Estimation on the response of glaciers in China to the global warming in the 21st century

Yafeng, Shi; Liu, Shiyin

doi:10.1007/bf02886048

Cited by 198 publications

(178 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

172

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, careful investigation of the upper thermal boundary condition is highly necessary for glaciers in different regions under different climate conditions. LHG12 is widely considered as an extremely continental type (cold) glacier and is characterized by low temperatures and precipitation (Huang, 1990;Shi and Liu, 2000). However, in recent years, we have observed extensive and widespread meltwater on the ice surface and at the glacier terminus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

An investigation of the thermomechanical features of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 on Qilian Shan, western China, using a two-dimensional first-order flow-band ice flow model

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. By combining in situ measurements and a twodimensional thermomechanically coupled ice flow model, we investigate the thermomechanical features of the largest valley glacier (Laohugou Glacier No. 12; LHG12) on Qilian Shan located in the arid region of western China. Our model results suggest that LHG12, previously considered as fully cold, is probably polythermal, with a lower temperate ice layer overlain by an upper layer of cold ice over a large region of the ablation area. Modelled ice surface velocities match well with the in situ observations in the east branch (main branch) but clearly underestimate those near the glacier terminus, possibly because the convergent flow is ignored and the basal sliding beneath the confluence area is underestimated. The modelled ice temperatures are in very good agreement with the in situ measurements from a deep borehole (110 m deep) in the upper ablation area. The model results are sensitive to surface thermal boundary conditions, for example surface air temperature and near-surface ice temperature. In this study, we use a Dirichlet surface thermal condition constrained by 20 m borehole temperatures and annual surface air temperatures. Like many other alpine glaciers, strain heating is important in controlling the englacial thermal structure of LHG12. Our transient simulations indicate that the accumulation zone becomes colder during the last two decades as a response to the elevated equilibrium line altitude and the rising summer air temperatures. We suggest that the extent of accumulation basin (the amount of refreezing latent heat from meltwater) of LHG12 has a considerable impact on the englacial thermal status.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

An investigation of the thermomechanical features of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 on Qilian Shan, western China, using a two-dimensional first-order flow-band ice flow model

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Zhadang glacier is a polythermal (Huang, 1990;Shi and Liu, 2000) northwest-exposed valley glacier (~2 km 2 , as of Zhang et al, 2013) at the northern slope of the western Nyainqentanglha Shan (30°28.57′N, 90°38.71′E; Fig. 1).…”

Section: Study Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A reason for the higher proportion can be found in the different glacier types according to their climate setting. After Shi and Liu (2000), Zhadang glacier is a subcontinental (polythermal) glacier type, whereas Xiao Dongkemadi glacier belongs to the extreme continental (cold) type with lower ice temperatures and therefore larger cold content. At Zhadang glacier, effective melt (surface melt + subsurface melt -refrozen water) accounts for 74% of total mass loss followed by sublimation (26%).…”

Section: Seb/mb Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a Coupled Snow and Energy Balance Model for Zhadang Glacier, Tibetan Plateau, Using Glaciological Measurements and Time-Lapse Photography

Huintjes

Sauter

Schröter³

et al. 2015

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

106

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…A lack of understanding of the processes affecting the glaciers, the various climatic conditions and extreme topography within the region make projections into the future problematic (Bolch and others, 2012). However, Shi and Liu (2000) estimated future shrinkage of glaciers in China using an empirical relationship between glacier and temperature rise since the Little Ice Age, finding that subcontinental glaciers would lose $48% of their volume by 2100 under a 38C temperature rise scenario. However, little work has been done on projection of glacier mass change on the Tibetan Plateau using flow dynamics models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical simulations of Gurenhekou glacier on the Tibetan Plateau

Zhao¹,

Tian

Zwinger

et al. 2014

J. Glaciol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. We investigate the impact of climate change on Gurenhekou glacier, southern Tibetan Plateau, which is representative of the tens of thousands of mountain glaciers in the region. We apply a three-dimensional, thermomechanically coupled full-Stokes model to simulate the evolution of the glacier. The steep and rugged bedrock geometry requires use of such a flow model. We parameterize the temperature and surface mass-balance (SMB) uncertainties using nearby automatic weather and meteorological stations, 6 year measured SMB data and an energy-balance model for a nearby glacier. Summer air temperature increased at 0.02 K a -1 over the past 50 years, and the glacier has retreated at an average rate of 8.3 m a -1 . Prognostic simulations suggest an accelerated annual average retreat rate of $9.1 m a -1 along the central flowline for the next 25 years under continued steady warming. However, regional climate models suggest a marked increase in warming rate over Tibet during the 21st century, and this rate causes about a 0.9 AE 0.3% a -1 loss of glaciated area and 1.1 AE 0.6% a -1 shrinkage of glacier volume. These results, the rather high warming rates predicted and the small sizes of most Tibetan glaciers, suggest that significant numbers of glaciers will be lost in the region during the 21st century.

show abstract

Estimation on the response of glaciers in China to the global warming in the 21st century

Cited by 198 publications

References 6 publications

An investigation of the thermomechanical features of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 on Qilian Shan, western China, using a two-dimensional first-order flow-band ice flow model

An investigation of the thermomechanical features of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 on Qilian Shan, western China, using a two-dimensional first-order flow-band ice flow model

Evaluation of a Coupled Snow and Energy Balance Model for Zhadang Glacier, Tibetan Plateau, Using Glaciological Measurements and Time-Lapse Photography

Numerical simulations of Gurenhekou glacier on the Tibetan Plateau

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About