The Hydrology and Water Resources of the Proglacial Zone of a Monsoonal Temperate Glacier

Abstract

Abstract. The ongoing retreat of temperate glaciers is expected to have substantial impacts on the water resources in mountainous environments. Located on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga, China, Hailuogou Catchment is an ideal location to investigate the complex hydrological systems of the proglacial zone. Physical variables (e.g., water temperature) were measured from the main stem of Hailuogou River and its selected tributaries in July 2011. During the recent twenty years, there appears to be a slightly increasing trend of air temperature, whereas precipitation exhibits a slightly decreasing trend. Air temperature shows a decreasing trend with altitude, whereas precipitation has a reverse one. The results of this work indicate that: (i) air temperature is the main factor and precipitation is only the secondary factor regulating the glacial river runoff; (ii) the annual runoff was seasonally well distributed, with a strong summer maximum and a winter minimum; (iii) the increasing trend of water temperature in the main stem with flow distance is mainly caused by mixture from tributary water inputs with relatively higher temperature..