长期冰川学观测引领大陆性和干旱区冰川变化与影响研究

Science and Long-term Monitoring of Continental-type Glaciers in Arid Region in China

中国是中纬度山地冰川大国,冰川科学研究十分重要。冰川还是我国西部干旱区重要的水资源——我国及周边国家大江大河的源头,由冰川变化引发的水文、水资源变化对于我国西北干旱区山盆地理结构的生态系统具有决定性意义。中国科学院天山冰川观测试验站(以下简称"天山冰川站")建立于中国冰川学开创之初的1959年,围绕乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川(以下简称"1号冰川")的研究,对中国冰川科学理论的形成和发展起着关键性作用,亦是对国际冰川学的重要发展和贡献。以乌鲁木齐河山区流域综合观测试验为基础的水文学研究,奠定了我国内陆河流域水文研究基础。60年来,作为中国冰川学观测、试验、研究和人才培养的基地,对外开放交流的平台,天山冰川站在冰川物理学、冰川对气候变化的响应、冰川水文、雪冰物理化学过程、第四纪冰川、冰缘植被与生态等研究方向取得系统性创新成果,为中国的冰川学事业作出了卓越贡献。世界冰川监测服务中心(WGMS)将1号冰川列为全球10条重点观测研究的参照冰川之一,即作为中国和中亚干旱区的参照冰川,其长期、系统的观测研究成为许多国家冰川学研究的参照和典范。

China has 48 571 glaciers with a total area of 5.18×104 km2, which accounts for 11%–14.5% of the total area of mountain glaciers in the world. These glaciers constitute a vital source of water for more than 100 million people and for wildlife ecosystems in this vast arid and semi-arid land in northwestern China. Urumqi Glacier No. 1, the best monitored glacier in China, is located at the headwaters of the Urumqi River in eastern Tianshan and is within the core area of central Asia. To implement the long term monitoring of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, the Tianshan Glaciological Station(TGS) was established by Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) in 1959. Since then, Urumqi Glacier No. 1 has been the subject of extensive studies. Internationally, it has been one of the ten referential glaciers in the World Glacier Monitoring Service(WGMS), and considered to be of great importance because of its special geographical position. The Urumqi Glacier No. 1 complements similar long-term monitoring programs covering more maritime-type glaciers and glaciers in transitional climates in polar, temperate, and tropical regions. Over the past 60 years, the TGS has served as a research and training base for domestic and overseas scientists and graduate students. It plays a central role in central Asian climatological, hydrological and glaciological research. As such, it is well known and highly regarded by the international scientific community. As a permanent year-round glacier station among glaciers in central Asia, it is the benchmark to which other relevant studies can make reference.