A Review on the Little Ice Age and Factors to Glacier Changes in the Tian Shan, Central Asia

Abstract

Mountain glaciers are a reliable and unequivocal indicator of climate change due to their sensitive response to changes in temperature and precipitation. The importance of mountain glaciers is best reflected in regions with limited precipitation, such as arid and semi-arid central Asia. High concentration of glaciers and meltwater from the Tian Shan contribute considerably to the freshwater resource in Xinjiang (China), Kyrgyzstan and nearby countries. Documenting glacier distribution and research on glacier changes can provide insights and scientific support for water management in central Asia. As the most recent glacial event, the Little Ice Age (LIA, approximately AD 1300-1850) signifies the cold periods prior to the warming trend in the twentieth century. Here we present an overview of topics recently studied on the modern and LIA glaciers in the Tian Shan of the central Asia. With data sets of the Glacier Inventory of China and the presumed LIA glacial extents, we applied statistical models in a case study of the eastern Tian Shan to examine the impact of local topographic and geometric factors on glacier area changes. The findings of glacier size and elevation as key local factors are representative and consistent with other studies.

Climatic and tectonic significance of Taboche Lake, Khumbu Region, Nepal

“…In the Himalaya, the LIA ranges from 1300 to 1600 AD ( Rowan, 2017 ) and glacier surfaces during the LIA reached to the maximum height of present-day lateral moraine ridges ( Sakai and Fujita, 2010 ). In contrast, the last glacial advances of the LIA occurred around 200 years ago in Tian Shan ( Li et al., 2017 ). The characteristics of the turbidite indicate an origin associated with floods due to heavy precipitation, summer ice or snow melt, or breaching of perched lakes developed above the englacial base-level on impermeable Ngozumpa Glacier ice close to the lake ( Benn et al., 2012 ) across the western lateral moraine, which left coarse outwash debris as an alluvial fan-shaped deposit on lateral moraine slope ( Figure 1 B; 2).…”

Reconstruction of the Historical (1750–2020) Mass Balance of Bordu, Kara-Batkak and Sary-Tor Glaciers in the Inner Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan

“…The causes and exact timing of the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the maximum extent of glaciers in Kyrgyzstan remain uncertain. In the Tien Shan, the LIA moraines are believed to be typically located a few hundred metres ahead of the glacier terminus and characterised by little to no vegetation cover, massive piling of loose tills and sharp-crested ridges (Solomina et al, 2004;Li et al, 2017). Often, several moraine ridges belong to the LIA, indicating different stages of glacial stagnation within this period.…”

“…In the Terskey Ala-Too, the mountain range in which Kara-Batkak glacier is located, the majority of terminal and lateral moraines formed during the (mid-)19 th century and the latest significant advance was dated to the 1910s (Solomina et al, 2004;Kutuzov and Shahgedanova, 2009). Dating of moraines suggests that concerning Kara-Batkak, the maximum LIA extent likely occurred in the first half of the 19 th century (Solomina et al, 2004;Li et al, 2017). This seems to be in line with the reconstructed temperature dataset which shows a last major dip around 1850 and two smaller dips around 1910 and 1940 (last periods of advance) (Figures 5B, 6B).…”

Development of a Potentially Hazardous Pro-Glacial Lake in Aksay Valley, Kyrgyz Range, Northern Tien Shan

“…The upper part of the valley contains two glacier bodies ( Figure 2) separated by a bedrock ridge: the larger glacier, located on the western side, is called the Aksay Glacier, and the smaller one to the east is called Uchitel Glacier. The glaciers' tongues probably used to be connected in the past but due to their retreat since the Little Ice Age (LIA) is the most recent glacial event (approximately AD 1300-1850) signifies the cold period in the twentieth century [31,32] are the two difference glaciers. The Tien Shan glacier degradation since LIA is similar to changes observed in the Alps, Pamir, Alay, and Koryak plateau [33].…”

“…The average annual Aksay river discharge is 0.5 m 3 s −1 . Summer time precipitation, which is almost solely of storm character, is also connected with strongly developed convection during powerful cold invasions [32]. In the winter months and in the first half of spring (March, April), precipitation is always solid and connected to the development of cyclonic indignations when cold invasions prevail.…”