Quick ice mass loss and abrupt retreat of the maritime glaciers in the Kangri Karpo Mountains,southeast Tibetan Plateau |
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Authors: | Wei Yang TanDong Yao BaiQing Xu GuangJian Wu LingLong Ma XiaoDong Xin |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China;(2) National Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China;(3) Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China |
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Abstract: | The maritime glaciers are sensitive to climate change because of high annual precipitation and high air temperature in the
region. A combined comprehensive study was carried out based on glacier mass balance observation, GPS-based glacier terminus
position survey, glacier Ground Penetrating Radar, topography maps and RS satellite images in the Kangri Karpo Mountains,
Southeast Tibet. The study revealed a strong ice mass loss and quick glacier retreat since the 1970s. Ata Glacier, one glacier
from the south slope of the Kangri Karpo Mountains, has formed a 6-km-long terminal moraine zone at the end of the glacier
since the 1970s, and the accelerating retreat is largely due to the strong glacier surface melting. Mass balance study on
the other four glaciers on the northern side of the Kangri Karpo Mountains shows that they are in large negative mass balance
and the glaciers had retreated 15–19 m from May 2006 to May 2007. The in-situ glacier observation also shows that the glacier retreat is more obvious in small glaciers. The enhanced ice mass deficit
caused by climate warming and the ongoing extinction of many small glaciers in this region could seriously affect the water
resources, environments, local climate and regional sustainable development in the near future.
Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2005CB422004), and the National Natural Science Foundation
of China (Grant Nos. 40571039 and 40121101) |
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Keywords: | glacier shrinkage mass balance climate change Kangri Karpo Mountains |
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