Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2021, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (6): 474–487.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2021.20094

• • 上一篇    

  

  • 收稿日期:2020-11-03 接受日期:2021-01-19 出版日期:2021-12-31 发布日期:2022-01-11

High-precision measurements of the inter-annual evolution for Urumqi Glacier No.1 in eastern Tien Shan, China

ChunHai Xu1,2(),ZhongQin Li1,JianXin Mu1,PuYu Wang1,FeiTeng Wang1   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science/Tien Shan Glaciological Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    2.National Cryosphere Desert Data Center, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
  • Received:2020-11-03 Accepted:2021-01-19 Online:2021-12-31 Published:2022-01-11
  • Contact: ChunHai Xu E-mail:xuchunhai@lzb.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42001067);Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province(21JR7RA059);National Cryosphere Desert Data Center (20D03);National Natural Science Foundation of China(41771077);the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA20020102);Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) program(2019QZKK0201);State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science(SKLCS-ZZ-2021)

Abstract:

High-precision measuring of glacier evolution remains a challenge as the available global and regional remote sensing techniques cannot satisfactorily capture the local-scale processes of most small- and medium-sized mountain glaciers. In this study, we use a high-precision local remote sensing technique, long-range terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), to measure the evolution of Urumqi Glacier No.1 at an annual scale. We found that the dense point clouds derived from the TLS survey can be used to reconstruct glacier surface terrain, with certain details, such as depressions, debris-covered areas, and supra-glacial drainages can be distinguished. The glacier experienced pronounced thickness thinning and continuous retreat over the last four mass-balance years (2015-2019). The mean surface slope of Urumqi Glacier No.1 gradually steepened, which may increase the removal of glacier mass. The glacier was deeply incised by two very prominent primary supra-glacial rivers, and those rivers presented a widening trend. Extensive networks of supra-glacial channels had a significant impact on accelerated glacier mass loss. High-precision measuring is of vital importance to understanding the annual evolution of this type of glacier.

Key words: glacier thickness change, front variation, supra-glacial drainage pathway, long-range terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), climate change

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Date

(day/month/year)

Number of

points

Scanning range

(with overlap) (m2)

Average point density (points/m2)Angle resolution

Total scan

time (min)

02/09/201565,500,7494,707,86313.910.019°/0.046°103
01/09/201642,354,2993,316,26212.770.020°101
27/08/201754,835,8213,161,48917.340.020°88
28/08/201862,353,0354,642,13313.430.020°103
26/08/201962,259,0634,325,21414.390.020°100

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