Origin of a bouldery diamicton,Kunlun Pass,Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,People's Republic of China: gelifluction deposit or rock glacier?

On the west side of the military road to Tibet in the Kunlun Shan, a major body of diamicton is moving slowly downslope from the ridge crest at 4800 m in a northerly and easterly direction. The material is derived from Middle Pleistocene till deposits and the underlying Pliocene alluvial gravels. More than 10 per cent of the material is composed of boulders longer than 2 m, 45 per cent has long axes between 0·5 and 2 m, while the matrix is a poorly sorted sandy loam. The mean annual air temperature is −7°C to −5°C and the mean annual precipitation is under 300 mm a⁻¹. The diamicton lacks a vegetation cover, in contrast to meadow tundra on the surrounding slopes. The diamicton mantles the north slope of the ridge, but splits into at least 16 separate tongues which are moving down fluvially graded valleys. The average slope of the landform is about 19°, while the mean slope of the fronts of the tongues is 21°. With one exception, the slope of the fronts does not exceed 25°, unlike true rock glaciers. The diamicton is up to 40 m thick in valley 4. The active layer was 12 to 30 cm deep in July at 4780 m, increasing to 1·5 to 2 m at about 4650 m. Ice contents in the permafrost may reach 57 per cent but 30 per cent is more usual The larger boulders act as braking blocks on the upper slopes of the landform and are frozen into the permafrost. The lower parts of the landform move at under 3 cm a⁻¹, whereas the fine-grained material in the active layer moves past the braking blocks on the upper slopes at up to 30 cm a ⁻¹. There is no direct evidence for flowage of the icy diamicton forming the deposit. It is therefore best referred to as a gelifluction slope deposit, and is the longest and most spectacular of such deposits described so far in the world. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occurrence,evolution and ice content of ice-debris complexes in the Ak-Shiirak,Central Tien Shan revealed by geophysical and remotely-sensed investigations

Rock glaciers and large ice-debris complexes are common in many mountain ranges and are especially prominent in semi-arid mountains such as the Andes or the Tien Shan. These features contain a significant amount of ice but their occurrence and evolution are not well known. Here, we present an inventory of the ice-debris complexes for the Ak-Shiirak, Tien Shan's second largest glacierised massif, and a holistic methodology to investigate two characteristic and large ice-debris complexes in detail based on field investigations and remote sensing analysis using Sentinel-1 SAR data, 1964 Corona and recent high resolution stereo images. Overall, we found 74 rock glaciers and ice-debris complexes covering an area of 11.2 km² (3.2% of the glacier coverage) with a mean elevation of about 3950 m asl. Most of the complexes are located south-east of the main ridge of Ak-Shiirak. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements reveal high ice content with the occurrence of massif debris-covered dead-ice bodies in the parts within the Little Ice Age glacier extent. These parts showed significant surface lowering, in some places exceeding 20 m between 1964 and 2015. The periglacial parts are characterised by complex rock glaciers of different ages. These rock glaciers could be remnants of debris-covered ice located in permafrost conditions. They show stable surface elevations with no or only very low surface movement. However, the characteristics of the fronts of most rock glacier parts indicate slight activity and elevation gains at the fronts slight advances. GPR data indicated less ice content and slanting layers which coincide with the ridges and furrows and could mainly be formed by glacier advances under permafrost conditions. Overall, the ice content is decreasing from the upper to the lower part of the ice-debris complexes. Hence, these complexes, and especially the glacier-affected parts, should be considered when assessing the hydrological impacts of climate change. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of climate change on runoff of a glacierized Himalayan basin

The continuous increase in the emission of greenhouse gases has resulted in global warming, and substantial changes in the global climate are expected by the end of the current century. The reductions in mass, volume, area and length of glaciers on the global scale are considered as clear signals of a warmer climate. The increased rate of melting under a warmer climate has resulted in the retreating of glaciers. On the long‐term scale, greater melting of glaciers during the coming years could lead to the depletion of available water resources and influence water flows in rivers. It is also very likely that such changes have occurred in Himalayan glaciers, but might have gone unnoticed or not studied in detail. The water resources of the Himalayan region may also be highly vulnerable to such climate changes, because more than 50% of the water resources of India are located in the various tributaries of the Ganges, Indus and the Brahmaputra river system, which are highly dependent on snow and glacier runoff. In the present study, the snowmelt model SNOWMOD has been used to simulate the melt runoff from a highly glacierized small basin for the summer season. The model simulated the distribution and volume of runoff with reasonably good accuracy. Based on a 2‐year simulation, it is found that, on average, the contributions of glacier melt and rainfall in the total runoff are 87% and 13% respectively. The impact of climate change on the monthly distribution of runoff and total summer runoff has been studied with respect to plausible scenarios of temperature and rainfall, both individually and in combined scenarios. The analysis included six temperature scenarios ranging between 0·5 and 3 °C, and four rainfall scenarios (?10%, ?5%, 5%, 10%). The combined scenarios were generated using temperature and rainfall scenarios. The combined scenarios represented a combination of warmer and drier and a combination of warmer and wetter conditions in the study area. The results indicate that, for the study basin, runoff increased linearly with increase in temperature and rainfall. For a temperature rise of 2 °C, the increase in summer streamflow is computed to be about 28%. Changes in rainfall by ±10% resulted in corresponding changes in streamflow by ±3·5%. For the range of climatic scenarios considered, the changes in runoff are more sensitive to changes in temperature, compared with rainfall, which is likely due to the major contribution of melt water in runoff. Such studies are needed for proper assessment of available water resources under a changing climate in the Himalayan region. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial modelling of palsa mires in relation to climate in northern Europe

Palsa mires are mire complexes that occur in the Northern Hemisphere, representing one of the most marginal permafrost features at the outer limit of the permafrost zone. A climate‐based spatial model is presented for the distribution of palsa mires in northern Europe. The model is based on an extensive spatial data of palsa mires and climatological variables from 1913 grid cells in an area of c. 240 000 km². Generalized linear modelling (GLM) with curvilinear and interaction terms is used to derive the palsa mire–climate relationships. The ?nal model correctly classi?ed 77·6 per cent of the palsa mire presence squares. The results indicate a positive association of the distribution of palsa mires with increasing frost number and continentality, whereas precipitation and temperature showed a negative correlation with the distribution of palsa mires. Additionally, interaction of thawing degree days and summer time precipitation showed a negative association. Climatologically, the optimum areas of palsa mires occur in areas of low precipitation (<450 mm) and a mean annual temperature between ?3 °C and ?5 °C. Potential reasons for the performance of the model and the sensitivity of palsa mires to climate change are discussed. The application of a GIS‐based generalized linear modelling as used here provides a versatile method to study the distribution of different geomorphological phenomena across climatological gradients. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGES ON AQUATIC SYSTEMS: LAURENTIAN GREAT LAKES AND PRECAMBRIAN SHIELD REGION

The region studied includes the Laurentian Great Lakes and a diversity of smaller glacial lakes, streams and wetlands south of permanent permafrost and towards the southern extent of Wisconsin glaciation. We emphasize lakes and quantitative implications. The region is warmer and wetter than it has been over most of the last 12000 years. Since 1911 observed air temperatures have increased by about 0·11°C per decade in spring and 0·06°C in winter; annual precipitation has increased by about 2·1% per decade. Ice thaw phenologies since the 1850s indicate a late winter warming of about 2·5°C. In future scenarios for a doubled CO₂ climate, air temperature increases in summer and winter and precipitation decreases (summer) in western Ontario but increases (winter) in western Ontario, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Such changes in climate have altered and would further alter hydrological and other physical features of lakes. Warmer climates, i.e. 2 × CO₂ climates, would lower net basin water supplies, stream flows and water levels owing to increased evaporation in excess of precipitation. Water levels have been responsive to drought and future scenarios for the Great Lakes simulate levels 0·2 to 2·5 m lower. Human adaptation to such changes is expensive. Warmer climates would decrease the spatial extent of ice cover on the Great Lakes; small lakes, especially to the south, would no longer freeze over every year. Temperature simulations for stratified lakes are 1–7°C warmer for surface waters, and 6°C cooler to 8°C warmer for deep waters. Thermocline depth would change (4 m shallower to 3·5 m deeper) with warmer climates alone; deepening owing to increases in light penetration would occur with reduced input of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from dryer catchments. Dissolved oxygen would decrease below the thermocline. These physical changes would in turn affect the phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos and fishes. Annual phytoplankton production may increase but many complex reactions of the phytoplankton community to altered temperatures, thermocline depths, light penetrations and nutrient inputs would be expected. Zooplankton biomass would increase, but, again, many complex interactions are expected. Generally, the thermal habitat for warm-, cool- and even cold-water fishes would increase in size in deep stratified lakes, but would decrease in shallow unstratified lakes and in streams. Less dissolved oxygen below the thermocline of lakes would further degrade stratified lakes for cold water fishes. Growth and production would increase for fishes that are now in thermal environments cooler than their optimum but decrease for those that are at or above their optimum, provided they cannot move to a deeper or headwater thermal refuge. The zoogeographical boundary for fish species could move north by 500–600 km; invasions of warmer water fishes and extirpations of colder water fishes should increase. Aquatic ecosystems across the region do not necessarily exhibit coherent responses to climate changes and variability, even if they are in close proximity. Lakes, wetlands and streams respond differently, as do lakes of different depth or productivity. Differences in hydrology and the position in the hydrological flow system, in terrestrial vegetation and land use, in base climates and in the aquatic biota can all cause different responses. Climate change effects interact strongly with effects of other human-caused stresses such as eutrophication, acid precipitation, toxic chemicals and the spread of exotic organisms. Aquatic ecological systems in the region are sensitive to climate change and variation. Assessments of these potential effects are in an early stage and contain many uncertainties in the models and properties of aquatic ecological systems and of the climate system. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Supra‐glacial deposition and flux of catastrophic rock–slope failure debris,south‐central Alaska

The ongoing debate over the effects of global environmental change on Earth's cryosphere calls for detailed knowledge about process rates and their variability in cold environments. In this context, appraisals of the coupling between glacier dynamics and para‐glacial erosion rates in tectonically active mountains remain rare. We contribute to filling this knowledge gap and present an unprecedented regional‐scale inventory of supra‐glacial sediment flux and hillslope erosion rates inferred from an analysis of 123 large (> 0·1 km²) catastrophic bedrock landslides that fell onto glaciers in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska, as documented by satellite images obtained between 1972 to 2008. Assuming these supra‐glacial landslide deposits to be passive strain markers we infer minimum decadal‐scale sediment yields of 190 to 7400 t km^–2 yr^–1 for a given glacier‐surface cross‐section impacted by episodic rock–slope failure. These rates compare to reported fluvial sediment yields in many mountain rivers, but are an order of magnitude below the extreme sediment yields measured at the snouts of Alaskan glaciers, indicating that the bulk of debris discharged derives from en‐glacial, sub‐glacial or ice‐proximal sources. We estimate an average minimum para‐glacial erosion rate by large, episodic rock–slope failures at 0·5–0·7 mm yr^–1 in the Chugach Mountains over a 50‐yr period, with earthquakes likely being responsible for up to 73% of this rate. Though ranking amongst the highest decadal landslide erosion rates for this size of study area worldwide, our inferred rates of hillslope erosion in the Chugach Mountains remain an order of magnitude below the pace of extremely rapid glacial sediment export and glacio‐isostatic surface uplift previously reported from the region. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glacier shrinkage and negative mass balance in the Chilean Lake District (40°S) / Rétrécissement glaciaire et bilan massique négatif dans la Région des Lacs du Chili (40°S)

Abstract

Ice-capped volcanoes of the Chilean Lake District have shown significant glacier retreat during recent decades, probably in response to tropospheric warming and precipitation decrease. Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco (39°55′S, 72°02′W) is one of the main active volcanoes in this part of the country. A mass balance programme was initiated on its southeastern glacier in 2003, in view of its representative conditions as an ice body that is presumably not affected by current volcanic activity. The glaciers of this volcano have been retreating and shrinking in recent decades; by 2003 there had been a reduction of 40% of the original area of 28.4 km² in 1976. A maximum decrease of area was observed in the most recently analysed period, a rate of 0.45 km² year^-1 between 1987 and 2003. The glacier average net mass balance of 2003/04 yielded ?0.88 m w.e. (water equivalent) per year (±0.18), with an average net accumulation and ablation of 2.59 and ?3.47 m w.e. per year, respectively. This is the first direct measurement of glacier mass balance in southern Chile, where very little is known about glacier variations and glacier–volcano interactions.     

HYDROLOGICAL CYCLES ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH PERIPHERIES OF MOUNTAIN–GLACIAL BASINS OF CENTRAL ASIA

Four high mountain glacial basins of the northern and southern periphery of central Asia were studied to determine their interaction with the external hydrological cycle over the Eurasian continent. Two of them located in the northern periphery are closed drainage basins with continental climate and the other two are open basins located in the southern periphery. Calculations of mass energy exchange, glacial runoff and components of the hydrological cycles were conducted. For glaciers with a continental climate, the calculations of snow–ice melt and runoff were based on solar parameters. For glaciers with a marine climate regime, glacier melt and runoff were based on air temperature. The relative errors of simulated annual flows were, on average, 8–14%. The components of the regional hydrological cycles (precipitation, condensation, runoff and evaporation) were quantified for each glacial system and their share in total atmospheric moisture was determined. The closed basins of the northern periphery in central Asia stored annually about 0·1–2·4% of the total external atmospheric moisture in the Aralo-Caspian and Tarim hydrographic systems. About 0·22–0·24% of the external water cycle is transferred annually in open glacial basins of the southern periphery. The glaciers of these regions return 0·25–0·30% of the external water cycle per year to the Pacific and Indian oceans, 0·03% and 0·06% of this external moisture is taken from the glacial resources of the Gongga and Xixibangma glaciers. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rapid expansion of glacial lakes caused by climate and glacier retreat in the Central Himalayas

Glacial lake outburst floods are among the most serious natural hazards in the Himalayas. Such floods are of high scientific and political importance because they exert trans‐boundary impacts on bordering countries. The preparation of an updated inventory of glacial lakes and the analysis of their evolution are an important first step in assessment of hazards from glacial lake outbursts. Here, we report the spatiotemporal developments of the glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin, a trans‐boundary basin in the Central Himalayas, from 1976 to 2010 based on multi‐temporal Landsat images. Studied glacial lakes are classified as glacier‐fed lakes and non‐glacier‐fed lakes according to their hydrologic connection to glacial watersheds. A total of 119 glacial lakes larger than 0.01 km² with an overall surface area of 20.22 km² (±10.8%) were mapped in 2010, with glacier‐fed lakes being predominant in both number (69, 58.0%) and area (16.22 km², 80.2%). We found that lakes connected to glacial watersheds (glacier‐fed lakes) significantly expanded (122.1%) from 1976 to 2010, whereas lakes not connected to glacial watersheds (non‐glacier‐fed lakes) remained stable (+2.8%) during the same period. This contrast can be attributed to the impact of glaciers. Retreating glaciers not only supply meltwater to lakes but also leave space for them to expand. Compared with other regions of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), the lake area per glacier area in the Poiqu River basin was the highest. This observation might be attributed to the different climate regimes and glacier status along the HKH. The results presented in this study confirm the significant role of glacier retreat on the evolution of glacial lakes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water temperature dynamics in High Arctic river basins

Despite the high sensitivity of polar regions to climate change and the strong influence of temperature upon ecosystem processes, contemporary understanding of water temperature dynamics in Arctic river systems is limited. This research gap was addressed by exploring high‐resolution water column thermal regimes for glacier‐fed and non‐glacial rivers at eight sites across Svalbard during the 2010 melt season. Mean water column temperatures in glacier‐fed rivers (0.3–3.2 °C) were lowest and least variable near the glacier terminus but increased downstream (0.7–2.3 °C km^–1). Non‐glacial rivers, where discharge was sourced primarily from snowmelt runoff, were warmer (mean: 2.9–5.7 °C) and more variable, indicating increased water residence times in shallow alluvial zones and increased potential for atmospheric influence. Mean summer water temperature and the magnitude of daily thermal variation were similar to those of some Alaskan Arctic rivers but low at all sites when compared with alpine glacierized environments at lower latitudes. Thermal regimes were correlated strongly (p < 0.01) with incoming short‐wave radiation, air temperature, and river discharge. Principal drivers of thermal variability were inferred to be (i) water source (i.e. glacier melt, snowmelt, groundwater); (ii) exposure time to the atmosphere; (iii) prevailing meteorological conditions; (iv) river discharge; (v) runoff interaction with permafrost and buried ice; and (vi) basin‐specific geomorphological features (e.g. channel morphology). These results provide insight into the potential changes in high‐latitude river systems in the context of projected warming in polar regions. We hypothesize that warmer and more variable temperature regimes may prevail in the future as the proportion of bulk discharge sourced from glacial meltwater declines and rivers undergo a progressive shift towards snow water and groundwater sources. Importantly, such changes could have implications for aquatic species diversity and abundance and influence rates of ecosystem functioning in high‐latitude river systems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Permafrost‐thaw‐induced land‐cover change in the Canadian subarctic: implications for water resources

Climate warming and human disturbance in north‐western Canada have been accompanied by degradation of permafrost, which introduces considerable uncertainty to the future availability of northern freshwater resources. This study demonstrates the rate and spatial pattern of permafrost loss in a region that typifies the southern boundary of permafrost. Remote‐sensing analysis of a 1·0 km² area indicates that permafrost occupied 0·70 km² in 1947 and decreased with time to 0·43 km² by 2008. Ground‐based measurements demonstrate the importance of horizontal heat flows in thawing discontinuous permafrost, and show that such thaw produces dramatic land‐cover changes that can alter basin runoff production in this region. A major challenge to northern water resources management in the twenty‐first century therefore lies in predicting stream flows dynamically in the context of widely occurring permafrost thaw. The need for appropriate water resource planning, mitigation, and adaptation strategies is explained. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Storage-discharge characteristics of an active rock glacier catchment in the Innere Ölgrube,Austrian Alps

The active rock glacier “Innere Ölgrube” and its catchment area (Ötztal Alps, Austria) are assessed using various hydro(geo)logical tools to provide a thorough catchment characterization and to quantify temporal variations in recharge and discharge components. During the period from June 2014 to July 2018, an average contribution derived from snowmelt, ice melt and rainfall of 35.8%, 27.6% and 36.6%, respectively, is modelled for the catchment using a rainfall-runoff model. Discharge components of the rock glacier springs are distinguished using isotopic data as well as other natural and artificial tracer data, when considering the potential sources rainfall, snowmelt, ice melt and longer stored groundwater. Seasonal as well as diurnal variations in runoff are quantified and the importance of shallow groundwater within this rock glacier-influenced catchment is emphasized. Water derived from ice melt is suggested to be provided mainly by melting of two small cirque glaciers within the catchment and subordinately by melting of permafrost ice of the rock glacier. The active rock glacier is characterized by a layered internal structure with an unfrozen base layer responsible for groundwater storage and retarded runoff, a main permafrost body contributing little to the discharge (at the moment) by permafrost thaw and an active layer responsible for fast lateral flow on top of the permafrost body. Snowmelt contributes at least 1/3rd of the annual recharge. During droughts, meltwater derived from two cirque glaciers provides runoff with diurnal runoff variations; however, this discharge pattern will change as these cirque glaciers will ultimately disappear in the future. The storage-discharge characteristics of the investigated active rock glacier catchment are an example of a shallow groundwater aquifer in alpine catchments that ought to be considered when analysing (future) river runoff characteristics in alpine catchments as these provide retarded runoff during periods with little or no recharge.     

Reconstructions of annual discharge and equilibrium line altitude of glaciers at Qilian Shan,northwest China,from 1978 to 2002

Discharge was calculated from a mountainous area, including discharge from glaciers, in the Qilian Shan (Qilian Mountains) of northwest China. The studied Yingluoxia basin is 9983 km² in area, with glaciers making up 0·3% of the basin. The calculation method was based on the heat balance, requiring only daily temperature and precipitation. Calculated annual discharge from the basin corresponded well with the observed data. Calculated annual discharge from glaciers was 3·6% of the total discharge from the basin. The temporal trend of the calculated equilibrium line altitude (ELA) at the July 1st Glacier (western side of the Yingluoxia basin) was similar to that of the observed ELA. The calculated annual mass balance of glaciers within the Yingluoxia basin has a larger negative value than the other glaciers in China, as the ratio of accumulation area to the total glacier area in the Yingluoxia basin is much lower than in neighbouring basins to the west. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment yield and storage variations in the Négron River catchment (south western Parisian Basin,France) during the Holocene period

In the Négron River catchment area (162 km²), surface‐sediment stores are composed of periglacial calcareous ‘grèze’ (5 × 10⁶ t) and loess (21 × 10⁶ t), and Holocene alluvium (12·6 × 10⁶ t), peat (0·6 × 10⁶ t) and colluvium (18·5 × 10⁶ t). Seventy‐five per cent of the Holocene sediments is stored along the thalwegs. Present net sediment yield, calculated from solid discharge at the Négron outlet, is low (0·6 t km^?2 a^?1) due to the dominance of carbonate rocks in the catchment. Mean sediment yield during the Holocene period is 7·0 t km^?2 a^?1 from alluvium stores and 7·6 t km^?2 a^?1 from colluvium stores. Thus, the gross sediment yield during the Holocene period is about 18·7 t km^?2 a^?1 and the sediment delivery ratio 3 per cent. The yield considerably varies from one sub‐basin to another (3·9 to 24·5 t km^?2 a^?1) according to lithology: about 25 per cent and 50 per cent of initial stores of periglacial grèze and loess respectively were reworked during the Holocene period. Sediment yield has increased by a factor of 6 in the last 1000 years, due to the development of agriculture. The very high rate of sediment storage on the slope during that period (88 per cent of the yield) can be accounted for by the formation of cultivation steps (‘rideaux’). It is predicted that the current destruction of these steps will result in a sediment wave reaching the valley floors in the coming decades. Subboreal and Subatlantic sediments and pollen assemblages in the Taligny marsh, where one‐third of the alluvium is stored, show the predominant influence of human activity during these periods in the Négron catchment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of an extreme melt event on the runoff and hydrology of a high Arctic glacier

On 28–30 July 2000, an extreme melt event was observed at John Evans Glacier (JEG), Ellesmere Island (79° 40′N, 74° 00′W). Hourly melt rates during this event fell in the upper 4% of the distribution of melt rates observed at the site during the period 1996–2000. Synoptic conditions during the event resulted in strong east‐to‐west flow over the northern sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet, with descending flow on the northwest side reaching Ellesmere Island. On JEG, wind speeds during the event averaged 8·1 m s^?1 at 1183 m a.s.l., with hourly mean wind speeds peaking at 11·6 m s^?1. Air temperatures reached 8°C, and rates of surface lowering measured by an ultrasonic depth gauge averaged 56 mm day^?1. Calculations with an energy balance model suggest that increased turbulent fluxes contributed to melt enhancement at all elevations on the glacier, while snow albedo feedback resulted in increased melting due to net radiation at higher elevations. The event was responsible for 30% of total summer melt at 1183 m a.s.l. and 15% at 850 m a.s.l. Conditions similar to those during the event occurred on only 0·1% of days in the period 1948–2000, but 61% of events occurred in the summer months and there was an apparent clustering of events in the 1950s and 1980s. Such events have the potential to impact significantly on runoff, mass balance and drainage system development at high Arctic glaciers, and changes in their incidence could play a role in determining how high Arctic glaciers respond to climate change and variability. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variations in glacier volume and snow cover and their impact on lake storage in the Paiku Co Basin,in the Central Himalayas

Glaciers and snow cover are important constituents of the surface of the Tibetan Plateau. The responses of these phenomena to global environmental changes are sensitive, rapid and intensive due to the high altitudes and arid cold climate of the Tibetan Plateau. Based on multisource remote sensing data, including Landsat images, MOD10A2 snow product, ICESat, Cryosat-2 altimetry data and long-term ground climate observations, we analysed the dynamic changes of glaciers, snow melting and lake in the Paiku Co basin using extraction methods for glaciers and lake, the degree-day model and the ice and lake volume method. The interaction among the climate, ice-snow and the hydrological elements in Paiku Co is revealed. From 2000 to 2018, the basin tended to be drier, and rainfall decreased at a rate of −3.07 mm/a. The seasonal temperature difference in the basin increased, the maximum temperature increased at a rate of 0.02°C/a and the minimum temperature decreased at a rate of −0.06°C/a, which accelerated the melting from glaciers and snow at rates of 0.55 × 10⁷ m³/a and 0.29 × 10⁷ m³/a, respectively. The rate of contribution to the lake from rainfall, snow and glacier melted water was 55.6, 27.7 and 16.7%, respectively. In the past 18 years, the warmer and drier climate has caused the lake to shrink. The water level of the lake continued to decline at a rate of −0.02 m/a, and the lake water volume decreased by 4.85 × 10⁸ m³ at a rate of −0.27 × 10⁸ m³/a from 2000 to 2018. This evaluation is important for understanding how the snow and ice melting in the central Himalayas affect the regional water cycle.     

Temperature in lowland Danish streams: contemporary patterns,empirical models and future scenarios

Continuous temperature measurements at 11 stream sites in small lowland streams of North Zealand, Denmark over a year showed much higher summer temperatures and lower winter temperatures along the course of the stream with artificial lakes than in the stream without lakes. The influence of lakes was even more prominent in the comparisons of colder lake inlets and warmer outlets and led to the decline of cold‐water and oxygen‐demanding brown trout. Seasonal and daily temperature variations were, as anticipated, dampened by forest cover, groundwater input, input from sewage plants and high downstream discharges. Seasonal variations in daily water temperature could be predicted with high accuracy at all sites by a linear air‐water regression model (r²: 0·903–0·947). The predictions improved in all instances (r²: 0·927–0·964) by a non‐linear logistic regression according to which water temperatures do not fall below freezing and they increase less steeply than air temperatures at high temperatures because of enhanced heat loss from the stream by evaporation and back radiation. The predictions improved slightly (r²: 0·933–0·969) by a multiple regression model which, in addition to air temperature as the main predictor, included solar radiation at un‐shaded sites, relative humidity, precipitation and discharge. Application of the non‐linear logistic model for a warming scenario of 4–5 °C higher air temperatures in Denmark in 2070‐2100 yielded predictions of temperatures rising 1·6–3·0 °C during winter and summer and 4·4–6·0 °C during spring in un‐shaded streams with low groundwater input. Groundwater‐fed springs are expected to follow the increase of mean air temperatures for the region. Great caution should be exercised in these temperature projections because global and regional climate scenarios remain open to discussion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nitrate content and potential microbial signature of rock glacier outflow,Colorado Front Range

Here we characterize the nutrient content in the outflow of the Green Lake 5 rock glacier, located in the Green Lakes Valley of the Colorado Front Range. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was present in all samples with a mean concentration of 0·85 mg L^?1 . A one‐way analysis of variance test shows no statistical difference in DOC amounts among surface waters (p = 0·42). Average nitrate concentrations were 69 µmoles L^?1 in the outflow of the rock glacier, compared to 7 µmoles L^?1 in snow and 25 µmoles L^?1 in rain. Nitrate concentrations from the rock glacier generally increased with time, with maximum concentrations of 135 µmoles L^?1 in October, among the highest nitrate concentrations reported for high‐elevation surface waters. These high nitrate concentrations appear to be characteristic of rock glacier outflow in the Rocky Mountains, as a paired‐difference t‐test shows that nitrate concentrations from the outflow of 7 additional rock glaciers were significantly greater compared to their reference streams (p = 0·003). End‐member mixing analysis suggest that snow was the dominant source of nitrate in June, ‘soil’ solution was the dominant nitrate source in July, and base flow was the dominant source in September. Fluoresence index values and PARAFAC analyses of dissolved organic matter (DOM) are also consistent with a switch from terrestrial DOM in the summer time period to an increasing aquatic‐like microbial source during the autumn months. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of glacier advance on the development of the multipart Riffeltal rock glacier,Central Austrian Alps

The multipart Riffeltal rock glacier, located in a tributary valley of the Kaunertal, Tyrol, Austria is investigated to enlarge the knowledge about spatial and temporal development of rock glaciers in and at the margins of pro‐glacial areas and to get a better understanding of glacier–rock glacier interactions. The subject of interest consists of a complex system of two adjacent rock glacier tongues and various superposed lobes with differing ages, origin and root zones, and therefore diverse development. To determine the reasons for their diverging development, the internal structure and permafrost occurrence on and in the surrounding area of the rock glacier were studied by application of geomorphological mapping, geophysical methods and measurement of the basal temperature of the winter snow cover (BTS). Permafrost modelling was performed on the basis of BTS data and land surface parameters derived from a high resolution airborne laser scanning (ALS) digital elevation model (DEM). Additionally, the ALS data were used to measure vertical and horizontal changes of the rock glacier surface between 2006 and 2012. Glacier–rock glacier interactions during and since the Little Ice Age (LIA) are evident for the development of the studied rock glacier. A geomorphic map gives important information about the connection between glacial advance or retreat and permafrost or ground ice occurrence. The combination of all information helps in the analysis of diverse kinematic action of neighbouring rock glacier tongues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.