60-year changes and mechanisms of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in the eastern Tianshan of China, Central Asia

• 作者: ZhongQin Li HuiLin Li ChunHai Xu YuFeng Jia FeiTeng Wang PuYu Wang XiaoYing Yue
• 来源期刊: 寒旱区科学（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2020,（6）
• 所属期刊栏目: Articles
• 页码范围: 380-388
• 页数: 9页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Worldwide examination of glacier change is based on detailed observations from only a small number of glaciers. The ground-based detailed individual glacier monitoring is of strong need and extremely important in both regional and global scales. A long-term integrated multi-level monitoring has been carried out on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1) at the headwa-ters of the Urumqi River in the eastern Tianshan Mountains of Central Asia since 1959 by the Tianshan Glaciological Sta-tion, Chinese Acamedey of Sciences (CAS), and the glaciological datasets promise to be the best in China. The boundaries of all glacier zones moved up, resulting in a shrunk accumulation area. The stratigraphy features of the snowpack on the glacier were found to be significantly altered by climate warming. Mass balances of UG1 show accelerated mass loss since 1960, which were attributed to three mechanisms. The glacier has been contracting at an accelerated rate since 1962, resulting in a total reduction of 0.37 km2 or 19.3％from 1962 to 2018. Glacier runoff measured at the UG1 hydrometeoro-logical station demonstrates a significant increase from 1959 to 2018 with a large interannual fluctuation, which is inverse-ly correlated with the glacier's mass balance. This study analyzes on the changes in glacier zones, mass balance, area and length, and streamflow in the nival glacial catchment over the past 60 years. It provides critical insight into the processes and mechanisms of glacier recession in response to climate change. The results are not only representative of those gla-ciers in the Tianshan mountains, but also for the continental-type throughout the world. The direct observation data form an essential basis for evaluating mountain glacier changes and the impact of glacier shrinkage on water resources in the in-terior drainage rivers within the vast arid and semi-arid land in northwestern China as well as Central Asia.