Glacial Change and Its Hydrological Response in Three Inland River Basins in the Qilian Mountains, Western China

Liu, Guohua; Chen, Rensheng; Li, Kailu

doi:10.3390/w13162213

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The climate in the QMR is typically characterized by cold temperatures and wet conditions, seeing an average annual temperature of −2.1 • C and precipitation of around 366 mm [37]. The QMR has extensive glaciers [38]. Glacial meltwater outflows form the water system of the QMR [38].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Spatio-Temporal Changes of Small Lakes of the Qilian Mountains from 1987 to 2020 and Their Driving Mechanisms

Zhang

Chen

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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Small lakes (areas ranging from 0.01 km2 to 1 km2) are highly sensitive to climate change and human activities. However, few studies have investigated the long-term intra-annual trends in the number and area of small lakes and their driving mechanisms in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). As a significant water tower in northwest China, the Qilian Mountains region (QMR) in the QTP is essential for sustaining regional industrial and agricultural production, biodiversity, and human well-being. We conducted an analysis of the dynamics of small lakes in the QMR region. In this study, we employed Geodetector and examined nine factors to investigate the driving mechanisms behind the long-term variations in the small lake water bodies (SLWBs). We specifically focused on understanding the effects of single-factor and two-factor interactions. The results indicate that the number and area of small lakes had a fluctuating trend from 1987 to 2020. Initially, there was a decrease followed by an increase, which was generally consistent with trends in the large lakes on the QTP. All basins had far more expanding than shrinking lakes. The area of seasonal SLWBs in each basin was increasing more rapidly than permanent SLWBs. The distribution and trends in the area and number of small lakes varied widely across elevation zones. Runoff, snow depth, and temperature contributed the most to SLWB changes. Human activities and wind speed contributed the least. However, the main drivers varied across basins. The impact of two-factor interactions on SLWB changes in basins was greater than that of single factors. Our results provide useful information for planning and managing water resources and studies of small lakes.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Spatio-Temporal Changes of Small Lakes of the Qilian Mountains from 1987 to 2020 and Their Driving Mechanisms

Zhang

Chen

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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“…The glaciers in the east are retreating rapidly, while the central and western regions are retreating more slowly in turn (Wang et al, 2011). Due to differences in glacier area and glacial meltwater ratios in the upper reaches of the twelve rivers in the three major basins, the three rivers in the eastern SYRB have the smallest glacial meltwater ratios and the three rivers in the western SLRB have the largest (Table 5) (Liu et al, 2021, Sun et al, 2018. Differences in precipitation and differences in the proportion of glacial meltwater due to temperature increase in the east and west regions are the main reasons for the spatial patterns of flood magnitude variation in the three main regions (Fig.…”

Section: Regional Differences In the Evolution Of Flood Magnitudementioning

confidence: 99%

Trends and variability in flood magnitude under climate change in the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China

Wang

Chen

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Analyzing trends in flood magnitude changes and its driving factors under climate change is a key challenge for effective water resources management in arid and semi-arid regions, especially for inland rivers originating in the Qilian Mountains (QMs). Based on the annual maximum peak discharge (AMPD) and Peaks-Over-Threshold (POT3M) flood series of twelve typical rivers from 1970 to 2021, spatial and temporal trends in flood magnitude were investigated using Sen’s slope estimator and Mann-Kendall test. The results showed that in AMPD series, 42% of the rivers were significantly decreasing trends while 8% was significantly increasing; the POT3M series differed in that 25% of the rivers were significantly decreasing trends while 8% was significantly increasing. The regional differences in the QMs from east to west were that rivers in the eastern region (e.g., Gulang, Zamu, and Xiying rivers) showed significantly decreasing trends in AMPD and POT3M; most rivers in the central region had no significant trend, while the Shule river in the western region showed a significantly increasing trend. Temperatures and precipitation showed a fluctuating increasing trend after 1987, which were the main factor contributing to the change in flood magnitude trends of AMPD and POT3M flood series in the QMs. Regional differences in precipitation, precipitation intensity, and the ratio of glacial meltwater in the rivers of the eastern, central and western regions resulted in differences in flood magnitude trends between the east and west.

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“…The glacier melting can greatly decrease the rainfall threshold. Especially, debris flows induced by glacier lakes failure are closely related to glacier melting (G. Liu et al., 2021). The climatic change in high mountain ranges may cause the weakening of glacial permafrost linkages by cyclic freeze and thaw, resulting in slope failure (Deng et al., 2017; Fischer et al., 2013; Lyu, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Investigation on the Kinetic Characteristics of the Glacial Debris Flows in Tianmo Valley, Tibet Plateau, China

Zhang,

Lyu,

Ren

et al. 2024

JGR Earth Surface

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Glacial debris flows occurring on the Tibetan Plateau consistently result in significant property damage and loss of human life. A comprehensive field investigation was conducted in Tianmo valley along the Sichuan‐Tibet Highway to reveal the dynamics of a debris flow that occurred on 11 July 2018. Furthermore, a depth‐averaged multiphase debris flow model was proposed and employed to reconstruct the characteristics of the debris flow. The model derivation, implementation, evaluation, and application were presented to demonstrate its performance. The Voellmy model was chosen because it adequately accounts for both basal frictional effects and the entrainment phenomenon. The entrainment processes, the ice melting, and the lubrication effect, were also taken into consideration. Based on the numerical results combined with field investigation data, the kinetic characteristics of the glacial debris flow were analyzed. The Tianmo valley has a small area, but the volume and erosion rate of debris flows were much larger than that of two‐phase debris flows in the same location due to ice melting. The simulation results demonstrated that the glacial debris reached a peak velocity of 20 m/s. Additionally, the volume of the debris flow increased by 50% due to the erosion over a short runout distance of approximately 4,000 m. This increase was a result of the high velocity and abundant entrainment sources on the slope. This study aims to improve understanding of the high velocity and destructive potential of debris flows in the Tianmo valley.

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Glacial Change and Its Hydrological Response in Three Inland River Basins in the Qilian Mountains, Western China

Cited by 13 publications

References 46 publications

The Spatio-Temporal Changes of Small Lakes of the Qilian Mountains from 1987 to 2020 and Their Driving Mechanisms

The Spatio-Temporal Changes of Small Lakes of the Qilian Mountains from 1987 to 2020 and Their Driving Mechanisms

Trends and variability in flood magnitude under climate change in the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China

Preliminary Investigation on the Kinetic Characteristics of the Glacial Debris Flows in Tianmo Valley, Tibet Plateau, China

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