Impacts of Modern Glacier Changes on Surface Water Resources in Western and Northern Mongolia

Abstract

Water trapped in glaciers and in lakes impounded by landforms created by glaciers (glacial lakes) are an important component of the hydrology and water resources in high mountain areas of Central Asia. Changes in modern glaciers and glacial lakes are an important component of the hydrology of watersheds in the Mongolian Altai and Khuvsgul Mountain Ranges, western and northern Mongolia, respectively. Here we focus on Mt. Ikh Turgen and Mt. Munkh Saridag, isolated mountains of the Mongolian Altai and Khuvsgul Mountain Ranges, respectively. We use remote sensing to track changes in modern glaciers over time with mapping at scales of 1:200,000 for Mt. Ikh Turgen and 1:90,000 for Mt. Munkh Saridag based on imagery from Google Earth, 30 m resolution Aster Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and 30 m resolution Landsat 5 TM. Mt. Ikh Turgen lost 45.6% of its total glacier area between 1970 (41.4 km 2) and 2011 (18.9 km 2) and the Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) of the glaciers increased in elevation by 98 m and 144 m on north and south aspects, respectively. Mt. Munkh Saridag lost 57.3% of its total glacier area between 1970 (901 m 2) and 2007 (381 m 2) and the local ELA rose by 47 m and 80 m on north and south aspects, respectively. These mountains are located at similar latitudes, and so the greater percentage loss of glacier area in Mt. Munkh Saridag and faster changes in ELAs in Mt. Ikh Turgen may reflect variations in elevation and aspect, duration of solar radiation, and vulnerability to solar radiation, as well as variations in glacier scale. This study demonstrates the importance of spatial analyses of modern glaciers in understanding the context of hydrological changes within which any sustainable water resource management plan must be situated.

Glacial Lakes of Mongolia

“…However, while the glacier recession indeed first adds to water availability for some years, the discharge will significantly decrease when the glaciers retreat to higher elevations, where they continue to exist only as remnants without significant meltwater production [26]. Hence, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) must include the monitoring of glacial lakes and modeling of future climate-glacier-glacial lake relationships [92].…”

Modern glacier dynamics in Mt. Tsambagarav in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range

“…This process is not being away from the high mountains in Mongolia lying on the high-latitudes. For instance, an area of the maximum glaciers in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range during the Pleistocene decreased from 62900 km 2 to only 1100 km 2 (Orkhonselenge and Harbor, 2018). High mountains in Mongolia were glaciated twice in the early and late Pleistocene (Tsegmid, 1969) due to uplifts during the new tectonic activities in the late Neogene and the early Quaternary periods (Jigj, 1976;Sanjmyatav, 2009).…”

“…Paleoglacial landforms, including ice caps, valley glaciers, hanging glaciers, cirques, hummocky terrain, moraines and morainedammed lakes, are widespread in the Mongolian Altai, Khangai, Khentii and Khuvsgul Mountain Ranges. Recent studies show that modern glaciers occupy small areas in these mountain ranges (Blomdin et al, 2016) and play a vital role in water resources in Central Asia (Orkhonselenge and Harbor, 2018). The glaciated areas have been decreasing rapidly in recent years (e.g., Davaa, 2010;Kamp et al, 2013;Orkhonselenge, 2016).…”

“…Climate change can modulate water resources through altering glacier mass balances (Liu et al, 2015). Changes in modern glaciers in the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range are an important component of the hydrological balance in the watersheds in western Mongolia (Orkhonselenge and Harbor, 2018). Globally, glaciers have been abruptly melting due to climate change in recent years.…”

Hydrogeochemical implications from Ider River in northern Mongolia

“…Water sources are particularly crucial for natural and managed ecosystems in areas where summer aridity would otherwise be a major limiting factor. This is a major concern in a region that depends so heavily on glacier melting to sustain water supplies for agriculture and other ecosystem services in summer months (Orkhonselenge and Harbor, 2018). Groundwater is a very significant water source used for irrigation and drinking purposes in the karst region, and therefore understanding the hydrogeochemistry of karst water is extremely important (Wu et al, 2009).…”