Hydrochemical Characteristics and Solute Dynamics of Meltwater Runoff of Urumqi Glacier No.1,Eastern Tianshan,Northwest China

Hydrochemical characteristics and solute dynamics of bulk meltwater draining from Urumqi Glacier No.1 were investigated in years 2006 and 2007. The glacial meltwater was slightly alkaline with the mean pH of 7.64 and 7.61 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In the meltwater, the dominant anions were the bicarbonate and sulphate, and the dominant cation was calcium. The concentration of major cations were varied as c（Ca2＋） 〉 c（Mg2＋） 〉 c（K＋） 〉 c（Na＋）, while the order for the cations was c（HCO3-） 〉 c（SO42-） 〉 c（NQ-） 〉 c（C1-）. The total dissolved solids （TDS） in meltwater had inverse relationships with the diurnal discharge. The major ion composition of meltwater was mainly controlled by rock weathering as inferred from the Gibbs model. Furthermore, the ion ratios and Piper diagram indicated that the main processes controlling the meltwater chemistry were carbonate weathering, pyrite weathering and feldspar weathering in rocks, and Ca2＋ and HCQ- were the dominant ions during the carbonate weathering process. Solute flux calculation at Glacier No.1 station suggested that chemical denudation rates were 11.46 and 13.90 tonkm-2.yr-1 in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Multi-decadal variations in glacier flow velocity and the influencing factors of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China

Urumqi Glacier No. 1 is a representative glacier in the inland areas of Central Asia and is the only Chinese reference glacier in the World Glacier Monitoring Service. In this study, we explored multi-decadal variations in the flow velocity of the glacier and the influencing factors based on continuous field observations and path coefficient analysis. Results show that the glacier flow velocity decreased from 5.5 m/a in 1980/1981 to 3.3 m/a in 2010/2011. The annual variation in the direction of glacier flow velocity in the western branch and eastern branch was less than 1°–3°, and the change of glacier flow velocity in the western branch was more dramatic than that in the eastern branch. Glacier flow velocity was influenced by glacier morphology（including glacier area, glacier length, and ice thickness）, glacier mass balance and local climate conditions（air temperature and precipitation）, the glacier morphology being the leading factor. The long-term flow velocity data set of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 contributes to a better understanding of glacier dynamics within the context of climatic warming.

Effect of topography on the changes of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Chinese Tianshan Mountains

Topography plays an important role in determining the glacier changes.However,topography has often been oversimplified in the studies of the glacier changes.No systematic studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between the glacier changes and topographic features.The present study provided a detailed insight into the changes in the two branches(east branch and west branch)of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Chinese Tianshan Mountains since 1993 and systematically discussed the effect of topography on the glacier parameters.This study analyzed comprehensive recently observed data(from 1992/1993 to 2018/2019),including mass balance,ice thickness,surface elevation,ice velocity,terminus,and area,and then determined the differences in the changes of the two branches and explored the effect of topography on the glacier changes.We also applied a topographic solar radiation model to analyze the influence of topography on the incoming shortwave radiation(SW_(in))across the entire glacier,focusing on the difference in the SW_(in) between the two branches.The glacier mass balance of the east branch was more negative than that of the west branch from 1992/1993 to 2018/2019,and this was mainly attributed to the lower average altitude of the east branch.Compared with the west branch,the decrease rate of the ice velocity was lower in the east branch owing to its relatively increased slope.The narrow shape of the west branch and its southeast aspect in the earlier period resulted in a larger glacier terminus retreat of the west branch.The spatial variability of the SW_(in) across the glacier surface became much larger as altitude increased.The SW_(in) received by the east branch was slightly larger than that received by the west branch,and the northern aspect could receive more SW_(in),leading to glacier melting.In the future,the difference of the glacier changes between the two branches will continue to exist due to their topographic differences.This work is fundamental to understanding how topographic features affect the glacier changes,and provides information for building different types of relationship between the glacier area and ice volume to promote further studies on the basin-scale glacier classification.

Elevation change of the Urumqi Glacier No.1 derived from Sentinel-1A data

Accurate measurements of glacier elevation changes play a crucial role in various glaciological studies related to glacier dynamics and mass balance. In this paper, glacier elevation changes of Urumqi Glacier No.1 between August 2015 and August 2017 were investigated using Sentinel-1 A data and DInSAR technology. Meanwhile, the atmospheric delay error was corrected with the MODIS MOD05L2 products. The weight selection iteration method was applied to calibrate the glacier elevation changes in the mass balance years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. Finally, the geodetic method was employed to calculate the elevation change values of individual stakes of Urumqi Glacier No.1. Moreover, the elevation change values corrected by the weight selection iteration method were verified. Results showed as follows:(1) the elevation of Urumqi Glacier No.1 glacier affected by atmospheric delay was 1.270 cm from 2015 to 2016. The glacier elevation affected by atmospheric delay from 2016 to 2017 was 1.071 cm.(2) The elevation change value of Urumqi Glacier No.1 was-1.101 m from 2015 to 2016, and the elevation of Urumqi Glacier No.1 decreased by 1.299 m from 2016 to 2017. The overall thickness of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 was thinning.(3) By comparing the elevation change results of individual stakes with corresponding points corrected by the weight selection iteration method, the mean squared errors of difference were 0.343 m and 0.280 m between the two mass balance years, respectively.(4) The accuracy of elevation change in non-glaciated areas was 0.039 m from 2015 to 2016 and 0.034 m from 2016 to 2017. Therefore, it is reliable to use Sentinel-1 A data and the study method proposed in this paper to calculate the elevation change of mountain glaciers with very low horizontal movement.

Influence of meteorological elements on chemical evolution of snow and ice of Urumqi Glacier No.1,eastern Tianshan Mountains

For most mountain glaciers,chemical components in snowfall are subject to the elution process under the influences of meltwater before they are preserved in ice,creating difficulties for interpreting ice core records.To understand the formation process of ice core records and analyze the influences of meteorological factors on the ice core resolution,we measured ion concentrations of snowpacks from 2003 to 2006 in the PGPI(Program for Glacier Processes Investigation)site of Urumqi Glacier No.1.The ion concentration variation in snowpack exhibits apparent seasonality.In summer,the higher snowmelt rates due to air temperature rise intensify dilution and lead to an exponential decrease in ion concentrations as the accumulated positive temperature increases.In winter,the snow ion concentrations are stable and low as a result of reduced temperature and rare precipitation.Many ions from summer precipitation are leached out by meltwater,and only the precipitation that occurs at the end of the wet season can be preserved.Through tracking the evolution of magnesium ion peaks in the snowpack,it is concluded that the ice core resolution is one year on Urumqi Glacier No.1,albeit 70%of the concentration information is lost.

Chemical Characteristics and Environmental Significance of Fresh Snow Deposition on Urumqi Glacier No.1 of Tianshan Mountains, China

Ice and snow chemistry of alpine glaciers is crucial for the research of regional atmospheric environment change. Fresh snow samples were weekly collected from Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Tianshan Mountains, Xin- jiang, China, and the chemical characteristics and seasonal variations of major ions, mineral dust, δ18O and trace metals were measured. Results show that the concentrations of major ions in the snow are Ca2+ > SO42-> NH4+ > NO3-> Cl-> Na+ > Mg2+ > K+, in which Ca2+ is the dominant cation, and SO42-is the dominant anion. All major ions have close positive correlations with each other except NO3-. δ18O shows positive correlation with air temperature change during the study period. Mineral dust particle and major ionic concentrations in fresh snow have obvious seasonal change, with high concentration in spring but low concentration in summer and autumn, which indicates that the chemical mass input from Asian dust activity to snow is very significant. Temporal changes of trace metals in fresh snow, e.g., Cd, Pb, Zn, Al, Fe, have shown that human-induced pollution of central Asian region also has large contribution to the snow chemistry on alpine glaciers of the Tianshan Mountains.

The transport of chemical components in homogeneous snowpacks on Urumqi Glacier No.1, eastern Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia

Chemical records from alpine ice cores provide an invaluable source of paleoclimatic and environ- mental information. Not only the atmospheric chemical composition but also depositional and post-depositional processes are recorded within snow/tim strata. To interpret the environmental and climatic significance of ice core records, we studied the variability of glacier snowpack chemistry by investigating homogeneous snowpacks from October 2003 to September 2006 on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in eastern Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia. Principle Component Analysis of ionic species in dry and wet seasons revealed the impact of meltwater in redistributing ions in the snowpacks. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd principle components for dry seasons differ significantly, reflecting complex associations between depositional or/and post-depositional processes. The variability trend of ionic concentrations during the wet seasons was found to fit a Gauss Function with significant parameters. The elution factor revealed that more than half of ions are leached out during the wet seasons. Differences with respect to ion snowpack mo- bility were found. Of the ions studied SO42- was the most mobile and Mg2＋ the least mobile. A threshold relationship between air temperatures and the elution process was investigated over the study period. The results indicate that the strong melt/ablation processes and iconic redistribution occur at a threshold air temperature of 0℃. The study found that surface melt on the snowpacks is the main factor causing the alteration of the snowpack chemistry. Rainfall also has an impact on the chemistry but plays a less significant role than the surface melt.

60-year changes and mechanisms of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the eastern Tianshan of China,Central Asia

Worldwide examination of glacier change is based on detailed observations from only a small number of glaciers.The ground-based detailed individual glacier monitoring is of strong need and extremely important in both regional and global scales.A long-term integrated multi-level monitoring has been carried out on Urumqi Glacier No.1(UG1)at the headwaters of the Urumqi River in the eastern Tianshan Mountains of Central Asia since 1959 by the Tianshan Glaciological Station,Chinese Acamedey of Sciences(CAS),and the glaciological datasets promise to be the best in China.The boundaries of all glacier zones moved up,resulting in a shrunk accumulation area.The stratigraphy features of the snowpack on the glacier were found to be significantly altered by climate warming.Mass balances of UG1 show accelerated mass loss since 1960,which were attributed to three mechanisms.The glacier has been contracting at an accelerated rate since 1962,resulting in a total reduction of 0.37 km2 or 19.3%from 1962 to 2018.Glacier runoff measured at the UG1 hydrometeorological station demonstrates a significant increase from 1959 to 2018 with a large interannual fluctuation,which is inversely correlated with the glacier's mass balance.This study analyzes on the changes in glacier zones,mass balance,area and length,and streamflow in the nival glacial catchment over the past 60 years.It provides critical insight into the processes and mechanisms of glacier recession in response to climate change.The results are not only representative of those glaciers in the Tianshan mountains,but also for the continental-type throughout the world.The direct observation data form an essential basis for evaluating mountain glacier changes and the impact of glacier shrinkage on water resources in the interior drainage rivers within the vast arid and semi-arid land in northwestern China as well as Central Asia.

The processes and characteristics of mass balance on the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 during 1958-2009

As a solid reservoir, a glacier can regulate regional water resources. The annual net mass balance directly reflects the fluctuation of the glacier and climate variability. Based on 51 years of mass balance observation data, the mass balance of Tianshan Mountains Urumqi Glacier No. 1 experienced a nine times positive balance fluctuation and nine times negative balance fluctuation. There were 35 and 16 negative and positive balance years, respectively. From 1996/97 to 2008/09, 12 consecutive negative balance years were observed at Tianshan Mountains Urumqi Glacier No. 1. These results demon- strate that the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 is experiencing a strong negative balance, and the strongest negative balance, -931 mm w.e. （mm water equivalent）, during the observation period occurred in 2008. In addition, the cumulative mass balance reached 13,709 mm w.e. in 2008. However, in 2009, the mass balance was positive at 63 mm w.e. The equilibrium-line al- titude changes with the fluctuation in the mass balance, and the effective mass balance gradient is 7.4 mrn/m. In this paper, the headwaters of the Urumqi River were analyzed using meteorological data from 1958 to 2009, including the average seasonal temperature and precipitation. The results showed that the main factor associated with the mass balance variation of Glacier No. 1 is the fluctuation in the summer air temperature, followed by changes in the precipitation.

MASS BALANCE SENSITIVITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY OF GLACIER NO. 1 AT URUMQI RIVERHEAD, TIANSHAN MOUNTAINS, CHINA

In this paper the degree day mass balance model is applied to the sensitivity test of mass balance/ELA(equilibrium line altitude) to climate change of Glacier No.1 at Urumqi Riverhead, the Tianshan Mountains, China. The results demonstrate that the mass balance of Glacier No.1, which is of continental type and accumulates in warm seasons, is less sensitive than that of a maritime glacier. On Glacier No.1, air temperature rise of 1℃ or precipitation increase by 20% can cause the ELA shift 81 m up or 31 m down respectively. Air temperature and precipitation play the different roles in the mass balance formation, in which the mass balance hypsometry follows the temperature variations by the means of rotation against the elevation axis and it shifts in parallel with precipitation change. Assuming a future temperature rise of 2 ℃ the mass losing trend on Glacier No.1 can not be radically alleviated even if there is a precipitation increase by 30%.

Variations in the equilibrium line altitude of Urumqi Glacier No.1,Tianshan Mountains,over the past 50 years

The glacier ELA is one of the important parameters reflecting climate change.Based on observations of the equilibrium line altitude(ELA) of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Tianshan Mountains,we established a statistical model between ELA and its major influencing factors,warm season air temperature(air temperature averages for May,June,July and August) and annual precipitation.Result showed that,warm season air temperature was the leading climatic factor influencing ELA variations.The glacier ELA ascends(descends) 61.7 m when warm season air temperature increases(decreases) by 1°C,and ascends(descends) 13.1 m when cold season precipitation decreases(increases) by 10%.In the period 1959-2008,the glacier ELA showed a general increasing trend,ascending108 m and reaching its highest altitude in 2008 at 4168 m a.s.l.,close to the glacier summit.If future climate is similar to that in the past 50 years,the ELA of Urumqi Glacier No.1 will still ascend with a speed of 2.16 m/a.However,If future climate is similar to that in the period 2000-2008,the ELA will still ascend with a speed of 6.5 m/a before it is stable.As a result of ELA variation,the accumulation area ratio(AAR) of the glacier showed a decreasing trend during the past 50 years.

Comparative study on observed mass balance between East and West Branch of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Eastern Tianshan, China

This paper is based on observed mass balance between East and West Branch of Urumqi Glacier No. l, meteorological data dur- ing 1988-2010, comparative studies the mass balance variations, and analyses the mass balance sensitivity to climate change. Re- sults show that average mass balance of East and West Branch was -532 mm/a and 435 mm/a, cumulative mass balance was 12,227 mm （ice thinned by 13.6 m） and -10,001 mm （ice thinned by 11.1 m）, respectively, and mass loss of East Branch was 97 mm/a larger than West Branch. The East and West Branch ELA （equilibrium line altitude） ascended about 176 m and 154 m, analysis shows the steady-state ELA0 was 3,942 m a.s.1, and 4,011 m a.s.1., and when East and West Branch mass balance de- creased by 100 ram, ELA ascended 20 m and 23 m, respectively. The AAR （accumulation area ratio） of East and West Branch presented an obviously decreasing trend of 34.5% and 23%, equilibrium-state AAR0 was 65% and 66%, when East and West Branch mass balance increased by 100 mm, AAR ascended 4.6% and 4.2%, respectively. Glacier mass balance was sensitive to change of net ablation, net ablation of East and West Branch increased 10x 104 m3, and mass balance decreased 110 mm and 214 mm, respectively. By analyzing mass balance sensitivity to climate change, results suggest that East and West Branch mass bal- ance decreased （increased） 463 mm and 388 mm when ablation period temperature increased （decreased） by 1 ~C, East and West Branch mass balance increased （decreased） 140 mm and 158 mm when annual precipitation increased （decreased） by 100 mm, and sensitivity of East Branch mass balance to climate change was more intense than that of West Branch.

The surface velocity feature of Glacier No.1 at the headwater of Urumqi River,Tianshan Mountain

The movement of a glacier can redistribute glacier mass balance and change water and thermal conditions of the glacier.Thus,the glacier can maintain its dynamic balance.Surface velocity of a glacier is a basic feature of glacier movement.With successive monthly observations from 2006 to 2008,we obtained spatial and temporal variations for surface velocity of Glacier No.1 at the headwater of Urumqi River,Tianshan Mountain.Dynamic simulation was used to verify the findings.Results show that altitudinal distribution of glacier velocity was influenced by synthetic effects such as glacier thickness,slope,and bedrock morphology.However,seasonal variation was influenced by changing glacier thickness.

Study on diversity and temporal-spatial characteristics of eukaryotic microorganisms on Glacier No.1 at the Urumqi River Head,Tianshan

Surface snow samples of different altitudes and snow pit samples were collected from Glacier No. 1 at the Urumqi River Head, Tianshan. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） was used to examine the diversity and temporal-spatial characteristics of eukaryotic microorganisms with different altitudes and depths. Results show that the eukaryotic microorganisms belong to four kingdoms--Viridiplantae, Fungi, Amoebozoa, and Alveolata. Among them, algae （especially Chlamydomonadales） were the dominant group. The diversity of eukaryotic microorganisms was negatively correlated with altitude and accumulation time, but positively correlated with 8180 values. These results indicate that temperature is the main factor for the temporal-spatial change of eukaryotic microorganisms, and the diversity of eukaryotic microorganisms could be an index for climate and environmental change.

Source of major anions and cations of snowpacks in Hailuogou No.1 glacier, Mt. Gongga and Baishui No.1 glacier, Mt. Yulong

Snowpacks samples were colleted from two glaciers： Baishui No.1 glacier and Hailuogou No.1 glacier in June, 2006. The method of sea-salt ions tracer, correlation analysis and trend analysis were used in this research in order to confirm the source of main ions, it is indicated that Na^＋ is mainly from marine moisture and other ions mainly originate from land dust. The non-marine source percent of Cl^-, NO3^- , SO4^2-, K^＋, Ca^2＋ and Mg^2＋ is 52%, 99%, 100%, 98%, 99.9% and 83%, respectively, in Hailuogou No.1 glacier, while the corresponding value in Baishui No.1 glacier is 68%, 99%, 100%, 98%, 99% and 59%. The non-marine source of ions is from dust of Central Asia arid regions carried by westerly circulation and the plateau borne-areas with Qinghai-Tibet Plateau winter monsoon in two glacial areas. However, the import of local dust in glacial area has made a great contribution to ions concentration in Baishui No.1 glacier, which accounts for the reason why the ions concentration in Baishui No.1 glacier is much higher than that of Hailuogou No.1 glacier. It is obvious that the source of each ion is different between Hailuogou No.1 glacier and Baishui No.1 glacier. There are three reasons which can explain it： firstly, the difference in the internal environment of glacial area, such as lithology, mountain-valley wind system, topographical relief and so on; secondly, the influence exerted by ions elution in snowpacks section, and ions elution in Hailuogou No.1 glacier is very strong; and thirdly, the difference caused due to varying ions transporting styles, deposition modes, chemical characteristics and post-ions-deposition process.

基于无人机正射影像的玉龙雪山白水河1号冰川末端冰裂隙提取

冰川是冰冻圈的重要部分,对局地乃至全球气候变化响应敏感。冰裂隙作为冰川表面上显著的特征,对于认识冰川的状态、稳定性以及内部应力有着重要的作用。针对冰川冰裂隙高精度快速识别提取问题,本文以玉龙雪山白水河1号冰川为研究对象,使用无人机航拍获取的0.12 m分辨率的正射影像,应用U-Net深度学习网络开展白水河1号冰川的冰裂隙的智能提取研究。使用U-Net网络提取冰裂隙的精度高于传统的Canny算子以及SVM算法,总体精度可高达93%,且U-Net网络泛化能力强。提取结果表明,白水河1号冰川冰裂隙主要为横向裂隙,伸展裂隙以及雁行裂隙,呈现随海拔降低,冰裂隙逐渐由横向裂隙变化为伸展裂隙的趋势,通过不同时期提取结果对比,发现冰裂隙数量和平均长度均有增加。基于无人机影像和深度学习方法的冰裂隙智能提取研究,可为监测冰川变化及其与气候变化的关系提供技术支撑。

青藏高原念青唐古拉山廓琼岗日1号冰川变化研究

小冰川对气候变化非常敏感,监测与定量评估此类冰川变化有助于理解冰川对气候变化的响应幅度与机制。本研究结合多源遥感数据(卫星遥感与无人机航测),分析了近50年来青藏高原念青唐古拉山廓琼岗日1号冰川面积变化趋势,定量评估了该冰川近期的冰面高程变化幅度与空间分布。结果表明,1968—2021年廓琼岗日小型冰斗冰川的面积从(1.444±0.013)km^(2)缩减至(0.712±0.001)km^(2),萎缩幅度达到50.7%,冰川末端退缩平均速率约为(6.23±0.71)m·a^(-1)。基于2020—2021年高精度无人机航测数据发现,廓琼岗日1号冰川冰面平均高程差达到(-2.41±0.69)m,冰川末端高程变化大于3 m,中部的冰面高程下降幅度在1.5~3 m之间。研究还发现冰川表面河道对冰面高程空间变化起着重要作用,该冰川表面共发育有13条表面河道,2020—2021年河道向西北方向偏移约2 m。冰面河道的向下侵蚀与侧向消融导致末端冰面高程变化呈现显著的空间差异。

Spatiotemporal variations in glacier area and surface velocity of the northern Antarctic Peninsula during 2018-2022

Ice sheet serves as a crucial indicator for assessing climate change.Mass loss in recent remote sensing-based studies indicated that the Antarctic Peninsula has rapid rates of glacier retreat and speed up of surface velocity.However,observations of seasonal variability of ice speed are limited,and glacier-area changes require multi-temporal monitoring.This study investigated the changes in area and surface velocities of∼375 glaciers on the northern Antarctic Peninsula(NAP)utilizing satellite images acquired by the Sentinel 1&2 satellites during 2018-2022.The results indicate that the glacier area reduced by approximately 166.1±44.2 km^(2)(-0.2%±0.1%per year)during the study period,with an acceleration after 2020(-0.4%±0.3%per year),and the most dramatic reduction happened on the eastern NAP.The maximum annual ice speeds on the NAP generally exceeded 3500 m per year,while the ice speeds in 2021 were the highest(exceeded 4210 m per year).The ice speed variability in austral autumn was higher than in other seasons,meanwhile the summer ice speeds showed an increasing trend.The glacier G012158E47018N,McNeile Glacier,glacier G299637E64094S and Drygalski Glacier showed the most remarkable ice speed variations represented by high daily velocities and strong fluctuations on their termini.Our results demonstrated that the variations in glacier area and seasonal ice speed on the NAP were responsive to the ice-ocean-atmosphere processes.Therefore,seasonal velocity and area variations should be considered when conducting accurate mass balance calculations,model validations and change mechanism analyses under climate warming scenarios.

Glacier mapping based on Chinese high-resolution remote sensing GF-1 satellite and topographic data

The precise glacier boundary is a fundamental requirement for glacier inventory,the assessment of climate change and water management in remote mountain areas.However,some glaciers in mountain areas are covered by debris.The high spatial resolution images bring opportunities in mapping debris-covered glaciers.To discuss the capability of Chinese GaoFen-1 satellite lacking the short wave infrared band and thermal infrared band in mapping glaciers,this study distinguished supraglacial terrain from surrounding debris by combining GaoFen-1(GF-1)wide-field-view(WFV)images,the ratio of the thermal infrared imagery and morphometric parameters(DEM and slope)with 30 m resolution.The overall accuracy of 90.94%indicated that this method was effective for mapping supraglacial terrain in mountain areas.Comparing this result with the combination of GF-1 WFV and low-resolution morphometric parameters shows that a high-quality DEM and the thermal infrared band enhanced the accuracy of glacier mapping especially debris-covered ice in steep terrain.The user's and producer's accuracies of glacier area were also improved from 89.67%and 85.95%to 92.83%and 90.34%,respectively.GF data is recommended for mapping heavily debris-covered glaciers and will be combined with SAR data for future studies.

Glacier mass balance and its impacts on streamflow in a typical inland river basin in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China

Glaciers are known as natural ’’solid reservoirs’ ’, and they play a dual role between the composition of water resources and the river runoff regulation in arid and semi-arid areas of China. In this study, we used in situ observation data from Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in combination with meteorological data from stations and a digital elevation model, to develop a distributed degree-day model for glaciers in the Urumqi River Basin to simulate glacier mass balance processes and quantify their effect on streamflow during 1980–2020. The results indicate that the mass loss and the equilibrium line altitude(ELA) of glaciers in the last 41 years had an increasing trend, with the average mass balance and ELA being-0.85(±0.32) m w.e./a(meter water-equivalent per year) and 4188 m a.s.l., respectively. The glacier mass loss has increased significantly during 1999–2020, mostly due to the increase in temperature and the extension of ablation season. During 1980–2011, the average annual glacier meltwater runoff in the Urumqi River Basin was 0.48×108 m3, accounting for 18.56% of the total streamflow. We found that the annual streamflow in different catchments in the Urumqi River Basin had a strong response to the changes in glacier mass balance, especially from July to August, and the glacier meltwater runoff increased significantly. In summary, it is quite possible that the results of this research can provide a reference for the study of glacier water resources in glacier-recharged basins in arid and semi-arid areas.