Contemporary glacier systems of continental Eurasia

Kotlyakov, V. M.; Xie, Zhenghui; Khromova, T.; Zverkova, N. M.; Chernova, L. P.

doi:10.1134/s1028334x12090036

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…The TP is also called “Asian water towers” because it gives rise to major rivers of Asia such as Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Yangtze, and Yellow rivers (Lu et al, ), greatly affecting hydrology, ecology, and the livelihood of over 1.4 billion of people, a fifth of the world's population (Immerzeel et al, ). The TP has the third largest glacier area (about 91,822 km 2 ) in the world (Kotlyakov et al, ) and the greatest number and area of lakes in China (with a total area of more than 4.7 × 10 4 km 2 ; G. Zhang, Yao, et al, ), and about 40% (1.06 × 10 6 km 2 ) of the region is covered by permafrost (Zou et al, ). Due to warming climate, changes on the TP, such as glacier retreat (Bolch et al, ; Yao et al, ), permafrost degradation (Cheng & Jin, , ; Cheng & Wu, ; Wu et al, ; Wu & Zhang, ), and lake changes (Song et al, ; Q. Wang et al, ; R. Yang, Zhu, et al, ; G. Zhang, Yao, et al, , ; G. Zhang, Yao, Piao, et al, ; G. Zhang, Yao, Shum, et al, ), may greatly impact the TWS and hydrological cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Terrestrial Water Storage During 2003–2014 and Possible Causes in Tibetan Plateau

Meng

et al. 2019

JGR Atmospheres

106

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The spatial‐temporal changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and six selected basins during 2003–2014 were analyzed by applying the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment data and the extended Variable Infiltration Capacity‐glacier model, including the upstream of Yangtze (UYA), Yellow (UYE), Brahmaputra (UB), and Indus river basins and the Inner TP and the Qaidam Basin. The possible causes of TWS changes were investigated from the perspective of surface water balance and TWS components through multisource data and the Variable Infiltration Capacity‐glacier model. There was a strong spatial heterogeneity in changes of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment TWS in the TP—with apparent mass accumulation in central and northern TP and a sharp decreasing trend in southern and northwestern TP. The TWS changes in the TP were mostly attributed to variations in precipitation and evapotranspiration from the perspective of land‐surface water balance. Precipitation played a dominant role on the TWS accumulation in the UYA and UYE, while evapotranspiration had a more important role than precipitation in TWS depletion in the UB. From the perspective of TWS components, the TWS increase in the UYA and UYE was mainly caused by an increase in soil moisture, whereas the decrease in TWS in the UB was mostly due to glacier mass loss. TWS was accumulating from March through August in southeastern TP while from November to April/May in northwestern TP. The seasonal variations of TWS are highly modulated by the large‐scale climate system, atmospheric moisture flux, and precipitation regime over the TP.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Terrestrial Water Storage During 2003–2014 and Possible Causes in Tibetan Plateau

Meng

et al. 2019

JGR Atmospheres

106

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“…The TP is characterized by extensive snow cover, glaciers, permafrost, and mountain lakes. About 67% of the plateau is covered by permafrost [ Zhou et al ., ], and the glacier area (about 91,822 km 2 ) [ Kotlyakov et al ., ] over the TP is the third largest on the earth, after the Arctic/Greenland and Antarctic regions (1.7 × 10 6 –12.3 × 10 6 km 2 ) [ Lemke et al ., ]. As a unique geological and geographical unit, the TP exerts a profound influence on the East Asian and global climate through mechanical and thermal forcing mechanisms [ Kutzbach et al ., ; Yanai et al ., ; Zheng and Li , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discharge regime and simulation for the upstream of major rivers over Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2013

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[1] The hydrological regimes for the major river basins in the Tibetan Plateau (TP), including the source regions of the Yellow (UYE), Yangtze (UYA), Mekong (UM), Salween (US), Brahmaputra (UB), and Indus (UI) rivers, were investigated through a land surface model and regression analyses between climate variables and runoff data. A hydrologic modeling framework was established across the TP to link the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface hydrology model with a degree-day glacier-melt scheme (VIC-glacier model) at a 1/12°Â 1/12°. The model performance was evaluated over the upper basins of the six rivers. The heterogeneity and scarcity of the meteorological stations are the major limitation for hydrological modeling over the TP. The relative contributions to streamflow from rainfall, snowmelt, and glacier melt for the six basins were quantified via the model framework and simulation. The results suggest that monsoon precipitation has a dominant role in sustaining seasonal streamflow over southeastern regions, contributing 65-78% of annual runoff among the UYE, UYA, UM, US, and UB basins. For the UI, the runoff regime is largely controlled by the glacier melt and snow cover in spring and summer. The contribution of glacier runoff is minor for the UYE and UM (less than 2% of total annual flow), and moderate for the UYA and US basins (5-7% of yearly flow), while glacier melt makes up about 12% and 48% of annual flow for the UB and UI basins, respectively.Citation: Zhang, L., F. Su, D. Yang, Z. Hao, and K. Tong (2013), Discharge regime and simulation for the upstream of major rivers over Tibetan Plateau,

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“…Despite a dry climate, the Tien Shan holds one of the greatest concentrations of glacial ice in mid-latitude Eurasia (Kotlyakov et al 2012), while Kyrgyzstan has the largest number of glaciers in the mountain range. Our study region, the Sary-Jaz River Basin ('SJRB'), is the main glacierized region of the Tien-Shan.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacier characteristics and changes in the Sary-Jaz River Basin (Central Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan) – 1990–2010

Osmonov

Bolch

Chen

et al. 2013

Remote Sensing Letters

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The water discharge from the heavily glacierized Sary-Jaz River Basin (Eastern Kyrgyzstan) is of high importance for the very arid Tarim Basin located in Xinjiang (north-western China). We investigated glacier changes in the entire Sary-Jaz River Basin, which covers a large part of the Central Tien Shan, for the period from 1990 to 2010 based on Landsat 'TM'/'ETM+'data. We found 1310 glaciers (>0.1 km²), which covered 2055 ± 41.1 km² ( 18% of the entire basin) in 1990. The glaciers shrank by 77.1 ± 57.1 km² (3.7 ± 2.7%) until 2010. This is considerably lower than in most other ranges of the Tien Shan. The lowest insignificant area loss (−1.5 ± 2.7%) was found in the eastern part of the basin where the largest glaciers and highest peaks are situated. Debris-covered glaciers shrank significantly less than clean-ice glaciers of comparable size. We also identified a few advancing glaciers which show surge characteristics. Climate data from the Tien Shan weather station (3614 m asl.) close to the study region showed no significant long-term trend. Remote Sensing Letters, 2013 Vol. 4, No. 8, 725-734, http The water discharge from the heavily glacierized Sary-Jaz River Basin (Eastern Kyrgyzstan) is of high importance for the very arid Tarim Basin located in Xinjiang (north-western China). We investigated glacier changes in the entire Sary-Jaz River Basin, which covers a large part of the Central Tien Shan, for the period from 1990 to 2010 based on Landsat 'TM'/'ETM+'data. We found 1310 glaciers (>0.1 km 2 ), which covered 2055 ± 41.1 km 2 (∼18% of the entire basin) in 1990. The glaciers shrank by 77.1 ± 57.1 km 2 (3.7 ± 2.7%) until 2010. This is considerably lower than in most other ranges of the Tien Shan. The lowest insignificant area loss (−1.5 ± 2.7%) was found in the eastern part of the basin where the largest glaciers and highest peaks are situated. Debris-covered glaciers shrank significantly less than clean-ice glaciers of comparable size. We also identified a few advancing glaciers which show surge characteristics. Climate data from the Tien Shan weather station (3614 m asl.) close to the study region showed no significant long-term trend.

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Contemporary glacier systems of continental Eurasia

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Changes in Terrestrial Water Storage During 2003–2014 and Possible Causes in Tibetan Plateau

Changes in Terrestrial Water Storage During 2003–2014 and Possible Causes in Tibetan Plateau

Discharge regime and simulation for the upstream of major rivers over Tibetan Plateau

Glacier characteristics and changes in the Sary-Jaz River Basin (Central Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan) – 1990–2010

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