Recent glacial retreat in High Asia in China and its impact on water resource in Northwest China

Yao, Tandong; Wang, You‐Qing; Liu, Shiying; Pu, Jianchen; Shen, Yongping; Lu, Aigang

doi:10.1360/03yd0256

Cited by 326 publications

(254 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Permafrost thawing modifies hydrological processes by changing soil moisture as well as levels of ground water, rivers, and lakes (Xue et al, 2009;Liu et al, 2010c). Similarly, warming results in glacial melting (glacier terminus retreatment) and causes negative glacier mass balances, especially during summertime (Yao et al, 2004(Yao et al, , 2007(Yao et al, , 2012Pu et al, 2008). Glacier ablation enlarges lake areas (Yao et al, 2007) and increases streamflow for a short period of time.…”

Section: Response Of Water Resources On the Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three Rivers Source Region: 1960-2009

Liang

Liu

et al. 2013

Int. J. Climatol.

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Changes observed in nine meteorological variables obtained from the Three Rivers Source Region (TRSR) between 1960 and 2009 were investigated using a fitted linear model, Mann-Kendall test, moving t-test, and Morlet wavelet. Analysis of the regionally scaled annual series from 1960 to 2009 showed that minimum (T min ), maximum (T max ), mean (T mean ) air temperature, precipitation (P ), potential evaporation (E p ), and sunshine hours (SH ) increased while relative humidity (RH ) and wind speed (W ) decreased. Trends were significant at a 99% confidence level for air temperature and at a 95% confidence level for E p and W . With the exception of SH , regional scale changes observed in all variables in the past decade (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)) when compared to climate norms (means of all climatic variables) from 1961 to 1990 were consistent with their corresponding linear trends from 1960 to 2009. T max , T mean , and drought index (DI ) exhibited one climate jump, T min and RH two, and SH , E p , and W three at a significance level of α = 0.05. On a regional scale, the period from 1986 to 1997 experienced a warmer, drier climate due to higher than average air temperatures, lower P , and higher DI compared to means from 1960 to 2009. The majority of meteorological variables of the TRSR experienced significant (α = 0.05) short periodical cycling between 2 and 5 years. In terms of spatial distribution, seven out of 12 meteorological stations underwent warmer and wetter periods from 1960 to 2009, whereas the other five situated in the southeastern section of the TRSR underwent warmer, drier periods.

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Section: Response Of Water Resources On the Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three Rivers Source Region: 1960-2009

Liang

Liu

et al. 2013

Int. J. Climatol.

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“…Changes in snow coverage on the earth are bound to create a new energy equilibrium in the earth atmosphere system. In addition, the glacial retreat also has an important impact on the water resource of the arid regions in the world (Yao 2004). Unfortunately, the ecosystem degradation and loss in biodiversity caused by climate change are irreversible (VdePRda 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observed soil temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau, 1960–2014

Fang

Luo

Lyu

2018

Theor Appl Climatol

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Soil temperature, an important indicator of climate change, has rarely explored due to scarce observations, especially in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) area. In this study, changes observed in five meteorological variables obtained from the TP between 1960 and 2014 were investigated using two non-parametric methods, the modified Mann-Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator method. Analysis of annual series from 1960 to 2014 has shown that surface (0 cm), shallow (5-20 cm), deep (40-320 cm) soil temperatures (ST), mean air temperature (AT), and precipitation (P) increased with rates of 0.47°C/decade, 0.36°C/decade, 0.36°C/decade, 0.35°C/decade, and 7.36 mm/decade, respectively, while maximum frozen soil depth (MFD) as well as snow cover depth (MSD) decreased with rates of 5.58 and 0.07 cm/decade. Trends were significant at 99 or 95% confidence level for the variables, with the exception of P and MSD. More impressive rate of the ST at each level than the AT indicates the clear response of soil to climate warming on a regional scale. Monthly changes observed in surface ST in the past decades were consistent with those of AT, indicating a central place of AT in the soil warming. In addition, with the exception of MFD, regional scale increasing trend of P as well as the decreasing MSD also shed light on the mechanisms driving soil trends. Significant negative-dominated correlation coefficients (α = 0.05) between ST and MSD indicate the decreasing MSD trends in TP were attributable to increasing ST, especially in surface layer. Owing to the frozen ground, the relationship between ST and P is complicated in the area. Higher P also induced higher ST, while the inhibition of freeze and thaw process on the ST in summer. With the increasing AT, P accompanied with the decreasing MFD, MSD should be the major factors induced the conspicuous soil warming of the TP in the past decades.

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“…As glaciers recede and release stored water, flow temporarily increases, but the future fresh water supply is threatened (5)(6)(7)(8). Once headwater glaciers are gone, however, a dramatic decline in dry season water availability may ensue.…”

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confidence: 99%

Black soot and the survival of Tibetan glaciers

Cao

Hansen

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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675

582

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We find evidence that black soot aerosols deposited on Tibetan glaciers have been a significant contributing factor to observed rapid glacier retreat. Reduced black soot emissions, in addition to reduced greenhouse gases, may be required to avoid demise of Himalayan glaciers and retain the benefits of glaciers for seasonal fresh water supplies.aerosols ͉ climate change ͉ fresh water ͉ glacier retreat ͉ Tibetan Plateau

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Recent glacial retreat in High Asia in China and its impact on water resource in Northwest China

Cited by 326 publications

References 5 publications

Climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three Rivers Source Region: 1960-2009

Climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three Rivers Source Region: 1960-2009

Observed soil temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau, 1960–2014

Black soot and the survival of Tibetan glaciers

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