Glacier changes in the Qaidam Basin from 1977 to 2018

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1226.2020.00491

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on Landsat MSS/TM/OLI remote sensing images, glaciers vector data in the Qaidam Basin were extracted for 1977, 2002, and 2018, and their spatial-temporal variations were analyzed. Results show that there were 2,050 glaciers covering an area of 1,693.54±40.96 km² and having an ice volume of 108.65±2.43 km³ in the Qaidam Basin in 2018. Glaciers with areas <1.0 km² accounted for the largest number, while glaciers with areas of 1.0-5.0 km² accounted for the most glacierized area. In the past 50 years, the number of glaciers decreased by 177, and the glacier area and volume reduced by 338.08 km² (-8.12 km²/a) and 19.92 km³ (-0.48 km³/a), respectively. Retreat altitudes of glaciers were concentrated at 4,900-5,600 m, 4,700-5,200 m, and 5,000-5,600 m and reduced areas accounted for 95.53%, 77.80%, and 69.19% in the Kunlun, Qilian, and Altun mountains, respectively. The area of north-oriented glaciers decreased the most (-125.43 km²), but the west- and east-oriented glaciers retreated at the fastest rate (i.e., -27.11% and -27.10%). All glaciers showed a decreasing trend in sub-regions of the Qaidam Basin from 1977 to 2018. The decreasing trend was accelerated gradually from northwest to southeast in the northern part of the basin, while glacier change was the smallest in the middle section and gradually accelerated towards both ends of the basin's southern part. The temperature had continued to rise, and the precipitation had increased slowly in the Qaidam Basin during the past 50 years. The continuous rise in air temperature was the main reason for the retreat of glaciers.

Key words: glacier change, climate change, Landsat, Qaidam Basin

SuGang Zhou,XiaoJun Yao,Yuan Zhang,DaHong Zhang,Juan Liu,HongYu Duan. Glacier changes in the Qaidam Basin from 1977 to 2018[J].Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2020, 12(6): 491-502.

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Mountain	Number		Area (km²)		Volume (km³)
Kunlun Mountains	1,368	66.84%	1,146.06±26.27	67.67%	76.43±1.54	70.57%
Altun Mountains	80	3.88%	45.16±1.71	2.67%	2.16±0.12	2.00%
Qilian Mountains	602	29.27%	502.31±12.98	29.66%	29.70±0.81	27.43%

Basin code	Basin	Number		Area (km²)		Volume (km³)
5Y51	Qinghai Lake	24	1.17%	8.83±0.48	0.52%	0.33±0.03	0.31%
5Y52	Qaidam River	83	4.05%	13.39±0.92	0.79%	0.38±0.05	0.35%
5Y53	Golmud River	416	20.29%	279.16±8.52	16.48%	13.76±0.68	12.71%
5Y54	Taijnar River	597	29.12%	728.21±12.42	43.00%	56.67±1.8	52.33%
5Y55	Gaskul Lake	425	20.73%	212.53±7.31	12.55%	9.64±0.57	8.91%
5Y56	Haltang River	294	14.34%	314.98±7.43	18.60%	20.15±0.5	18.61%
5Y57	Har Lake	111	5.41%	72.96±2.15	4.31%	4.29±0.12	3.96%
5Y58	Yuka-tatalin Gol River	90	4.39%	61.56±1.62	3.63%	3.02±0.15	2.79%
5Y59	Bayan Gol River	10	0.49%	1.92±0.11	0.11%	0.05±0.01	0.05%

Province (Autonomous region)	City (Autonomous prefecture)	Number		Area (km²)		Volume (km³)
Gansu	Jiuquan	260	12.62%	230.11±6.24	13.59%	13.75±0.36	12.7%
Qinghai	Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	1,205	58.79%	842.2±22.47	49.73%	45.04±1.71	41.59%
Qinghai	Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	201	9.90%	425.28±5.64	25.11%	40.48±1.93	37.38%
Xinjiang	Bayingguole Mongol Autonomous Prefecture	384	18.69%	195.91±6.61	11.57%	9.03±0.51	8.33%

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