Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2016, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (3): 241–249.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2016.00241

• ARTICLES • 上一篇    

Hydrological effects of alpine permafrost in the headwaters of the Urumqi River, Tianshan Mountains

TianDing Han1, HongZheng Pu1, Peng Cheng2, KeQin Jiao1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China;
    2. Urumqi Meteorological Bureau, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830002, China
  • 收稿日期:2016-01-10 修回日期:2016-03-26 发布日期:2018-11-23
  • 通讯作者: TianDing Han,State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences,Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences.No.320,West Donggang Road,Lanzhou,Gansu 730000,China.E-mail:tdhan@lzb.ac.cn E-mail:tdhan@lzb.ac.cn
  • 基金资助:
    This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.41271035 and 41201060),Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Scientific and Technological Support Projects (KJZD-EW-G03-04;2013BAB05B03).The authors thank all those colleagues who worked on hydrological and glacial observations at the Tianshan Glacier Station during 1958-2010,and thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Hydrological effects of alpine permafrost in the headwaters of the Urumqi River, Tianshan Mountains

TianDing Han1, HongZheng Pu1, Peng Cheng2, KeQin Jiao1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China;
    2. Urumqi Meteorological Bureau, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830002, China
  • Received:2016-01-10 Revised:2016-03-26 Published:2018-11-23
  • Contact: TianDing Han,State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences,Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences.No.320,West Donggang Road,Lanzhou,Gansu 730000,China.E-mail:tdhan@lzb.ac.cn E-mail:tdhan@lzb.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.41271035 and 41201060),Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Scientific and Technological Support Projects (KJZD-EW-G03-04;2013BAB05B03).The authors thank all those colleagues who worked on hydrological and glacial observations at the Tianshan Glacier Station during 1958-2010,and thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

摘要: Against the background of climate change,alpine permafrost active layers have shown a gradual thickening trend and the hydrothermal conditions have undergone significant changes in the Tianshan Mountains and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China.At the ice-free cirque basins in the headwaters of the Urumqi River (hereafter referred to as the Ice-Free Cirque) in eastern Tianshan,China,the hydrological effects of the alpine permafrost active layers appear to have also exhibited significant changes recently.The increasing trend of local precipitation is clear in May and June.The onset of winter and spring snowmelt runoff clearly lags behind increases of air temperature,and the runoff peak appears near the beginning of the melting season,which results in the spring runoff increasing.In summer,runoff decreases strongly and the maximum runoff occurs earlier.In our analysis of meteorological and hydrologic data from 1959 to 2010,the runoff and precipitation changes are significantly correlated.In the initial stage of runoff,the runoff-producing process is mainly under the control of the soil water content and soil temperature in the 0-30 cm active layers.Spring precipitation and snowmelt water are mainly involved in the processes of infiltration and evaporation while some melt water infiltrates into the seasonal thawed layer and stays above the frozen layers.During the strong ablation period in summer,the runoff-generating process is mainly controlled by soil water content in the active layers deeper than 60 cm.In the active layer,precipitation and seasonal snowmelt water infiltrates,migrates,collects,and then forms runoff.

关键词: permafrost active layer, air temperature, precipitation, runoff, headwaters of the Urumqi River

Abstract: Against the background of climate change,alpine permafrost active layers have shown a gradual thickening trend and the hydrothermal conditions have undergone significant changes in the Tianshan Mountains and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China.At the ice-free cirque basins in the headwaters of the Urumqi River (hereafter referred to as the Ice-Free Cirque) in eastern Tianshan,China,the hydrological effects of the alpine permafrost active layers appear to have also exhibited significant changes recently.The increasing trend of local precipitation is clear in May and June.The onset of winter and spring snowmelt runoff clearly lags behind increases of air temperature,and the runoff peak appears near the beginning of the melting season,which results in the spring runoff increasing.In summer,runoff decreases strongly and the maximum runoff occurs earlier.In our analysis of meteorological and hydrologic data from 1959 to 2010,the runoff and precipitation changes are significantly correlated.In the initial stage of runoff,the runoff-producing process is mainly under the control of the soil water content and soil temperature in the 0-30 cm active layers.Spring precipitation and snowmelt water are mainly involved in the processes of infiltration and evaporation while some melt water infiltrates into the seasonal thawed layer and stays above the frozen layers.During the strong ablation period in summer,the runoff-generating process is mainly controlled by soil water content in the active layers deeper than 60 cm.In the active layer,precipitation and seasonal snowmelt water infiltrates,migrates,collects,and then forms runoff.

Key words: permafrost active layer, air temperature, precipitation, runoff, headwaters of the Urumqi River

Adam JC, Hamlet AF, Lettenmaier DP, 2009. Implications of global climate change for snowmelt hydrology in the twenty-first century. Hydrological Processes, 23(7):962-972. DOI:10.1002/hyp.7201.
Gong TL, Liu CM, Liu JS, 2006. Hydrological response of Lhasa River to climate change and permafrost degradation in Xizang.Acta Geographica Sinica, 61(5):519-526.
Han TD, Gao MJ, Ye BS, et al., 2010. Characteristic of runoff process of the glacier and permafrost in the headwaters of Urumqi River. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 32(3):573-579.
Han TD, Li ZQ, Ye BS, 2003. Increasing in runoff in the Ice-free Cirque at the headwaters of the Urumqi River. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 25(4):389-393.
Han TD, Ye BS, Ding YJ, et al., 2004. Precipitation variations in the southern and northern slopes of Mt. Tianger in the Tianshan Mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 26(6):761-766.
IPCC, 2001. Third Assessment Report-Climate Change:Summary to Policymakers. London:University of Cambridge.
Jin HJ, Liu ZX, Sone T, 1998. Permafrost temperature in the ice pass at the source of the Urumqi River, Tianshan Mountains.Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 20(1):25-29.
Kane DL, Hinzman LD, Benson CS, et al., 1989. Hydrology of Imnavait Creek, an arctic watershed. Holarctic Ecology, 12(3):262-269. DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0587.1989.tb00845.x.
Li TB, Wang GX, Hu HC, et al., 2009. Hydrological process in a typical small permafrost watershed at the headwaters of Yangtze River. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 31(1):82-88.
Li ZQ, Han TD, Jing ZF, et al., 2003. A summary of 40-year observed variation facts of climate and Glacier No. 1 at the Headwater of Urumqi River Tianshan, China. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 25(2):117-123.
Liu JS, Hayakawa N, Lu MJ, et al., 2003. Winter streamflow, ground temperature and active-layer thickness in northeast China. Permafrost Periglacial Process, 14(1):11-18. DOI:10.1002/ppp.436.
Liu JS, Wei WS, Huang YY, et al., 2005. Hydrological response of winter streamflow to climate change and permafrost degradation in Manas watershed, Tianshan Mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 28(5):656-662.
Marsh P, Russell M, Pohl S, et al., 2009. Changes in thaw lake drainage in the western Canadian Arctic from 1950 to 2000.Hydrological Processes, 23(1):145-158. DOI:10.1002/hyp.7179.
Overduin PP, Kane DL, 2006. Frost boils and soil ice content:field observations. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 17(4):291-307. DOI:10.1002/ppp.567.
Shen YP, Su HC, Wang GY, et al., 2013. The responses of glaciers and snow cover to climate change in Xinjiang (I):Hydrological effect. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 35(3):513-527.DOI:10.7522/j.issn.1000-0240.2013.0061.
Wang GX, Li Q, Cheng GD, et al., 2001. Climate change and its impact on eco-environment in the source regions of the Yangtze River and Yellow River in recent 40 years. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 23(4):346-352.
Wang GX, Liu GS, Li CJ, 2012. Effects of changes in alpine grassland vegetation cover on hillslope hydrological processes in a permafrost watershed. Journal of Hydrology, 444-445:22-33. DOI:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.03.033.
Wang GY, Shen YP, Mao WY, 2005. Climate warming at headwater of Urumqi river, Xinjiang in past 44 years and its impact on glacier shrinking. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 27(6):813-819.
Woo MK, 1983. Hydrology of a drainage basin in the Canadian high Arctic. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 73(4):577-596. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8306.1983.tb01860.x.
Yang ZN, Liu XR, Zeng QZ, et al., 2000. Hydrology in Cold Regions of China. Beijing:Science Press.
Yang ZN, 1981. Basic characteristic of runoff in contemporary glaciated area of China. Science in China, (4):467-476.
Yang ZN, 1988. General situation of research on hydrology of glaciers in China in the last thirty years. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 10(3):256-261.
Zhao L, Liu GY, Jiao KQ, et al., 2010. Variation of the permafrost in the headwaters of the Urumqi River in Tianshan mountains since 1991. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 32(2):223-230.
[1] ShuangQing Liu, ZuHan Liu, WeiGuo Wang, YuePing Lu, XiaoLiang Zhu, Bin Guo. Multifractal process of runoff fluctuation of the Kaidu River in Xinjiang, China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2018, 10(3): 232-239.
[2] MingJun Zhang, ShengJie Wang. Precipitation isotopes in the Tianshan Mountains as a key to water cycle in arid central Asia[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2018, 10(1): 27-37.
[3] Yong Yang, RenSheng Chen, YaoXuan Song, ChunTan Han, JunFeng Liu, ZhangWen Liu. Comparison of precipitation and evapotranspiration of five different land-cover types in the high mountainous region[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2017, 9(6): 534-542.
[4] ZuHan Liu, JianHua Xu, WeiHong Li. Complex network analysis of climate change in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2017, 9(5): 476-487.
[5] Zhuo Ga, Tao Chen, La Ba, PuBuCiRen, Ba Sang. Distribution of winter-spring snow over the Tibetan Plateau and its relationship with summer precipitation in Yangtze River[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2017, 9(1): 20-28.
[6] JinKui Wu, ShiWei Liu, LePing Ma, Jia Qin, JiaXin Zhou, Hong Wei. Comparison analysis of sampling methods to estimate regional precipitation based on the Kriging interpolation methods: A case of northwestern China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(6): 485-494.
[7] Stuart A. Harris. Probable effects of heat advection on the adjacent environment during oil production at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(6): 451-460.
[8] YouHua Ran, Xin Li. Evaluation of the permafrost stability degradation from 1980 to 2010 in China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(5): 359-366.
[9] ZongXing Li, Qi Feng, YaMin Wang, JianGuo Li, XiaoYan Guo, YongGe Li. Effect of sub-cloud evaporation on the δ18O of precipitation in Qilian Mountains and Hexi Corridor, China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(5): 378-387.
[10] YanLin Zhang, XiaoLi Chang, Ji Liang, DongLiang Luo, RuiXia He. The efficacy of Kriging spatial interpolation for filling temporal gaps in daily air temperature data: A case study in northeast China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(5): 441-449.
[11] GuoFeng Zhu, YuanQing He, DaHe Qin, HongKai Gao, Tao Pu, DongDong Chen, Kai Wang. The impacts of climate change on hydrology in a typical glacier region-A case study in Hailuo Creek watershed of Mt.Gongga in China[J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(3): 227-240.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited

  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!