Analysis of Winter and Summer Glacier Mass Balances

Seasonal mass balance components b_w (winter balance) and b_s (summer balance) as well as c_t (total accumulation) and a_t (total ablation), can be used directly to infer climate variables. In contrast, a_c (net balance of the accumulation area) and a_a (net balance of the ablation area), and b_a or b_n (annual or net balance) can not. The traditional Alpine system of observations of a_c and a_a , however, can be converted to true seasonal values b_w and b_s if both pairs of components are simultaneously observed for some years, because a correlation between the two pairs of components exists. We analyzed b_w and b_s data and their mean, standard deviations and ratios of these to the corresponding net or annual balances for 50 glaciers with relatively long records representing different regions in the northern hemisphere. We also investigated correlations between seasonal components. A negative correlation between b_w and b_s exists at many glaciers. About two-thirds of the glaciers show insignificant correlations (?0.3 < r < 0.3), implying independence of summer and winter balances. In a few unusual cases the correlations are positive. These different correlations, or lack thereof, may offer insight into feedback conditions that must exist in this climate-related system. The correspondence of the b_w and c_t , and b_s and a_t , appears to depend largely on the relative amounts of summer snowfall, a function of their climatic environment expressed as [α = (b_w+b_s)/2]. The contribution of variability of b_s to the net balance increases markedly with decreasing values of α. The variability of b_w and b_s , and therefore the net balance, has been increasing with time; whether this is due to an increase in climate variability or to other causes is not clear. It appears that b_w has been increasing with time at the highest altitudes, but b_s has been increasing more rapidly especially at low altitudes; the many-glacier average net balance is becoming more negative.     

北半球冰川物质平衡的突变

据世界冰川监测处（ＷＧＭＳ）收集,编辑和出版的全球冰川物质平衡序列资料,用序列平均滑动ｔ检验,探测了北半球２０ａ以上长序列３３条冰川的１０ａ尺度突变。结果表明,突变发生年代的区域特征与气候环流背景突变很相近。证实冰川年物质平衡序列反映气候背景突出的能力与灵敏性。     

中国冰川温度研究40年回顾与建议

Many temperature measurements have been made on 29 glaciers in China since 1959. The regional thermal features of glaciers are now revealed. It is distinguished that there are three categories of temperature distribution in China, i.e., cold, temperate and polythermal. Temperate glaciers are located in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. The heat conduction in the surface layer and the heat transfer within a glacier can be quantitatively described. Two-dimensional temperature distributions are gained for the Glacier No.1 at the headwaters of the Urumqi River in the Tianshan Mountains and for the Chongce Ice Cap in the West Kunlun Mountains. Geothermal flux is derived from measurements down to or closed to the bottom. The Tibetan Plateau is an area with high geothermal flux. The author suggests to measure more ice temperature by using the boreholes for extracting ice core, however, there is no need to repeatedly measure the temperature within the near-surface layer.     

达索普冰川海拔7100m处粒雪中空气的封闭

The air-bubble formation has been studied experimentally in the Dasuopu ice core from the northern slope of Mount Xixabangma. It was found that air-channel volume decreases gradually, but the firn remains permeable down to the depth above the transition of firn to ice, i. e., about the depth of the air-channels closing off to be isolated bubbles. Apparently, there exists an age difference between air trapped in bubbles and surrounding ice. Only when the air channels close off completely, the age of the air increases in the same rate as the surrounding ice. Air-bubbles formed in different depths at different sites depending on accumulation rate and mean annual temperature, but approximately at a mean density of 0.79～0.83 Mg·m -3 . The air-channels in the Dasuopu firn core closed rapidly in the depth between 40 and 47 m, and 50% of air-bubbles were formed in the depth of 45 m. It is calculated that the age difference between air and its surrounding ice is 59 a, and the bulk age distribution width of air trapped in ice bubbles is 11 a.     

Variations of the alpine precipitation from an ice core record of the Laohugou glacier basin during 1960-2006 in western Qilian Mountains,China

The net accumulation record of ice core is one of the most reliable indicators for reconstructing precipitation changes in high mountains. A 20.12 m ice core was drilled in 2006 from the accumulation zone of Laohugou Glacier No.12 in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China. We obtained the precipitation from the ice core net accumulation during 1960-2006, and found out the relationship between Laohugou ice core record and other data from surrounding sites of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Results showed that during 1960-2006, the precipitation in the high mountains showed firstly an increasing trend, while during 1980 to 2006 it showed an obvious decreasing trend. Reconstructed precipitation change in the Laohugou glacier basin was consistent with the measured data from the nearby weather stations in the lower mountain of Subei, and the correlation coefficient was 0.619 (P<0.001). However, the precipitation in the high mountain was about 3 times more than that of the lower mountain. The precipitation in Laohugou Glacier No.12 of the western Qilian Mountains corresponded well to the net accumulation of Dunde ice core during the same period, tree-ring reconstructed precipitation, the measured data of multiple meteorological stations in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, and also the changes of adjacent PDSI drought index. Precipitation changes of the Laohugou glacier basin and other sites of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau had significantly positive correlation with ENSO, which implied that the regional alpine precipitation change was very likely to be influenced by ENSO.     

基于相机摄影测量的冰面反照率反演方法研究

雪冰反照率是冰川与积雪能量平衡计算的关键参数,也是观测的难点. 为测量冰面反照率,试验采用相机摄影测量技术,在祁连山十一冰川开展了自动拍摄、并利用共线方程进行冰川正射制图,在此基础上于2012年7月28日-8月18日在冰川表面开展了不同海拔梯度的反照率观测. 通过统计分析晴天与阴天观测反照率与对应点相机拍摄获取的RGB归一化指数之间的关系,对十一冰川进行冰面反照率参数化方法研究. 结果表明：晴天冰面反照率与RGB归一化指数存在明显的指数关系,拟合R²达到0.79;而阴天的统计关系较差,线性拟合R²仅为0.52. 据此尝试利用晴天的拟合公式对整个冰面进行反照率参数化,计算表明：在晴天冰川表面地形阴影区的反照率存在低估现象,而无阴影区的反照率估算结果可信度较高. 利用2013年的反照率观测数据进行了参数化方案的验证,结果表明：观测值与模拟值平均误差仅为0.037,表明利用RGB影像对反照率参数化具有一定的可用性和可靠性.     

祁连山七一冰川表面运动特征最新观测研究

为了保持对祁连山七一冰川运动变化情况观测的连续性,进一步揭示全球气候变暖背景下山岳冰川的运动变化规律,对布设在七一冰川表面的花杆进行了定期观测,获取了2012年7-8月以及2013年8-9月冰川考察期间的最新观测数据（花杆位置、冰川末端边界以及物质平衡等数据资料）,通过对数据进行分析,获得了七一冰川表面的运动状况以及末端进退变化情况. 结果表明：空间分布特征方面,七一冰川在横剖面以及纵剖面的运动保持了一般山岳冰川的运动规律;横剖面上,主流线附近冰川运动速度较两侧运动速度要大;纵剖面上,由冰川末端到零物质平衡线,冰川运动速度逐渐增大;运动方向上,七一冰川运动速度矢量大多沿主流线向下运动,或者稍微偏离主流线一定方向. 在冰川运动速度时间分布特征方面,七一冰川在消融季与非消融季的运动速度差异显著,消融季运动速度要明显大于非消融季运动速度. 最近几十年,七一冰川整体运动速度呈现出了逐年减小的趋势. 在2012年8月至2013年8月期间,冰川末端退缩了大约5～7 m,退缩较为显著.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川物质平衡高度变化特征及其对径流的影响

利用天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川1980-2010年的物质平衡、水文气象实测资料, 分析了1号冰川1980-2010年的各高度带物质平衡特征, 进而分析了1984-2010年纯积累和纯消融的变化特点及其与气象要素、冰川融水径流变化的关系. 结果表明: 1号冰川物质平衡处于持续的负平衡, 纯积累量与年降水的相关系数为-0.16, 纯消融量与年均温的相关系数为0.61, 与夏季(6-8月)气温的相关系数为0.78. 2010年1号冰川为有观测记录以来的最强消融年(b_n=-1 327 mm), 整个冰川处于消融区(平衡线高度大于海拔4 484 m, 积累区面积为0), 同时东、西支冰川各高度区间的物质平衡变化也与往年度显著不同, 说明2010年是1号冰川物质平衡变化的特殊年份, 也有可能1号冰川的物质平衡变化进入了一个新的亏损变化阶段. 对其径流数据的分析还表明, 温度对径流的影响大于降水对径流的影响.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川物质平衡特征

统计了天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川自1980年以来冰川表面的单点物质平衡,分析了不同季节物质平衡及其冰川变化特征。研究表明,1号冰川厚度较之1959年平均减薄了9 599 mm;1997—2002年为实际观测以来连续的强负物质平衡时段,平均物质平衡为-739.6 mm /a。物质平衡与气温、降水的相关分析显示：1号冰川物质平衡主要取决于夏季平均气温的高低,二者具有较好的反相关关系（相关系数为-0.72）,而与降水的关系相对较差。20世纪80年代末以来,1号冰川退缩速度明显增大,尤以2000—2002年为甚,西支冰川退缩速度为连续的高值(退缩速度分别为6.92 m/a、6.95 m/a和6.25 m/a);东支冰川的退缩速度与高度大于4 200 m的高度带区间的平均物质平衡值有较好的相关关系（相关系数为0.65）,表明了1号冰川进退的动力主要源于冰川积累区的物质平衡大小。     

青藏高原东南部贡嘎山海螺沟冰川冰下沉积物形成与变形

冰岩界面的冰川动力学是冰川系统的重要组成部分, 海螺沟冰川地处温暖湿润的海洋环境, 冰川运动速度较快, 冰川底部接近压融点, 是研究冰下过程的较理想地点. 在海螺沟冰川大型磨光面上浅显侵蚀坑内发现了碎屑物质. 对碎屑物质理化特征研究表明: 粒度特征、地球化学与石英砂SEM 分析表明沉积在冰岩界面上的物质来自于冰川底部的底碛层, 而不是冰上环境的产物. 偏光显微镜下观察到的冰下沉积物呈现出一系列塑性变形(微旋转、褶皱)和脆性变形(线性结构、支撑结构、断层)微观结构和构造. 两种变形结构的存在是碎屑物质在形成过程中其含水量波动情况的反映. 冰下碎屑物质是冰下融出、滞碛作用的共同产物. 在整个冰下碎屑物质形成与变形过程中, 由于冰下水系季节性变化带来的冰岩界面上冰川融水含量的波动起了决定性作用.