 and 19 % greater than those flowing southward into the Dudh Koshi and Tama Koshi catchments, respectively. Surface lowering rates of up to −3.78 ± 0.26 m a-1 occurred on some lacustrine terminating glaciers, although glaciers with small lakes showed rates of lowering comparable with those that terminate on land. We suggest that such a range reflects glacial lakes at different stages of development, and that rates of mass loss are likely to increase as glacial lakes expand and deep water calving begins to occur. Hypsometric data reveal a coincidence of the altitude of maximum surface lowering and the main glacier hypsometry in the Dudh Koshi catchment, thus a large volume of ice is readily available for melt. Should predicted CMIP5 RCP 4.5 scenario warming (0.9–2.3 °C by 2100) occur in the study area, 19–30, 17–50 and 14–37 % increases in the total glacierised area below the Equilibrium Line Altitude will occur in the Dudh Koshi and Tama Koshi catchments, and on the Tibetan Plateau. Comparison of our data with a conceptual model of Himalayan glacier shrinkage confirms the presence of three distinct process regimes, with all glaciers in our sample now in a state of accelerating mass loss and meltwater storage.

scholarly journals Combining UAV and Landsat data to assess glacier changes on the central Tibetan Plateau

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Yuang Xue ◽  
Zhefan Jing ◽  
Shichang Kang ◽  
Xiaobo He ◽  
Chenyu Li
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Landsat Data ◽  
Mountain Glacier ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Central Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Elevation Changes

Abstract In recent years, researchers have focused on the applications of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in environmental remote sensing tasks. However, studies on glacier monitoring using UAV technology are relatively scarce, especially for high mountain glacier monitoring. To explore the feasibility of UAV technology for high mountain glaciers, four UAV surveys were deployed on two glaciers of the central Tibetan Plateau. Based on the images retrieved by UAV in 2017 and 2019, orthomosaics and digital elevation models were produced to quantify the length, area and elevation changes in the ablation zone of these two glaciers at different times. Additionally, we utilized several Landsat scenes to derive glacier changes over the last 30 years and combined these with the UAV data to assess the advantages and disadvantages of UAV technology in mountain glacier monitoring.

scholarly journals Glacier elevation and mass changes over the central Karakoram region estimated from TanDEM-X and SRTM/X-SAR digital elevation models

2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (71) ◽  
pp. 273-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Rankl ◽  
Matthias Braun
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Digital Elevation Models ◽  
Mass Balances ◽  
Freshwater Resources ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Glacier Changes ◽  
Kinematic Waves ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
River Communities

AbstractSnow cover and glaciers in the Karakoram region are important freshwater resources for many down-river communities as they provide water for irrigation and hydropower. A better understanding of current glacier changes is hence an important informational baseline. We present glacier elevation changes in the central Karakoram region using TanDEM-X and SRTM/X-SAR DEM differences between 2000 and 2012. We calculated elevation differences for glaciers with advancing and stable termini or surge-type glaciers separately using an inventory from a previous study. Glaciers with stable and advancing termini since the 1970s showed nearly balanced elevation changes of -0.09 ±0.12 m a-1 on average or mass budgets of -0.01 ±0.02Gt a-1 (using a density of 850 kg m-3). Our findings are in accordance with previous studies indicating stable or only slightly negative glacier mass balances during recent years in the Karakoram. The high-resolution elevation changes revealed distinct patterns of mass relocation at glacier surfaces during active surge cycles. The formation of kinematic waves at quiescent surge-type glaciers could be observed and points towards future active surge behaviour. Our study reveals the potential of the TanDEM-X mission to estimate geodetic glacier mass balances, but also points to still existing uncertainties induced by the geodetic method.

scholarly journals Characteristics and sources of dissolved organic matter in a glacier in the northern Tibetan Plateau: differences between different snow categories

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (77) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Feng ◽  
Yanqing An ◽  
Jianzhong Xu ◽  
Shichang Kang
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Melting Rate ◽  
Ion Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Northern Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Fresh Snow ◽  
Northern Edge

AbstractDissolved organic matter (DOM) in mountain glaciers is an important source of carbon for downstream aquatic systems, and its impact is expected to increase due to the increased melting rate of glaciers. We present a comprehensive study of Laohugou glacier no. 12 (LHG) at the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau to characterize the DOM composition and sources by analyzing surface fresh snow, granular ice samples, and snow pit samples which covered a whole year cycle of 2014/15. Excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of the DOM with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) identified four components, including a microbially humic-like component (C1), two protein-like components (C2 and C3) and a terrestrial humic-like component (C4). The use of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) showed that DOM from all these samples was dominated by CHO and CHON molecular formulas, mainly corresponding to lipids and aliphatic/proteins compounds, reflecting the presence of significant amounts of microbially derived and/or deposited biogenic DOM. The molecular compositions of DOM showed more CHON compounds in granular ice than in fresh snow, likely suggesting newly formed DOM from microbes during snowmelting.

scholarly journals Causes of glacier change in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers on the Tibetan Plateau

2003 ◽  
Vol 49 (167) ◽  
pp. 539-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Jianping ◽  
Ding Yongjian ◽  
Chen Rensheng ◽  
Liu Shiyin ◽  
Lu Anxin
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Source Regions ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
River Drainages ◽  
Topographical Maps

AbstractGlaciers are an important element of the environment in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers on the Tibetan Plateau. Using Geographical Information System techniques, we have studied changes in the location of glacier margins in two areas: the Geladandong area in the headwaters of the Yangtze, and the A’nyêmaqên Shan mountains in the headwaters of the Yellow River. Marginal positions during the Little Ice Age (LIA) maximum, in 1969 in the Geladandong area, in 1966 in the A’nyêmaqên Shan, and in 2000 in both areas, were determined using aerial photographs, satellite images, topographical maps and digital elevation models. Extrapolating the results to the entire source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, we estimate that the total glacierized area decreased about 1.7% between 1969 and 2000 in the Geladandong area and about 17% between 1966 and 2000 in the A’nyêmaqên Shan. Glaciers were stable or advanced slightly between 1969 and 1995 in the Geladandong area, and between 1966 and 1981 in the A’nyêmaqên Shan, but have retreated since the mid-1990s in the former and since the 1980s in the latter. Significant increases in summer air temperature and decreases in annual precipitation are the causes of the present retreat. As a consequence of the retreat, water storage, as ice, in the Yangtze and Yellow river drainages is decreasing by 65–70 × 106 m3 a−1.

scholarly journals Density assumptions for converting geodetic glacier volume change to mass change

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Huss
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Volume Change ◽  
Conversion Factor ◽  
Constant Factor ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Density Assumption ◽  
Short Time

Abstract. The geodetic method is widely used for assessing changes in the mass balance of mountain glaciers. However, comparison of repeated digital elevation models only provides a glacier volume change that must be converted to a change in mass using a density assumption. This study investigates this conversion factor based on a firn compaction model applied to simplified glacier geometries with idealized climate forcing, and two glaciers with long-term mass balance series. It is shown that the "density" of geodetic volume change is not a constant factor and is systematically smaller than ice density in most cases. This is explained by the accretion/removal of low-density firn layers, and changes in the firn density profile with positive/negative mass balance. Assuming a value of 850 ± 60 kg m−3 to convert volume change to mass change is appropriate for a wide range of conditions. For short time intervals (≤3 yr), periods with limited volume change, and/or changing mass balance gradients, the conversion factor can however vary from 0–2000 kg m−3 and beyond which requires caution when interpreting glacier mass changes based on geodetic surveys.

scholarly journals Accelerated contributions of Canada's Baffin and Bylot Island glaciers to sea level rise over the past half century

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1103-1125 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gardner ◽  
G. Moholdt ◽  
A. Arendt ◽  
B. Wouters
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
Total Contribution ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Past Half Century ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Grace Satellite Gravimetry

Abstract. Canadian Arctic glaciers have recently contributed large volumes of meltwater to the world's oceans. To place recently observed glacier wastage into a historical perspective and to determine the region's longer-term (~50 years) contribution to sea level, we estimate mass and volume changes for the glaciers of Baffin and Bylot Islands using digital elevation models generated from airborne and satellite stereoscopic imagery and elevation postings from repeat airborne and satellite laser altimetry. In addition, we update existing glacier mass change records from GRACE satellite gravimetry to cover the period from 2003 to 2011. Using this integrated approach, we find that the rate of mass loss from the region's glaciers increased from 11.1 ± 3.4 Gt a−1 (271 ± 84 kg m−2 a−1) for the period 1963–2006 to 23.8 ± 6.1 Gt a−1 (581 ± 149 kg m−2 a−1) for the period 2003–2011. The doubling of the rate of mass loss is attributed to higher temperatures in summer with little change in annual precipitation. Through both direct and indirect effects, changes in summer temperatures accounted for 70–98% of the variance in the rate of mass loss, to which the Barnes Ice Cap was found to be 1.7 times more sensitive than either the Penny Ice Cap or the region's glaciers as a whole. This heightened sensitivity is the result of a glacier hypsometry that is skewed to lower elevations, which are shown to have a higher mass change sensitive to temperature compared to glacier surfaces at higher elevations. Between 2003 and 2011 the glaciers of Baffin and Bylot Islands contributed 0.07 ± 0.02 mm a−1 to sea level rise accounting for 16% of the total contribution from glaciers outside of Greenland and Antarctica, a rate much higher than the longer-term average of 0.03 ± 0.01 mm a−1 (1963 to 2006).

Effects of litter quality and climate change along an elevation gradient on litter mass loss in an alpine meadow ecosystem on the Tibetan plateau

Plant Ecology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 209 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangping Xu ◽  
Yigang Hu ◽  
Shiping Wang ◽  
Zhenhua Zhang ◽  
Xiaofeng Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Alpine Meadow ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Litter Mass ◽  
Litter Mass Loss

scholarly journals Last Glacial climate reconstruction by exploring glacier sensitivity to climate on the southeastern slope of the western Nyaiqentanglha Shan, Tibetan Plateau

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (238) ◽  
pp. 361-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIANGKE XU ◽  
BAOLIN PAN ◽  
GUOCHENG DONG ◽  
CHAOLU YI ◽  
NEIL F. GLASSER
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Glacial Cycle ◽  
Geological Evidence ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Stage ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
The Last Glacial

ABSTRACTImprovements in understanding glacial extents and chronologies for the southeastern slope of the western Nyaiqentanglha Shan on the Tibetan Plateau are required to understand regional climate changes during the Last Glacial cycle. A two-dimensional numerical model of mass balance, based on snow–ice melting factors, and of ice flow for mountain glaciers is used to assess the glacier sensitivity to climatic change in a catchment of the region. The model can reproduce valley glaciers, wide-tongued glaciers and a coalescing glacier within step temperature lowering and precipitation increasing experiments. The model sensitivity experiments also indicate that the dependence of glacier growth on temperature and/or precipitation is nonlinear. The model results suggest that the valley glaciers respond more sensitively to an imposed climate change than wide-tongued and coalescing glaciers. Guided by field geological evidence of former glacier extent and other independent paleoclimate reconstructions, the model is also used to constrain the most realistic multi-year mean temperatures to be 2.9–4.6°C and 1.8–2.5°C lower than present in the glacial stages of the Last Glacial Maximum and middle marine oxygen isotope stage 3, respectively.

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