Glacier Retreating Analysis on the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau via Multisource Remote Sensing Data

Abstract

Accurate multitemporal glacier change investigations and analyses are lacking on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP). A combination of photogrammetry, optical remote sensing and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) datasets can accurately identify large-scale glaciers; In the present study, glaciers in three periods on the SETP (1970s, 2000, 2020) were identified from multisource remote sensing data based on a deep learning method and manual visual interpretation, and multitemporal glacial inventory data from relatively highfrequency source imagery. Totals of 11648, 12993, and 11875 glaciers were identified in the 1970s, 2000, and 2020, with total areas of 13372.08 km 2 , 11692.31 km 2 , and 10612.94 km 2 , respectively.The general distribution of SETP glaciers was identified to be typical of alpine glaciers dominated by small-sized glaciers. The average elevation of glaciers was approximately 5000 m; the slopes were mostly lower than 40°, and the main aspect was southeast, followed by south and southwest. The glaciers retreated from the 1970s to 2020, and a total glacier area of approximately 2759.14 km 2 was degraded during this time, with an average annual melting rate of 0.45% yr -1 . Rising summer temperatures may be the driving force behind the continuous decline in the glacier area. Overall, the results obtained in this study showed relatively low uncertainty involved in the identification of glaciers compared to some previous studies. The results can provide accurate glacier information for glacier monitoring and modeling studies on the SETP.

Yearly Elevation Change and Surface Velocity Revealed from Two UAV Surveys at Baishui River Glacier No. 1, Yulong Snow Mountain

“…The SETP is located on the Southeastern QTP, with an average elevation of more than 4000 m. A total of 11,875 glaciers larger than 1 ha have been identified on the SETP, one-fifth of all QTP glaciers [40,41]. They provide water resources for rivers, which supply important water for people in East and South Asia [42].…”

Changes in glacier albedo and the driving factors in the Western Nyainqentanglha Mountains from 2001 to 2020

“…Thus, exploring the variability of albedo is a good way to better understand glacier change. The glaciers in the Western Nyainqentanglha Mountains (WNM) are the main water source for Nam Co Lake (the second largest lake in the Tibetan Plateau) and Lhasa, but experienced continuous shrinkage and mass loss after the 1970s and accelerated mass loss in recent years (Bolch and others, 2010; Zhou and others, 2018; Ren and others, 2020; Hugonnet and others, 2021; Fan and others, 2022; Xiao and others, 2023 a ). Long-term changes of glacier albedo have been less explored, however, which highly limits the understanding of glacier changes in this region.…”

Linking Glacier Retreat with Climate Change on the Tibetan Plateau through Satellite Remote Sensing

“…Furthermore, the endeavor of large-scale mapping of glacier retreat is particularly challenging, primarily due to the scarcity of satellite observations that possess both the necessary quality and resolution. As a result, the comprehensive depiction of glacier retreat across the entire Tibetan Plateau, especially at finer temporal and spatial scales, remains inadequately characterized (Shean et al, 2020;Xiao et al, 2023). Recent advancements in cloud computing platforms, such as Google Earth Engine, have significantly enhanced the capability for automated glacier mapping.…”