The retreat of glaciers in response to recent climate warming in western China

Abstract

Glaciers in China are primarily located in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and surrounding high mountains. The Chinese Glacier Inventory indicates that there are 46 377 glaciers in western China. Meteorological records indicate that air temperature in western China has risen by 0.2˚C per decade since 1951, and 1998 was the warmest year; precipitation in the region increased by 5–10% per decade from 1953 to 1997. Using remote-sensing and Geographic Information System methods, we have monitored the changes in >5000 glaciers over the past 50 years. We conclude that >80% of glaciers in western China have retreated, losing 4.5% of their combined areal coverage, although some glaciers have advanced. In addition, regional differences characterize glacier changes over the past few decades. For example, glaciers in the central and northwestern TP were relatively stable, while glaciers in the mountains surrounding the TP experienced extensive wastage. Mass-balance variations for some glaciers show accelerated ice shrinkage in the last two decades.

The long‐term freshening and nutrient increases in summer surface water in the northern East China Sea in relation to Changjiang discharge variation

“…It has been observed that summer precipitation over the Changjiang valley (east of 107°E) shifted in the late 1970s [Gong and Ho, 2002]. The climate of the Changjiang source region in the Tibetan Plateau of western China (west of 105°E) has also warmed, causing increases in glacier retreat and runoff there [Ding et al, 2006]. Such long-term increases in precipitation and melt-water from glaciers might lead to long-term variations in the Changjiang discharge and hence in sea surface salinity in the ECS.…”

“…This increase in air temperature caused precipitation in western China to increase by 5 to 10% per decade. It has also caused >80% of glaciers to retreat, increasing glacier runoff as a result [Ding et al, 2006]. These two effects likely increased the Changjiang discharge during the period of investigation.…”

“…[37] Climatic warming has increased the air temperature in western China, the region west of 105°E [see Ding et al, 2006] by 0.2°C per decade since 1951, with 1998 was the warmest year so far. This increase in air temperature caused precipitation in western China to increase by 5 to 10% per decade.…”

Phylogeography of microbial phototrophs in the dry valleys of the high Himalayas and Antarctica

“…Barren soils are very common above elevations of about 5000 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.) throughout the Himalayas and adjacent ranges of Asia [11], and are rapidly increasing in extent owing to glacial melting in the region [12,13]. These seemingly barren areas, above the extent of the highest vegetation, are here referred to as the 'subnival zone', following the precedent of Troll [11] and others [5].…”

Velocidades superficiales del glaciar Upsala, Andes Patagónicos Sur, mediante el uso de correlación cruzada en imágenes satelitales: periodo 2013-2014.

“…In recent decades, the globally widespread trend of glacier area loss has accelerated (Rignot and Kanagaratnam, 2006;Ding et al, 2006;Bolch et al, 2012;Zemp et al, 2015;Solomina et al, 2016;Yang et al, 2016;Ragettli et al, 2016) and the dynamics of glaciers has consequently readjusted (Bolch et al, 2012). In the Southern Andes, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (SPI) constitute the largest masses of glacier ice in the Southern Hemisphere (Aniya, 2013).…”