Sensitivity analysis of glacier systems to climate warming in China

Data of 44 glacier systems in China used in this paper were obtained from Chinese Glacier Inventories and the meteorological data were got from Meteorological Atlas of Plateau of west China. Based on the statistical analysis and functional model simulation results of the 44 glacier systems in China, the glacier systems were divided into extremely-sensitive glacier system, semi-sensitive glacier system, extremely-steady glacier system and semi-steady glacier system in terms of glacier system＇s level of water-energy exchange, rising gradient of the equilibrium line altitudes and retreating rate of area to climate warming, their median size and vertical span distribution, and their runoff characteristics to climate warming. Furthermore the functional model of glacier system to climate warming was applied in this paper to predict the average variation trends of the 4 types of glacier systems, which indicate that different sensitivity types of glacier systems respond to the climate warming differently.

Modeling the Roles of Precipitation Increasing in Glacier Systems Responding to Climate Warming—Taking Xinjiang Glaciated Region as Example

The studies on prediction of climate in Xinjiang almost show that the precipitation would increase in the coming 50 years, although there were surely some uncertainties in precipitation predictions. On the basis of the structure of glacier system and nature of equilibrium line altitude at steady state (ELA0), a functional model of the glacier system responding to climate changes was established, and itsimultaneously involved the rising of summer mean temperature and increasing of mean precipitation. The results from the functional model under the climatic scenarios with temperature increasing rates of 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 K/year indicated that the precipitation increasing would play an evident role in glacier system responding to climate change: if temperature become 1℃ higher, the precipitation would be increased by 10 %, which can slow down the glaciers retreating rate in the area by 4 %, accelerate runoff increasing rate by 8 % and depress the ELA0rising gradient by 24 m in northern Xinjiang glacier system where semi-continental glaciers dominate, while it has corresponding values of only 1 %, 5 % and 18m respectively in southern Xinjiang glacier system, where extremely continental glaciers dominate.

Glacier systems response on climate change by the definite climatic scenario:northeast Russia

In previous papers, we have presented a method for the assessment of the evolution of mountain glacier systems, in which various climate scenarios were used to study the response of glacier systems to climate change. The aim of this study is to assess the evolution of northeastern Russia glacier systems using output from the A-31 climate scenario, and to compare the responses of the different mountain glacier systems to the scenario. We used temperature and precipitation output from the A-31 scenario to assess future evolution of the glacier systems in the Chukchi and Kolyma highlands(for the projection period of 2011–2030), and the Orulgan, Suntar-Khayata, and Chersky ranges(for the projection period of 2041–2060). The paper provides a brief description of the general method that was used and more details on the data and methods used for each glacier system.Responses of glacier systems were analyzed on the basis of four parameters: mean glacier area, system mean altitudinal range, changes in equilibrium line altitude, and glacier area by the end of the projection period. The relationships between the factors received support an applicability of the A-31 scenario to the study of glacier system evolution.

A multi-sensor-based distributed real-time measurement system for glacier deformation

Glacier disasters occur frequently in alpine regions around the world,but the current conventional geological disaster measurement technology cannot be directly used for glacier disaster measurement.Hence,in this study,a distributed multi-sensor measurement system for glacier deformation was established by integrating piezoelectric sensing,coded sensing,attitude sensing technology and wireless communication technology.The traditional Modbus protocol was optimized to solve the problem of data identification confusion of different acquisition nodes.Through indoor wireless transmission,adaptive performance analysis,error measurement experiment and landslide simulation experiment,the performance of the measurement system was analyzed and evaluated.Using unmanned aerial vehicle technology,the reliability and effectiveness of the measurement system were verified on the site of Galongla glacier in southeastern Tibet,China.The results show that the mean absolute percentage errors were only 1.13%and 2.09%for the displacement and temperature,respectively.The distributed glacier deformation real-time measurement system provides a new means for the assessment of the development process of glacier disasters and disaster prevention and mitigation.

Comprehensive analysis of glacier recession(2000-2020)in the Nun-Kun Group of Glaciers,Northwestern Himalaya

Himalayan glaciers are shrinking rapidly,especially after 2000.Glacier shrinkage,however,shows a differential pattern in space and time,emphasizing the need to monitor and assess glacier changes at a larger scale.In this study,changes of 48 glaciers situated around the twin peaks of the Nun and Kun mountains in the northwestern Himalaya,hereafter referred to as Nun-Kun Group of Glaciers(NKGG),were investigated using Landsat satellite data during 2000-2020.Changes in glacier area,snout position,Equilibrium Line Altitude(ELA),surface thickness and glacier velocity were assessed using remote sensing data supplemented by field observations.The study revealed that the NKGG glaciers have experienced a recession of 4.5%±3.4%and their snouts have retreated at the rate of 6.4±1.6 m·a^(-1).Additionally,there was a 41%increase observed in the debris cover area during the observation period.Using the geodetic approach,an average glacier elevation change of-1.4±0.4 m·a^(-1)was observed between 2000 and 2012.The observed mass loss of the NKGG has resulted in the deceleration of glacier velocity from 27.0±3.7 m·a^(-1)in 2000 to 21.2±2.2 m·a^(-1)in 2020.The ELA has shifted upwards by 83.0±22 m during the period.Glacier morphological and topographic factors showed a strong influence on glacier recession.Furthermore,a higher recession of 12.9%±3.2%was observed in small glaciers,compared to 2.7%±3.1%in larger glaciers.The debris-covered glaciers showed lower shrinkage(2.8%±1.1%)compared to the clean glaciers(9.3%±5%).The glacier depletion recorded in the NKGG during the last two decades,if continued,would severely diminish glacial volume and capacity to store water,thus jeopardizing the sustainability of water resources in the basin.

Glacier area change and its impact on runoff in the Manas River Basin,Northwest China from 2000 to 2020

Understanding the distribution and dynamics of glaciers is of great significance to the management and allocation of regional water resources and socio-economic development in arid regions of Northwest China.In this study,based on 36 Landsat images,we extracted the glacier boundaries in the Manas River Basin,Northwest China from 2000 to 2020 using eCognition combined with band operation,GIS(geographic information system)spatial overlay techniques,and manual visual interpretation.We further analyzed the distribution and variation characteristics of glacier area,and simulated glacial runoff using a distributed degree-day model to explore the regulation of runoff recharge.The results showed that glacier area in the Manas River Basin as a whole showed a downward trend over the past 21 a,with a decrease of 10.86%and an average change rate of–0.54%/a.With the increase in glacier scale,the number of smaller glaciers decreased exponentially,and the number and area of larger glaciers were relatively stable.Glacier area showed a normal distribution trend of increasing first and then decreasing with elevation.About 97.92%of glaciers were distributed at 3700–4800 m,and 48.11%of glaciers were observed on the northern and northeastern slopes.The retreat rate of glaciers was the fastest(68.82%)at elevations below 3800 m.There was a clear rise in elevation at the end of glaciers.Glaciers at different slope directions showed a rapid melting trend from the western slope to the southern slope then to the northern slope.Glacial runoff in the basin showed a fluctuating upward trend in the past 21 a,with an increase rate of 0.03×1010^(8) m^(3)/a.The average annual glacial runoff was 4.80×10^(8) m^(3),of which 33.31%was distributed in the ablation season(June–September).The average annual contribution rate of glacial meltwater to river runoff was 35.40%,and glacial runoff accounted for 45.37%of the total runoff during the ablation season.In addition,precipitation and glacial runoff had complementary regulation patterns for river runoff.The findings can provide a scientific basis for water resource management in the Manas River Basin and other similar arid inland river basins.

Glacier area change (1993-2019) and its relationship to debris cover, proglacial lakes, and morphological parameters in the Chandra-Bhaga Basin, Western Himalaya, India

Glacier inventories serve as critical baseline data for understanding the impacts of climate change on glaciers.The present study maps the outlines of glaciers in the Chandra-Bhaga Basin(western Himalaya)for the years 1993,2000,2010,and 2019 using Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM),Enhanced Thematic Mapper(ETM),and Operational Land Imager(OLI)datasets.A total of 251 glaciers,each having an area above 0.5 km^(2),were identified,which include 216 clean-ice and 35 debris-covered glaciers.Area changes are estimated for three periods:1993-2000,2000-2010,and 2010-2019.The total glacierized area was 996±62 km^(2) in 1993,which decreased to 973±70 km^(2) in 2019.The mean rate of glacier area loss was higher in the recent decade(2010-2019),at 0.036 km^(2),compared to previous decades(0.029 km^(2) in 2000-2010 and 0.025 km^(2) in 1993-2000).Supraglacial debris cover changes are also mapped over the period of 1993 and 2019.It is found that the supraglacial debris cover increased by 14.12±2.54 km^(2)(15.2%)during 1993-2019.Extensive field surveys on Chhota Shigri,Panchi II,Patsio,Hamtah,Mulkila,and Yoche Lungpa glaciers were carried out to validate the glacier outlines and supraglacial debris cover estimated using satellite datasets.Controls of various morphological parameters on retreat were also analyzed.It is observed that small,clean ice,south oriented glaciers,and glaciers with proglacial lakes are losing area at faster rates than other glaciers in the basin.

A review of physicochemical properties of dissolved organic carbon and its impact over mountain glaciers

Investigating the characteristics and transformation of water-soluble carbonaceous matter in the cryosphere regions is important for understanding biogeochemical process in the earth system.Water-soluble carbonaceous matter is a heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds that is soluble in aquatic environments.Despite its importance,we still lack systematic understanding for dissolved organic carbon(DOC)in several aspects including exact chemical composition and physical interactions with microorganisms,glacier meltwater.This review presents the chemical composition and physical properties of glacier DOC deposited through anthropogenic emission,terrestrial,and biogenic sources.We present the molecular composition of DOC and its effect over snow albedo and associated radiative forcings.Results indicate that DOC in snow/ice is made up of aromatic protein-like species,fulvic acid-like materials,and humic acid-like materials.Light-absorbing impurities in surface snow and glacier ice cause considerable albedo reduction and the associated radiative forcing is definitely positive.Water-soluble carbonaceous matter dominated the carbon transport in the high-altitude glacial area.Owing to prevailing global warming and projected increase in carbon emission,the glacial DOC is expected to release,which will have strong underlying impacts on cryosphere ecosystem.The results of this work have profound implications for better understanding the carbon cycle in high altitude cryosphere regions.A new compilation of globally distributed work is required,including large-scale measurements of glacial DOC over high-altitude cryosphere regions,to overcome and address the scientific challenges to constrain climate impacts of light-absorbing impurities related processes in Earth system and climate models.

Short communication:Extreme glacier mass loss triggered by high temperature and drought during hydrological year 2022/2023 in Qilian Mountains

In the hydrological year 2022/2023,the glaciers in the Qilian Mountains experienced unprecedented mass loss.The glacier-wide mass balance was-1,188 mm w.e.,in contrast to-350 mm of average mass balance since 1990 over the Bailanghe Glacier No.12 in the middle of Qilian Mountains.The temperature during 2022–2023 reached the highest value ever recorded,second only to 2022,while at the same time the precipitation amount was less compared to other year since 2000,which together led to the strongest glacier mass loss during 2022–2023.The atmospheric circulation analysis shows that the high temperature in the Qilian Mountains in 2023 was jointly caused by the Arctic air mass and East Asian monsoon.

Crucial, But not Systematically Investigated: Rock Glaciers, the Concealed Water Reservoirs of the Himalayas: An Opinion

The current article is an opinion on the sensitivity of high mountain regions which are the most fragile,sensitive and vulnerable to ongoing climate change.Its impacts are especially severe on the high mountain communities owing to their weak socio-economic profile,limited livelihood resources and agricultural land.The melting of glaciers and changes in the snow cover under the climate change scenario is leading to the scarcity of freshwater supplies,affecting both local and downstream communities.Changes in the precipitation patterns have been suggested to cause droughts,impact restricted agriculture,and limit the availability of water for domestic use.Additionally,the high mountain areas contain distinct flora and fauna,and climate change is not just altering them,but also has resulted in biodiversity loss as species are unable to adapt to the changing climate.Because of its higher altitudes and semi-arid to arid climate,the consequences of climate change are more evident in the higher Himalayas.Climate change is affecting the availability of key resources,such as freshwater and agriculture and pasture lands,resulting in food and water insecurity and their reliance on imports from other regions.As a result,high mountain communities in the Himalayas are progressively shifting to higher glacier valleys in search of suitable cultivable land with adequate irrigation.People are engaging in agro-pastoral activities around thermokarst lakes(Oasis)atop rock glaciers as part of this endeavour.Such actions underscore the crucial role of rock glaciers in dealing with and adjusting to the consequences of climate change.Despite its relevance,rock glacier research in the Himalayan region is still in its infancy.The purpose of this work is to emphasise the significance of these major climate-resilient water resources,as well as the methodology that must be adopted for their systematic and compressive investigations.

Comparison of the precision of glacier flow rates derived from offset-tracking using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8/9 imagery

Offset-tracking is an essential method for deriving glacier flow rates using optical imagery.Sentinel-2(S2)and Landsat-8/9(L8/9)are popular optical satellites or constellations for polar studies,offering high spatial resolution with relatively short revisit time,wide swath width,and free accessibility.To evaluate and compare the precision of offset-tracking results yielded with these two kinds of data,in this study S2 and L8/9 imagery observed in Petermann Glacier in Greenland,Karakoram in High-Mountains Asia,and Amery Ice Shelf in the Antarctic are analyzed.Outliers and various systematic error sources in the offset-tracking results including orbital and strip errors were analyzed and eliminated at the pre-process stage.Precision at the off-glacier(bare rock)region was evaluated by presuming that no deformation occurred;then for both glacierized and the off-glacier regions,precision of velocity time series was evaluated based on error propagation theory.The least squares method based on connected components was used to solve flow rates time series based on multi-pair images offset-tracking.The results indicated that S2 achieved slightly higher precision than L8/9 in terms of both single-pair derived displacements and least square solved daily flow rates time series.Generally,the RMSE of daily velocity is 26%lower for S2 than L8/9.Moreover,S2 provided higher temporal resolution for monitoring glacier flow rates.

Preserving glacier mass:Cellulosic LENZING^(TM) fibers provide snow and ice protection solution

In field trials on Austrian glaciers,nonwovens made of ce u osic LENZING^(TM) fibers are being used to cover glacier mass.They are showing promising results and offer a sustainable solution for glacier protection.Nonwovens containing fossilbased synthetic fibers might cause negative environmental consequences such as microplastics on glaciers.Geotextiles with ce u osic LENZINGTMfibers won the prestigious Swiss BIO TOP,an award for wood and material innovations.Geotextiles are already widely used to protect snow and ice on glaciers frommelting.

Vulnerability and adaptation of an oasis social–ecological system affected by glacier change in an arid region of northwestern China

The Hexi Inland River Basin in an arid region of northwestern China was chosen as the study area for this research. The authors define the vulnerability of an oasis social-ecological system to glacier change; select 16 indicators from natural and socioeconomic systems according to exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity; and construct a vulnerability-assessment indicator system aimed at an inland river basin in the arid region of Northwestern China. Vulnerability of the oasis socialecological system affected by glacier change in the study area is evaluated by Spatial Principal Component Analysis(SPCA) under the circumstance of glacier change. The key factors affecting the vulnerability are analyzed. The vulnerability of the oasis social-ecological system in the Hexi Inland River Basin affected by glacier change is of more than medium grade, accounting for about 48.0% of the total number of counties in the study area. In terms of the spatial pattern of the vulnerability, the oasis economic belt is the most vulnerable. With the rapid development of the area's society and economy, the exposure of the system to glacial changes is significantly increased; and an increase in glacial meltwater is not enough to overcome the impact of increased exposure, which is the main reason for the high vulnerability. Based on the result of the vulnerability analysis and combined with the present industrial structure in the Hexi Inland River Basin, near-,medium-, and long-term adaptation initiatives are put forward in the article.

Seasonal evolution of the englacial and subglacial drainage systems of a temperate glacier revealed by hydrological analysis

Englacial and subglacial drainage systems of temperate glaciers have a strong influence on glacier dynamics, glacier-induced floods, glacier-weathering processes, and runoff from glacierized drainage basins. Proglacial discharge is partly controlled by the geometry of the glacial drainage network and by the process of producing meltwater. The glacial-drainage system of some alpine glaciers has been characterized using a model based on proglacial discharge analysis. In this paper, we apply cross-correlation analysis to hourly hydro-climatic data collected from China＇s Hailuogou Glacier, a typical temperate glacier in Mt. Gongga, to study the seasonal status changes of the englacial and subglacial drainage systems by discharge-temperature （Q-T） time lag analy-sis. During early ablation season （April-May） of 2003, 2004 and 2005, the change of englacial and subglacial drainage system usually leads several outburst flood events, which are also substantiated by observing the leakage of supraglacial pond and cre-vasses pond water during field works in April, 2008. At the end of ablation season （October-December）, the glacial-drainage net-works become less hydro-efficient. Those events are evidenced by hourly hydro-process near the terminus of Hailuogou Glacier, and the analysis of Q-T time lags also can be a good indicator of those changes. However, more detailed observations or experi-ments, e.g. dye-tracing experiment and recording borehole water level variations, are necessary to describe the evolutionary status and processes of englacial and subglacial drainage systems evolution during ablation season.

Vulnerability of an inland river basin water resource system under the background of future accelerated glacier melt: A case of Yarkent River Basin in arid Northwest China

Water resources of inland river basins of arid Northwest China will be profoundly affected by future accelerated glacier melt. Based on scenarios of climate warming, accelerated glacier melt and socioeconomic development in the future, vulnerability of the Yarkent River Basin water resources for 2010-2030 is evaluated quantitatively using the indicator of water deficiency ratio. Results show that the quantity of the basin＇s water resources will continuously increase over the next 20 years, mainly due to the effect of climate warming and accelerated glacier melt. But, in the next 10 years, the basin will have a deficient water status, and the water resource system will be quite vulnerable. This is due to an increased water demand from rapidly increasing socioeco- nomic development and a lack of low water-use efficiency in the near future. After about 2020, water supply will outstrip demand, greatly relieving the basin＇s water deficient due to increased water resources and the advancement of water-saving technology. Contrast to the hypothetical situation of unchanged glacier melt, climate wanning and resulting accelerated glacier melt may play a role in relieving the supply-demand strain to some extent.

Bedrock outcropping in the accumulation zone of the largest glacier in Mexico(Glaciar Norte of Citlaltépetl),as evidence of a possible accelerated extinction

The highest volcano in Mexico,at the same time the third largest mountain in North America(Citlaltépetl,5610 m a.s.l.),is home to the largest glacier in the country.Because of the extinction of the Popocatépetl glacier(5500 m a.s.l.)caused by eruptive activity,and the almost disappearance of the Iztaccíhuatl glaciers(5220 m a.s.l.)due to the lower elevation of the mountain,the Glaciar Norte of Citlatépetl has been the only glacier that has shown a certain degree of stability as a response to the altitude in which it is located.However,as occurs in almost all glaciers on the planet,the retreat of its glacier terminus has been continuous.Furthermore,during the last years the thickness of its upper part began to decrease rapidly until its bedrock was exposed for the first time in 2019.Due to its ecosystem importance and because it is the main glacier in Mexico,as well as the only one in the world located at latitude 19°N,in this work its current dimensions are updated,as well as the local climatology that governs the current state of the glacier is pointed out.The study was based on the analysis of high-resolution Sentinel-2 optical images,as well as through Sentinel-1 SAR images,with the support of climatological information from the study area.Therefore,the outcropping of the bedrock in the accumulation zone and the consequent horizontal retreat of the upper part of the glacier are documented;at the same time,the decrease in the thickness of the ice along it is noted.The rocky outcrop in the accumulation zone suggests that the flow dynamics of the ice towards the ablation zone will be considerably less,accelerating the retreat of the glacier terminus.Finally,the ascent of the glacial front to 5102 m a.s.l.and the modelled altitude of the equilibrium line to 5276 m a.s.l.are reported as a warning signal in terms of snow catchment and mass balance;likewise,the decrease of 23%of its surface is also indicated regarding the surface reduction monitoring that has been done until 2017.These findings may indicate that the future of this glacier is related to its possible extinction sooner than previously thought,with severe environmental consequences,especially in terms of the provision of drinking water for thousands of inhabitants of the slopes of the volcano.This research is expected to help reflect on the impacts of current climate variability and at the same time serve as a reference for the tropical glaciers on the planet.

Analyzing geomorphological and topographical controls for the heterogeneous glacier mass balance in the Sikkim Himalayas

Glacier response patterns at the catchment scale are highly heterogeneous and defined by a complex interplay of various dynamics and surface factors.Previous studies have explained heterogeneous responses in qualitative ways but quantitative assessment is lacking yet where an intrazone homogeneous climate assumption can be valid.Hence,in the current study,the reason for heterogeneous mass balance has been explained in quantitative methods using a multiple linear regression model in the Sikkim Himalayan region.At first,the topographical parameters are selected from previously published studies,then the most significant topographical and geomorphological parameters are selected with backward stepwise subset selection methods.Finally,the contributions of selected parameters are calculated by least square methods.The results show that,the magnitude of mass balance lies between-0.003±0.24 to-1.029±0.24 m.w.e.a^(-1) between 2000 and 2020 in the Sikkim Himalaya region.Also,the study shows that,out of the terminus type of the glacier,glacier area,debris cover,ice-mixed debris,slope,aspect,mean elevation,and snout elevation of the glaciers,only the terminus type and mean elevation of the glacier are significantly altering the glacier mass balance in the Sikkim Himalayan region.Mathematically,the mass loss is approximately 0.40 m.w.e.a^(-1) higher in the lake-terminating glaciers compared to the land-terminating glaciers in the same elevation zone.On the other hand,a thousand meters mean elevation drop is associated with 0.179 m.w.e.a-1of mass loss despite the terminus type of the glaciers.In the current study,the model using the terminus type of the glaciers and the mean elevation of the glaciers explains 76% of fluctuation of mass balance in the Sikkim Himalayan region.

Sediments from cryoconite holes and dirt cones on the surface of Svalbard glaciers:main chemical and physicochemical properties

The paper discussed the influence of the forms of sediment accumulation on the surface of glaciers on their chemical and physicochemical properties.The materials sampled from the surface of five glaciers of the Svalbard Archipelago was analyzed.We studied such forms of sediment accumulation as dirt cones-the ice core covered with sediments and cryoconite holes-hollows on the glacier surface containing cryoconite material.Parameters such as total organic carbon content,microbiological activity,pH,the content of mobile forms of potassium and phosphorus,and concentrations of heavy and trace metals were studied.Also,mesomorphological studies were carried out and the polydisperse composition of the sediments was determined.According to the results of this work,it was found that the content of organic carbon in the material selected from dirt cones and cryoconite holes can be up to 2.5%,but the content of clay particles in it is mainly at the 10–15%level.Potassium concentrations are up to 250 mg/kg,and phosphorus is up to 800 mg/kg.The content of metals is typical or lower than in the previously published data.The main influence on the chemical composition of materials has a geographical factor of the sampling site,rather than the form of material accumulation.

Seasonal variations in glacier velocity in the High Mountain Asia region during 2015–2020

Velocity is an important component of glacier dynamics and directly reflects the response of glaciers to climate change.As a result,an accurate determination of seasonal variation in glacier velocity is very important in understanding the annual variation in glacier dynamics.However,few studies of glacier velocity in the High Mountain Asia(HMA)region were done.Along these lines,in this work,based on Sentinel-1 glacier velocity data,the distribution of glacier velocity in the HMA region was plotted and their seasonal variations during 2015-2020 were systematically analysed.The average glacier velocity in the HMA region was 0.053 m/d,and was positively correlated with the glacier area and slope.Glaciers in the Karakoram Mountains had the fastest average flow velocity(0.060 m/d),where the glaciers exhibited the largest average area and average slope.Moreover,glaciers in the GangdisêMountains had the slowest velocity(0.022 m/d)and the smallest average glacier area.The glacier flows were the fastest in spring(0.058 m/d),followed by summer(0.050 m/d),autumn(0.041 m/d),and winter(0.040 m/d).In addition,the glacier flows were the maximum in May,being 1.4 times of the annual average velocity.In some areas,such as the Qilian,Altun,Tibetan Interior,Eastern Kunlun,and Western Kunlun mountains,the peak glacier velocities appeared in June and July.The glacier velocity in the HMA region decreased in midsummer and reached the minimum in December when it was 75%of the annual average.These results highlight the role of meltwater in the seasonal variation in glacier flows in late spring and early summer.The seasonal velocity variation of lake-terminating glaciers was similar to that of land-terminating ones,but the former flowed faster.The velocity difference close to the mass balance line between the lake-and land-terminating glaciers was obviously greater in spring than in other seasons.In summer,the difference between the lake-and land-terminating glaciers at a normalized distance of 0.05-0.40 from the terminus was significantly greater than those of other seasons.The velocity difference between the lake-and land-terminating glaciers is closely related to the variable of ice thickness,and also to the frictional force of the terminal base reduced by proglacial lakes.Thus,it can be concluded that in addition to the variation of the glacier thickness and viscosity,the variation of glacier water input also plays a key role in the seasonal variation of glacier velocity.

Half-a-century(1971–2020)of glacier shrinkage and climatic variability in the Bhaga basin,western Himalaya

Glacier shrinkage is a globally occurring phenomena.High-resolution change detection based on frequent mapping and monitoring of high-altitude glaciers is necessary to precisely evaluate future water availability and to understand glacier evolution under different climatic scenarios in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayan(HKH)region.This also holds true for the Bhaga basin of the western Himalaya.This study investigates glacier and glacier lake changes in the Bhaga basin,over the last five decades based on satellite imagery including Corona KH4(1971),Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus(ETM+;2000),Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor(LISS Ⅳ;2013),and Sentinel 2(2020).Regional temperature and precipitation trends were evaluated from gridded climatic datasets(1900–2020).In the Bhaga basin 306 glaciers(>0.2 km^(2))were mapped with a total area of 360.3±4.0 km^(2),of which 55.7±0.6 km^(2)was covered with debris in 2013.The total glacier covered area decreased by∼8.2±1.5%(0.16±0.03%yr-1)during the entire observation period 1971–2020,with noticeable heterogeneity between tributary watersheds.In the past two decades(2000–2020),the deglaciation rate has increased significantly(0.25%yr-1)compared to the previous decades(1971–2000;0.12%yr-1).Glacier lake area increased by 0.6±0.1 km^(2)(0.012 km^(2)yr-1)between 1971 and 2020.The NCEP/NCAR climatic data reveals an increase of 0.63℃in temperature and a decrease of 6.39 mm in precipitation for the period 1948–2018.In comparison,APHRODITE data shows an increasing trend in temperature of 1.14℃between 1961 and 2015 and decreasing trend in precipitation of 31 mm between 1951 and 2007.Both NCEP/NCAR and APHRODITE data reveal significant temperature increase and precipitation decrease since the 1990s,which have probably augmented ice loss in the Bhaga basin during the early 21st century.