scholarly journals Modern glacier dynamics in Mt. Tsambagarav in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 12-20
Author(s):  
Tuyagerel Davaagatan ◽  
Alexander Orkhonselenge

This study presents the modern glacier dynamics in Mt. Tsambagarav in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range over the last four decades. This is the first review of this type of glacier dynamics for this massif. Changes in glacier area in Mt. Tsambagarav are estimated using normalized indexes (Normalized Difference Snow Index and Normalized Difference Principal Component Snow Index). Spatial distribution of the modern glaciers delineated with Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS: resolution of 80 m), Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM: resolution of 30 m) and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI: resolution of 30 m) imageries. Result shows that Mt. Tsambagarav has lost 51.7% of the glacier area from 132.24 km2 in 1977 to 63.92 km2 in 2017. The loss in glacier area for Mt. Tsambagarav during the last 40 years reflect the rapid response of the modern glacier to climate change, i.e., it is highly sensitive to solar insolation and/or rapidly rising local and regional mean annual temperatures. The remote sensing data and field survey suggest that the modern glaciers would be disappeared on a scale of decades. Rapid melting of the glacier in this massif contributes to surface water resources in western Mongolia. This study demonstrates the importance of spatial analysis in the remote area for understanding the context of changes in the modern glaciers.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Charles Huber ◽  
Peer Hajo Schnitter

Nebria (Pseudonebriola) tsambagaravsp. nov. is described from an alpine altitude in the Mongolian Altai. The new species is separated from other two Pseudonebriola species from the Mongolian Altai Mountain range, N. kerzhneri and N. medvedevi, by morphometric and morphological analyses. The new species and its habitat are illustrated, the subgeneric key is amended, and a distribution map is given.


Author(s):  
Battulga P ◽  
Tsogtbaatar J ◽  
Gerelbaatar S

The Mongolian Altai mountain range stretches from east to west for more than 800 kilometers, and its forest cover is considered the southwestern boundary of the distribution of Mongolian forests and is characterized by a unique combination of high-mountain and desert ecosystems. Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) is one of the main forest-forming tree species in the Mongolian Altai and covers 112.0 thousand ha of area and is distributed at an altitude of 2300 to 2700 m a.s.l. In this study, we attempted a comparative study of tree growth rates in larch forests, which are associated with four different altitudinal zones in the Mongolian Altai, aimed at determinining the lower and upper limits of forest distribution in this region. We used the natural quantitative indicators in this study. We carried out the diameter growth rate analyses on 15 model tree samples taken from the Mongolian Altai and 4 samples from Central Khangai regions. All the trees were divided into fast-growing and slow-growing. The results of the assessments showed that 60 percent of the studied forests belonged to slow-growing forests. Slowest growth rate was observed in the forests of Khan Taishir and Khar Azarga mountains, which are the southernmost tip of conifer forest distribution in Mongolia. For the first time in Mongolia we observed that the upper limit of larch forests reached up to 2700 m a.s.l. Such slow rate of tree growth in larch forests is the result of the existing harsh continental climate, aridity, and high altitudinal distribution in the Mongolian Altai. Our findings can become the scientific basis for the development of a sustainable forest management plan in the forests of the Mongol Altai, taking into account the different growth rate between stands.


Author(s):  
Nausheen Mazhar ◽  
Dania Amjad ◽  
Kanwal Javid ◽  
Rumana Siddiqui ◽  
Muhammad Ameer Nawaz ◽  
...  

Investigation of the fluctuations in the snow-covered area of the major glaciers of the Karakoram range is essential for proper water resource management in Pakistan, since its glaciers are responding differently to the rising temperatures. The objective of this paper is to map snow covered area of Hispar glacier in Hunza river basin for the years 1990, 2010 and 2018. Two techniques, (NDPCSI) Normalized Difference Principal Component Snow Index and (NDSI) Normalized Difference Snow Index were used. Hispar glacier of the Hunza basin has lost 114 km2 of its ice cover area, during the last 28 years, with an alarming annual retreat rate of 1.67 km2 of glacier ice from 1990 to 2018. Hunza basin experienced a +1°C rise in both mean minimum and mean maximum temperature during 2007 to 2018.as a result, Karakorum ice reserves have been affected by rising temperature of the region. Due to temperature rise, retreat of snowcovered area of Hispar, Karakoram mountain range shows a shift in the cryospheric hazard zone.


Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 565
Author(s):  
Nguyen Nguyen Vu ◽  
Le Van Trung ◽  
Tran Thi Van

This article presents the methodology for developing a statistical model for monitoring salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta based on the integration of satellite imagery and in-situ measurements. We used Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor (Landsat- 8 OLI and TIRS) satellite data to establish the relationship between the planetary reflectance and the ground measured data in the dry season during 2014. The three spectral bands (blue, green, red) and the principal component band were used to obtain the most suitable models. The selected model showed a good correlation with the exponential function of the principal component band and the ground measured data (R2 > 0.8). Simulation of the salinity distribution along the river shows the intrusion of a 4 g/L salt boundary from the estuary to the inner field of more than 50 km. The developed model will be an active contribution, providing managers with adaptation and response solutions suitable for intrusion in the estuary as well as the inner field of the Mekong Delta.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nedal Qaoud

Remote sensing data are used to discriminate between the different lithologies covering the Um Had area, Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. Image processing techniques applied to the Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data are used for mapping and discriminating the different basement lithologies of Um Had area. Principal component analysis (PCA), minimum noise fraction (MNF) transform and band rationing techniques provide efficient data for lithological mapping. The study area is underlain by gneisses, ophiolitic melange assemblage (talc-serpentinite, metagabbro, metabasalt), granitic rocks, Dokhan volcanics, Hammamat sediments and felsites. The resulting gray-scale PC2, PC3 and PC4 images are best to clearly discriminate the Hammamat sediments, amphibolites and talc-serpentinites, respectively. The gray-scale MNF3 and MNF4 images easily discriminate the felsites and talc-serpentinites, respectively. The band ratio 5/7 and 4/5 images are able to delineate the talc-serpentinites and Hammamat sediments, respectively. Information collected from gray-scale and false color composite images led to generation of detailed lithologic map of Um Had area.


2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-172
Author(s):  
Abdullah Salman Alsalman Abdullah Salman Alsalman

Noting that Khartoum represents the most rapidly expanding city in the Sudan and taking into account that change detection operations are seldom , the present study has been initiated to attempt to produce work that synthesizes land use/land cover (LULC) to investigate change detection using GIS, remote sensing data and digital image processing techniques; estimate, evaluate and map changes that took place in the city from 1975 to 2003. The experiment used the techniques of visual inspection, write-function-memoryinsertion, image differencing, image transformation i.e. normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), tasseled cap, principal component analysis (PCA), post-classification comparison and GIS. The results of all these various techniques were used by the authors to study change detection of the geographic locale of the test area. Image processing and GIS techniques were performed using Intergraph Image analyst 8.4 and GeoMedia professional version 6, ERDAS Imagine 8.7, and ArcGIS 9.2. Results obtained were discussed and analyzed in a comparative manner and a conclusion regarding the best method for change detection of the test area was derived.


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