Lake water volume fluctuations in response to climate change in Xinjiang, China from 2002 to 2018

Abstract

Climate change has a global impact on the water cycle and its spatial patterns, and these impacts are more pronounced in eco-fragile regions. Arid regions are significantly affected by human activities like farming, and climate change, which influences lake water volumes, especially in different latitudes. This study integrates radar altimetry data from 2002 to 2018 with optical remote sensing images to analyze changes in the lake areas, levels, and volumes at different altitudes in Xinjiang, China. We analyzed changes in lake volumes in March, June, and October and studied their causes. The results showed large changes in the surface areas, levels, and volumes of lakes at different altitudes. During 2002–2010, the lakes in low- and medium-altitude areas were shrinking but lakes in high altitude areas were expanding. Monthly analysis revealed more diversified results: the lake water levels and volumes tended to decrease in March (−0.10 m/year, 37.55×108 m3) and increase in June (0.03 m/year, 3.48×108 m3) and October (0.04 m/year, 26.90×108 m3). The time series lake water volume data was reconstructed for 2011 to 2018 based on the empirical model and the total lake water volume showed a slightly increasing trend during this period (71.35×108 m3). We hypothesized that changes in lake water at high altitudes were influenced by temperature-induced glacial snow melt and lake water in low- to medium-altitude areas was most influenced by human activities like agricultural irrigation practices.

Expansion of typical lakes in Xinjiang under the combined effects of climate change and human activities

“…Due to their geographical location, mountain lakes have been less affected by human activities, and therefore this study analyzed climate change as the main factor for changes in mountain lake area (Wufu et al, 2020). The Central Kunlun mountain lakes are composed of Lakes Arkatag, Ayakkumu, and Aqqikkol, and hence this study discussed all three as the Middle Kunlun Mountain Lakes.…”

“…Human activities were frequent in the plains lake basins. Domestic water and agricultural irrigation affected the changes in lake water volume and area (Chai et al, 2013;Wufu et al, 2020). Therefore, this study mainly analyzed the relationship between lake area change and human activities in the plains area.…”

“…Therefore, further research is needed to determine the changes in different types of lakes and their influencing factors. Water resources are the key to social and economic development and river basin construction in Xinjiang, but research on changes in water resources in Xinjiang is limited, especially in terms of long-term sequences and large spatial scale (Wufu et al, 2020).…”

Downscaling Snow Depth Mapping by Fusion of Microwave and Optical Remote-Sensing Data Based on Deep Learning

“…Below the altitude of 2000 m, the temperature increases with the elevation. Vegetation is sparse in the plains and the altitudinal belts of mountains are obvious [49]. The precipitation in alpine regions can reach 400-600 mm, and exceed 800 mm in specific areas.…”

Lake water volume calculation using time series LANDSAT satellite data: a geospatial analysis of Deepor Beel Lake, Guwahati

“…Furthermore, brick factories and widespread soil cutting within the Beel ecosystem properly threatens the volume of the Beel (Islam and Gnauck, 2008). Urban lakes all over the globe are facing similar problems of declining volume, water area and level (Cai et al, 2020;Wufu et al, 2020). Such deterioration of quality of urban lakes are majorly caused due to anthropogenic activities (Wufu et al, 2020;Talukdar and Pal, 2019;Lu et al, 2013).…”