Glacier retreat as a result of climate warming and increased precipitation in the Tarim river basin, northwest China

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Tarim river basin, a river system formed by the convergence of nine tributaries, is the most heavily glacierized watershed in arid northwest China. In the basin, there are 11 665 glaciers with a total area of 19 878 km 2 and a volume of 2313 km 3 . Glaciers in the basin play a significant role in the water resource system. It is estimated that they provide about 133 Â 10 8 m 3 of meltwater annually, contributing 39% of the total river runoff. Under the influence of global warming, northwest China has experienced a generally warmer and drier climate since the mid-19th century. However, a so-called 'warm and wet transition' has occurred since the late 1980s, evidenced by an increase in both precipitation and stream discharge in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region and neighboring regions. This paper describes how glaciers in the Tarim river basin have responded to such warming and increased precipitation, and the impact of these glacier changes. We analyzed the variations of more than 3000 glaciers since the 1960s using topographical maps, high-resolution satellite images and aerial photographs of the river basin. Our results indicate that glaciers in the basin have been mostly in retreat in the past 40 years, and ice wastage has significantly influenced water resources in the Tarim river basin. Estimation by a degree-day meltwater model shows the positive anomaly in stream runoff of the Tailan river can be partly attributed to the increase in glacier runoff (amounting to one-third of the stream discharge), and a rough estimation using observed average ablation on the termini of 15 glaciers in China verifies that the mass loss calculated by a glacier area-volume relation is reasonable.

Glacier characteristics and changes in the Sary-Jaz River Basin (Central Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan) – 1990–2010

“…This is in line with earlier studies which show that the highest glacier shrinkage occurred in the outer ranges of Tien Shan Mountains, or in peripheral, lower-elevation ranges near the densely populated forelands, while significantly smaller rates are reported for glaciers of inner ranges (Narama et al 2010, Sorg et al 2012. Typical published values for the outer ranges are loss rates of ∼0.6-0.7% per year in Northern and Western Tien Shan during 2000-2007(Narama et al 2010, ∼0.35% per year for Inner Tien Shan (Terskey Alatau, 1990-2003, Kutuzov and Shahgedanova 2009Akshiirak, 1977-2003, Aizen et al 2006) and 0.30-0.35% per year in Eastern Tien Shan (1963-2000, Liu et al 2006. A lower recession rate of 0.1% per year was found in the AksuRiver Basin in the Chinese part of the Central Tien Shan (1963( -2000( , Liu et al 2006.…”

“…Typical published values for the outer ranges are loss rates of ∼0.6-0.7% per year in Northern and Western Tien Shan during 2000-2007(Narama et al 2010, ∼0.35% per year for Inner Tien Shan (Terskey Alatau, 1990-2003, Kutuzov and Shahgedanova 2009Akshiirak, 1977-2003, Aizen et al 2006) and 0.30-0.35% per year in Eastern Tien Shan (1963-2000, Liu et al 2006. A lower recession rate of 0.1% per year was found in the AksuRiver Basin in the Chinese part of the Central Tien Shan (1963( -2000( , Liu et al 2006. Similarly, glaciers of the Akshiirak Range retreated by only 0.12% per year in an earlier period (1943( -1977( , Kuzmichenok 1989, while an acceleration of area loss was found during 1977-2003(Aizen et al 2006.…”

Impact of Climate Change on Vegetation Growth in Arid Northwest of China from 1982 to 2011

“…Xinjiang is one of the most snowy and glaciated regions in China, and approximately 22,240 glaciers exist in the high-elevation mountains. These glaciers cover an area of 27,974 km 2 and store approximately 2,814.81 km 3 of ice [11,31]. The glaciers are mainly concentrated in the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, and glacier melt from these high mountains is a major water source for both humans and natural ecosystems in this region [32].…”

“…The glaciers are mainly concentrated in the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, and glacier melt from these high mountains is a major water source for both humans and natural ecosystems in this region [32]. Recent studies have suggested that glacial melting in the Tianshan Mountains is among the most rapid on Earth due to climate warming [30,31,33]. The resulting water might be an important resource for vegetation under a warming climate for the arid and semi-arid ecosystems near the mountains in Xinjiang.…”

Glacier Changes in the Lancang River Basin, China, between 1968–1975 and 2005–2010

“…There have been recent efforts to document the glacier area loss in different mountain regions (Li et al, 2008;Kang et al, 2010) or drainage basins (e.g., Liu et al, 2006;Shangguan et al, 2009) of western China, but none of these inventories has emphasized on the whole LRB. The Lancang River originates at the inland high Tibetan Plateau; flows through China to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam; is here renamed the Mekong River; and then ultimately merges into the South China Sea.…”