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- Title
Glacier change in the western Nyainqentanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau using historical maps and Landsat imagery: 1970-2014.
- Authors
Wu, Kun-peng; Liu, Shi-yin; Guo, Wan-qin; Wei, Jun-feng; Xu, Jun-li; Bao, Wei-jia; Yao, Xiao-jun
- Abstract
Glaciers in the western Nyainqentanglha Range are an important source of water for social and economic development. Changes in their area were derived from two Chinese glacier inventories; one from the 1970 1:50,000 scale Chinese Topographic Maps series and the other from Landsat TM/ETM+ images acquired in 2009. Analyses also included boundaries from 2000 and 2014 Landsat TM/ETM+ images. A continuing and accelerating shrinkage of glaciers occurred here from 1970 to 2014, with glacier area decreasing by 244.38 ± 29.48 km (27.4% ± 3.3%) or 0.62% ± 0.08% a. While this is consistent with a changing climate, local topographic parameters, such as altitude, slope, aspect and debris cover, are also important influences. Recession is manifested by a rise in the elevation of the glacier terminus. The shrinkage of glaciers with NE, N and NW orientations exceeded that of other aspects, and glaciers with SE and S orientations experienced less shrinkage. Changes in the average positive difference of glaciation (PDG) show that the western Nyainqentanglha Range has unfavorable conditions for glacier maintenance which is being exacerbated by a warming climate since 1970.
- Subjects
GLACIERS; WATER resources development; CLIMATE change; GLACIATION; TOPOGRAPHY
- Publication
Journal of Mountain Science, 2016, Vol 13, Issue 8, p1358
- ISSN
1672-6316
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11629-016-3997-0