Decline of Geladandong Glacier Elevation in Yangtze River’s Source Region: Detection by ICESat and Assessment by Hydroclimatic Data

Chao, Nengfang; Wang, Zhengtao; Hwang, Cheinway; Jin, Taoyong; Cheng, Yuh Jen

doi:10.3390/rs9010075

Cited by 21 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…By using the ICESat observations, Chao et al [59] discovered that the GLDD glaciers were continuously melting, with a rate of mass change of 134 ± 56 mm w.e.a −1 for the period 2003-2009, which is slightly smaller than our result of 104 ± 115 mm w.e.a −1 . This can probably be attributed to the fact that ice footprints of the ICESat are mostly over the ablation zone.…”

Section: Comparison With Glacier Mass Balance and Ela Estimatescontrasting

confidence: 55%

“…The MODIS-derived mass loss rate in the East GLDD region is 146 ± 80 mm w.e.a −1 during 2000-2011, which agrees with that in the geodetic method of 155 ± 48 mm w.e.a −1 . In the West GLDD, the average mass loss rate (202 ± 79 mm w.e.a −1 ) from our albedo-based method, although falls in between the results from Chen et al [59] and Liu et al [61], is smaller than the mean value of Liu [44] (89 ± 48 mm w.e.a −1 ). This is probably attributed to the influence of two surge glaciers [61], whose surface is generally heavily debris-covered [62].…”

Section: Comparison With Glacier Mass Balance and Ela Estimatescontrasting

confidence: 41%

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Annual Glacier-Wide Mass Balance (2000–2016) of the Interior Tibetan Plateau Reconstructed from MODIS Albedo Products

Zhang

Jiang

et al. 2018

Remote Sensing

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Glaciers in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) play a crucial role in regulating agriculture irrigation, river discharge and the regional/global climate system. However, mass balance records of TP glaciers have remained scarce due to challenging mountainous terrain and harsh weather conditions, which limits our understanding of the influence of melting glaciers on local water resources and responses to climate change. Here, we present and assess an albedo-based method to derive annual mass balance for three glaciers in the interior TP from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo data during 2000-2016. A strong linear correlation (R 2 = 0.941, P < 0.001) is found between annual minimum-averaged glacier-wide albedo (AMGA) values and annual mass balance measurements on the Xiao Dongkemadi glacier. Furthermore, the 17-year-long annual mass balance series of the Xiao Dongkemadi glacier and the Geladandong mountain region glaciers, and the Purogangri ice cap are reconstructed for the first time, with a mass loss rate of 535 ± 63 mm w.e.a −1 , 243 ± 66 mm w.e.a −1 and 113 ± 68 mm w.e.a −1 , respectively. The results are verified by geodetic estimates, with relative error ranging from 4.55% to 11.80%, confirming that the albedo-based method can be used to estimate specific mass budgets for interior TP glaciers. A strong correlation between the mass balance series and air temperature infers that increasing summer air temperature may be one of main reasons for glacier shrinkage of the three studied glaciers.

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Section: Comparison With Glacier Mass Balance and Ela Estimatescontrasting

confidence: 55%

Section: Comparison With Glacier Mass Balance and Ela Estimatescontrasting

confidence: 41%

Annual Glacier-Wide Mass Balance (2000–2016) of the Interior Tibetan Plateau Reconstructed from MODIS Albedo Products

Zhang

Jiang

et al. 2018

Remote Sensing

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“…Since Chibuzhang Co receives meltwater from Mt. Tanggula, where the glaciers are rapidly retreating (Chao et al 2017), the post-2016 lake level rise of Chibuzhang Co from Jason-3 may indicate accelerated meltwater from Mt. Tanggula.…”

Section: The Decadal Change Signal: Extending Lake Level Recordsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lake level changes in the Tibetan Plateau from Cryosat-2, SARAL, ICESat, and Jason-2 altimeters

Hwang¹,

Cheng²,

Yang³

et al. 2019

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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Lake level change in the Tibetan Plateau is an important indicator for regional and global climate changes. We use altimeter data from Cryosat-2, SARAL, ICESat, and Jason-2 to detect lake level changes at different spatial and temporal resolutions over 2003-2017 (Jason-3 data in 2017 for validation). Cryosat-2's SARIn mode provides precise water level time series over 59 lakes. SARAL's waveforms are retracked to generate near monthly, high-quality measurements at 31 lakes. Jason-2 provides a reference for removing inter-altimeter biases, enabling coherent records over lakes with Jason-2 passes. After a decade of rise since the ICESat record of 2003, the lake levels of Nam Co, Selin Co, Ngangzi Co, and Chibuzhang Co became flat in 2014-2016 and started to fluctuate or decline after 2016. Such positive-flat-negative trends are consistent with the trend variations of mass change from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). SARAL detected persistent lake level declines over 2013-2016 in southern Tibet that may signify the onset of decadal reduced flows of the Yarlung Tsangpo and Brahmaputra River that could affect the water supply for their downstream regions in India and Bangladesh. Cryosat-2 and Jason-2 detected sudden lake level rises and falls around Zhuonai, Kusai, and Salt Lake associated with a 2011 lake outburst, which is confirmed by lake volume changes from two Landsat-7 images. With a careful processing and calibration, multiple altimeters allow for determining and cross-validating long-term and episodic lake level changes unachievable by a single altimeter.

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“…Recent rises of temperature around Mt. Tanggula have accelerated melting of glacier here and raised the concern of lost water storage capacity in Yangtze's source regions [3,4]. The melting of Tanggula glaciers is a typical example of worldwide glacier melts caused by global warming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both radar-and laser-based altimeters have been used to measure elevations over ice-covered surfaces. Because of its small footprint (about 70 m), ICESat has been used in several studies of mountain glacier elevation changes [4,[8][9][10]. In comparison to a laser altimeter, a radar-based altimeter has much larger footprints, depending on the surface roughness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid Thinning at a Glacier Terminus and Icefield of Mt. Tanggula, Tibet, Detected by TOPEX/Poseidon, and Jason-2/-3 Altimeters: Confirmation by Satellite Imagery

Hwang¹,

Wei²,

Cheng³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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An oceanic radar altimeter such as TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) is typically for observing elevation changes over the open oceans or large inland lakes/rivers, with limited applications over solid earth due to its large footprint and susceptibility to waveform contamination and slope effect. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to construct a long-term time series of glacier elevation change from T/P-series radar altimeters over two flat surfaces near a glacier terminus and an icefield (Sites A and B, with slopes of 2° and 0.8°) in Mt. Tanggula, Tibet, at elevations over 5400 m. We retracked radar waveforms using the subwaveform threshold algorithm, selected quality altimeter data (1/4 of the original) with nearly the same slope and adjusted the original elevations by fitting with a time-varying, 2nd order surface. The glacier elevation changes at the two sites from T/P (1993–2002) show seasonal elevation oscillations with linear rates at about −3 m/year and abnormal seasonal changes around the 1997–98 El Niño. Site A is over a deep valley in southern Tanggula. Its elevation dropped about 30 m over 1993–2002 (from T/P) and the glacier almost disappeared by 2016 (from altimeters and satellite images). Despite the sporadic Jason-2 and Jason-3 altimeter data, we also derived long-term rates of glacier elevation change over 1993–2017. Landsat-derived glacier area and elevation changes near the two sites confirm the rapid glacier thinning from the altimeters. The glacier meltwater near Site A supplied increasing source water to Chibuzhang Co west of Mt. Tanggula, contributing partially to its accelerated rising lake level. The glacier thinning at Site B (icefield) was correlated with the increased discharge of the Tuotuo River in eastern Mt. Tanggula, a source region of the Yangtze River. The successful detection of glacier thinning at the two sites shows that T/P-series altimeters can serve as a virtual station at a flat glacier spot to monitor long-term glacier elevation changes in connection to climate change. This virtual station concept is particularly useful for inaccessible glaciers, but its implementation faces two challenging issues: increasing the volume of quality altimeter data and improving the ranging accuracy over a targeted mountain glacier spot.

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Decline of Geladandong Glacier Elevation in Yangtze River’s Source Region: Detection by ICESat and Assessment by Hydroclimatic Data

Cited by 21 publications

References 44 publications

Annual Glacier-Wide Mass Balance (2000–2016) of the Interior Tibetan Plateau Reconstructed from MODIS Albedo Products

Annual Glacier-Wide Mass Balance (2000–2016) of the Interior Tibetan Plateau Reconstructed from MODIS Albedo Products

Lake level changes in the Tibetan Plateau from Cryosat-2, SARAL, ICESat, and Jason-2 altimeters

Rapid Thinning at a Glacier Terminus and Icefield of Mt. Tanggula, Tibet, Detected by TOPEX/Poseidon, and Jason-2/-3 Altimeters: Confirmation by Satellite Imagery

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