Glacier changes and its effect on water resources in Urumqi River Basin,Tianshan Mountains,China, from 1964 to 2014 |
| |
| Authors: | Baojuan Huai Yetang Wang Zhongqin Li Weijun Sun Xiaoyan Wang |
| |
| Institution: | 1.College of Geography and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Human-Nature and Green Development in Universities of Shandong,Shandong Normal University,Jinan,China;2.State Key Laboratory of Cryosphere Science, Cold and Arid Region Environment and Engineering Research Institute/Tianshan Glaciological Station,Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),Lanzhou,China;3.Key Laboratory for Ecology and Environment of River Wetlands in Shaanxi Province,Weinan Normal University,Weinan,China |
| |
| Abstract: | This work investigated changes in glaciers over the Urumqi River Basin from 1964 to 2014, and its role in the local water resource. Based on the glacier outlines on 1964, 2005 and 2014 derived from topographical maps and satellite images, the glaciers shrank 32.51% of the surface area between 1964 and 2005, and 12.12% between 2005 and 2014, respectively. The corresponding area reduction rate increased from 0.77%/a in 1964–2005 to 1.21%/a in 2005–2014, suggesting accelerated glacier retreat in recent decades. Our results showed that hydrological regime variability in both glacierized and non-glacierized catchments of the Urumqi River Basin was dependent on the current glacier conditions. Furthermore, glaciers with the area of 1–2 km2 contributed most to the water resources in this region, but their regulation effects to river runoff were weakening. Accordingly, the accelerated glacier retreat was a dangerous signal for local water resource, and the continuous future glacier monitoring under the global warming were desperately needed. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
