Applicability of an ultra-long-range terrestrial laser scanner to monitor the mass balance of Muz Taw Glacier, Sawir Mountains, China

Glacier mass balance is a key component of glacier monitoring programs. Information on the mass balance of Sawir Mountains is poor due to a dearth of in-situ measurements. This paper introduces the applicability of an ultra-long-range terrestrial laser scanner(TLS) to monitor the mass balance of Muz Taw Glacier, Sawir Mountains, China. The Riegl VZ?-6000 TLS is exceptionally well-suited for measuring snowy and icy terrain. Here, we use TLS to create repeated high spatiotemporal resolution DEMs, focusing on the annual mass balance(June 2, 2015 to July 25, 2016). According to TLS-derived high spatial resolution point clouds, the front variation(glacier retreat) of Muz Taw Glacier was 9.3 m. The mean geodetic elevation change was 4.55 m at the ablation area. By comparing with glaciological measurements, the glaciological elevation change of individual stakes and the TLS-derived geodetic elevation change of corresponding points matched closely, and the calculated balance was-3.864±0.378 m w.e.. This data indicates that TLS provides accurate results and is therefore suitable to monitor mass balance evolution of Muz Taw Glacier.     

近50 年来天山地区典型冰川厚度及储量变化

冰川储量变化与冰川水资源量变化以及冰川对河川径流的贡献量密切相关。在GPR-3S技术支持下, 本研究基于雷达测厚数据、不同时期的高分辨率遥感影像、地形图及实测资料, 分析了天山三个典型地区四条代表性冰川近期厚度及储量变化特征, 并通过对比探讨了造成变化差异的可能原因。结果表明, 1962-2006 年乌鲁木齐河源1 号冰川厚度平均减薄0.15m a^-1, 冰储量亏损26.2×10⁶ m³, 冰川末端平均退缩3.8 m a^-1;博格达峰南坡的黑沟8 号冰川在1986-2009 年间, 冰舌平均减薄0.57 m a^-1, 冰储量损失了25.5×10⁶ m³, 末端平均退缩11.0 m a^-1;位于博格达峰北坡的四工河4 号冰川在1962-2009 年间冰舌平均减薄0.32 m a^-1, 冰储量亏损14.0×10⁶ m³, 末端平均后退8.0 m a^-1;1964-2008 年间, 托木尔峰青冰滩72 号冰川冰舌平均减薄0.22 m a^-1, 由此至少造成冰储量亏损14.1×10⁶ m³, 末端退缩达40.0 m a^-1。对比分析显示, 青冰滩72 号冰川消融退缩最为强烈, 黑沟8 号冰川次之, 与乌鲁木齐河源1 号冰川、科其喀尔冰川相差不大, 稍大于四工河4 号冰川和哈密庙尔沟冰川。这种差异可能与区域气候变化和冰川物理特征有直接关系。     

The processes and characteristics of mass balance on the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 during 1958–2009

As a solid reservoir, a glacier can regulate regional water resources. The annual net mass balance directly reflects the fluctuation of the glacier and climate variability. Based on 51 years of mass balance observation data, the mass balance of Tianshan Mountains Urumqi Glacier No. 1 experienced a nine times positive balance fluctuation and nine times negative balance fluctuation. There were 35 and 16 negative and positive balance years, respectively. From 1996/97 to 2008/09, 12 consecutive negative balance years were observed at Tianshan Mountains Urumqi Glacier No. 1. These results demonstrate that the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 is experiencing a strong negative balance, and the strongest negative balance, -931 mm w.e. (mm water equivalent), during the observation period occurred in 2008. In addition, the cumulative mass balance reached 13,709 mm w.e. in 2008. However, in 2009, the mass balance was positive at 63 mm w.e. The equilibrium-line altitude changes with the fluctuation in the mass balance, and the effective mass balance gradient is 7.4 mm/m. In this paper, the headwaters of the Urumqi River were analyzed using meteorological data from 1958 to 2009, including the average seasonal temperature and precipitation. The results showed that the main factor associated with the mass balance variation of Glacier No. 1 is the fluctuation in the summer air temperature, followed by changes in the precipitation.     

乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川2009年出现物质正平衡

自1997年以来,乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川消融极为强烈,物质平衡呈大幅度亏损,连续12 a都处于强负平衡状态,平均物质平衡达-708 mm,且在2008年物质平衡达到历史最低值-999 mm,然而2009年出现了物质正平衡,物质平衡63 mm,年际变化量达1 062 mm。以2008-2009年物质平衡实测资料为基础,根据该地区的气温和降水资料分析,结果表明,造成这种现象的主要原因是夏季气温（5～8月）的降低,较2008年低1.8℃,致使冰川消融期的开始时间推迟至了7月份,结束时间提前到8月份,大大削弱了冰川的消融强度,其次是2005年以来逐渐增多的连续性降水,增加了冰川的积累量。     

60-year changes and mechanisms of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in the eastern Tianshan of China,Central Asia

Worldwide examination of glacier change is based on detailed observations from only a small number of glaciers. The ground-based detailed individual glacier monitoring is of strong need and extremely important in both regional and global scales. A long-term integrated multi-level monitoring has been carried out on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1) at the headwaters of the Urumqi River in the eastern Tianshan Mountains of Central Asia since 1959 by the Tianshan Glaciological Station, Chinese Acamedey of Sciences (CAS), and the glaciological datasets promise to be the best in China. The boundaries of all glacier zones moved up, resulting in a shrunk accumulation area. The stratigraphy features of the snowpack on the glacier were found to be significantly altered by climate warming. Mass balances of UG1 show accelerated mass loss since 1960, which were attributed to three mechanisms. The glacier has been contracting at an accelerated rate since 1962, resulting in a total reduction of 0.37 km² or 19.3% from 1962 to 2018. Glacier runoff measured at the UG1 hydrometeorological station demonstrates a significant increase from 1959 to 2018 with a large interannual fluctuation, which is inversely correlated with the glacier's mass balance. This study analyzes on the changes in glacier zones, mass balance, area and length, and streamflow in the nival glacial catchment over the past 60 years. It provides critical insight into the processes and mechanisms of glacier recession in response to climate change. The results are not only representative of those glaciers in the Tianshan mountains, but also for the continental-type throughout the world. The direct observation data form an essential basis for evaluating mountain glacier changes and the impact of glacier shrinkage on water resources in the interior drainage rivers within the vast arid and semi-arid land in northwestern China as well as Central Asia.     

The surface velocity feature of Glacier No.1 at the headwater of Urumqi River, Tianshan Mountain

The movement of a glacier can redistribute glacier mass balance and change water and thermal conditions of the glacier.Thus,the glacier can maintain its dynamic balance.Surface velocity of a glacier is a basic feature of glacier movement.With successive monthly observations from 2006 to 2008,we obtained spatial and temporal variations for surface velocity of Glacier No.1 at the headwater of Urumqi River,Tianshan Mountain.Dynamic simulation was used to verify the findings.Results show that altitudinal distribution of glacier velocity was influenced by synthetic effects such as glacier thickness,slope,and bedrock morphology.However,seasonal variation was influenced by changing glacier thickness.     

中国西部大陆性冰川与海洋性冰川物质平衡变化及其对气候响应——以乌源1号冰川和帕隆94号冰川为例

为认识全球变暖背景下中国西部大陆性冰川与海洋性冰川物质平衡变化及其对气候响应,本研究以天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川和藏东南帕隆94号冰川为例,结合大西沟与察隅站气象资料,对1980 — 2015年两条冰川的物质平衡变化特征及差异进行了分析。结果表明：36 a来乌源1号冰川与帕隆94号冰川物质平衡总体上均呈下降趋势,累积物质平衡达-17102与-8159 mm w.e.,相当于冰川厚度减薄19与9.01 m,且分别于1996、2004年左右发生突变。同期两条冰川所处区域年均温呈显著上升趋势,而降水量却表现出不同的变化态势;二者年内气温分配相仿,但降水分配差异较大。初步分析认为气温上升是导致乌源1号冰川与帕隆94号冰川物质亏损的主要原因,冰川区气温和降水变化幅度的差异和地性因子（坡度、冰川面积）的不同使得乌源1号冰川对气候变化响应的敏感性高于帕隆94号冰川,由于目前海洋性冰川物质平衡监测时段相对较短,为深入研究中国西部冰川物质平衡变化及过程仍需加强对冰川的持续观测。     

Study of annual mass balance(2011–2013) of Rikha Samba Glacier,Hidden Valley,Mustang, Nepal

Although Himalayan glaciers are of particular interest in terms of future water supplies, regional climate changes, and sea-level rises, little is known about them due to lack of reliable and consistent data. There is a need for monitoring these glaciers to bridge this knowledge gap and to provide field measurements necessary to calibrate and validate the results from different remote sensing operations. Therefore, glaciological observations have been carried out by the Cryosphere Monitoring Project(CMP) since September 2011 on Rikha Samba Glacier in Hidden valley, Mustang district in western Nepal in order to study its annual mass balance. This paper presents the first results of that study. There are 10 glaciers in Hidden Valley, named G1, G2, G3, up to G10. Of these, G5 is the Rikha Samba Glacier, which has the largest area(5.37 km2) in this valley and the highest and lowest altitudes(6,476 and 5,392 m a.s.l., respectively). The glacier mass balance discussed in this paper was calculated using the glaciological method and the equilibrium line altitude(ELA). The glacier showed a negative annual point mass balance along the longitudinal profile of its lower part from September 10, 2011 to October 3, 2012. Stake measurements from October 4, 2012 to September 30, 2013 indicated a negative areal average of annual mass balance-0.088±0.019 m w.e. for the whole glacier. Based on these observations, the ELA of the Rikha Samba Glacier is estimated at 5,800 m a.s.l. in 2013. This negative balance may be due to rising air temperatures in the region, which have been incrementally rising since 1980 accompanied by little or no significant increase in precipitation in that period. The negative mass balance confirms the general shrinking trend of the glacier.     

过去44年乌鲁木齐河源一号冰川物质平衡结果及其过程研究

通过1997—2003年度天山乌鲁木齐河源一号冰川物质平衡的观测结果,分析比较了过去44年间一号冰川物质平衡、累积物质平衡的变化过程,以及反映气候一地形要素和冰川发育条件要素的平衡线高度和冰川积累区比率,认为一号冰川负平衡波动期随时间推移而递增,目前处于其观测历史上物质平衡亏损最为强烈的时期。     

天山乌一号冰川物质平衡特征的统计分析

利用天山乌鲁木齐河源一号冰川物质平衡的多年观测资料,通过数学统计方法提取主成分,获得影响该冰川物质平衡的主要因素,通过成分矩阵的旋转获得表示冰川物质平衡特征的两个主因子,其中第一主因子为影响冰川物质平衡的常年因子,代表该冰川的多年持续变化方向与趋势,第二主因子为影响冰川物质平衡的年际因子,代表该冰川在平衡年内的物质平衡变化特征。常年因子的持续下降反映了冰川持续后退的现实,年际因子在上世纪80年代中期以后突然强劲上升,实际上是冰川物质平衡水平提高,平衡年内积累量和消融量都增加的表现,清晰地指示了西北地区气候由暖干向暖湿的转型。常年因子是冰川物质平衡变化的主导因子,控制了冰川变化的方向。常年因子具有较好的周期性,以6年周期最为明显,但其形成原因尚不明。年际因子周期性不明显,但可以看出其周期与太阳黑子变化具有相关性,同时受到常年因子的影响。     

Spatial and temporal transferability of Degree-Day Model and Simplified Energy Balance Model:a case study

Glacier mass balance, the difference between accumulation and ablation at the glacier surface, is the direct reflection of the local climate regime. Under global warming, the simulation of glacier mass balance at the regional scale has attracted increasing interests. This study selects Urumqi Glacier No. 1 as the testbed for examining the transferability in space and time of two commonly used glacier mass balance simulation models: i.e., the Degree-Day Model(DDM) and the simplified Energy Balance Model(s EBM). Four experiments were carried out for assessing both models’ temporal and spatial transferability. The results show that the spatial transferability of both the DDM and s EBM is strong, whereas the temporal transferability of the DDM is relatively weak. For all four experiments, the overall simulation effect of the s EBM is better than that of the DDM. At the zone around Equilibrium Line Altitude(ELA), the DDM performed better than the s EBM.Also, the accuracy of parameters, including the lapse rate of air temperature and vertical gradient of precipitation at the glacier surface, is of great significance for improving the spatial transferability of both models.     

近50 a来乌鲁木齐河源区径流变化及其机理研究

 乌鲁木齐河源区径流是供给中下游地区和乌鲁木齐市的重要水源。通过对河源区3个水文断面（1号冰川、空冰斗和总控）有观测记录以来的径流变化研究,一方面提供径流观测的最新资料,使人们对乌鲁木齐河源区径流近期变化有新的认识;另一方面通过对气候、冰川变化的综合分析,揭示乌鲁木齐河源区径流近50 a变化事实和可能的原因。结果表明：河源区3个水文断面径流自有观测记录以来整体上呈增加趋势,其中总控水文断面径流虽有增加,但不显著。影响3个水文断面径流变化的因素不同,1号冰川水文断面径流变化受控于冰川区热量条件,当消融期气温大于2 ℃时,径流呈加速增长。1号冰川径流不仅包含了冰川对气候变化的瞬时响应,也包含了冰川对气候变化的滞后响应,由冰川物质平衡和面积计算的冰川体积损失量变化较好地验证了径流变化。对于空冰斗融雪径流,降水量多寡是导致径流变化的主导因素,但冰斗区固态降水多,气温亦起着不可忽视的作用。总控水文断面径流大小与气温和降水关系比较复杂,表现为近年来气温和降水增加,径流却有下降趋势,这可能与河源区实际蒸散增强、冰川快速退缩导致径流峰值已经出现、大范围冻土消融导致的地下渗漏量增多等原因有关。     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川致冷效应的小气候观测

高山冰川以其下垫面的致冷效应形成独特的冰川小气候.为研究冰川小气候特征,2007年7月在天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川表面及末端冰碛上架设5台自动气象站,并进行了为期一个月的基本气象要素的观测.以观测数据为基础,描述和分析了与冰川致冷效应有关的冰川区温度与湿度变化特征、冰面逆温、温跃现象、冰川风现象,并就冰川致冷效应对局地对...     

A Small Glacier as an Index of Regional Mass Balance: Baby Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, 1959–1992

Baby Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, N.W.T., Canada is a small (0.6 km²), high-latitude (79°N), high-altitude (700–1200 m) glacier with a mass balance record extending from 1959–60 to the present. The record demonstrates shrinkage of the glacier, but a statistically significant trend is not evident. Correlations are strong between the mass balance of Baby Glacier and that of the nearby and much larger White Glacier, and also those of even larger, more distant glaciers. Thus programmes of measurement on small, simple ice bodies such as Baby Glacier can be representative of a large region. However, inter-annual changes are more accentuated for Baby Glacier. Baby Glacier does not meet all of the usual criteria for a representative glacier, but it straddles the regional equilibrium zone, a fact which helps to offset the disadvantages of its small size and limited altitudinal range. The equilibrium zone deserves to be an important focus for studies of high-arctic mass balance, with the aim of facilitating future measurement programmes which will rely on satellite remote sensing.     

RESPONSE OF A TEMPERATE ALPINE VALLEY GLACIER TO CLIMATE CHANGE AT THE DECADAL SCALE

Glacier advance and recession are considered key indicators of climate change. Understanding the relationship between climatic variations and glacial responses is crucial. Here, we apply archival digital photogrammetry to reconstruct the decadal scale glacial history of an unmonitored Alpine valley glacier, the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland, and we use the data generated to explore the linkages between glacier recession and climate forcing. High precision digital elevation models were derived. They show continual recession of the glacier since 1967, associated with long‐term climatic amelioration but only a weak reaction to shorter‐term climatic deterioration. Glacier surface velocity estimates obtained using surface particle tracking showed that, unlike for most Swiss glaciers during the late 1970s and early 1980s, ice mass flux from the accumulation zone was too low to compensate for the effects of glacier thinning and subsequent snout recession, especially during the rapid warming that occurred through the 1980s. The results emphasise the dangers of inferring glacier response to climate forcing from measurements of the terminus position only and the importance of using remote sensing methods as an alternative, especially where historical imagery is available.     

Primary investigation of statistical correlation between changes in ice volume and area of glaciers

This study makes an attempt to investigate through statistical analysis the correlation between changes in ice volume and area of glaciers. Using data from nine sample glaciers in the Tian Shan, the results show that a linear relation exists between changes in ice volume and area, with a correlation coefficient of 0.700. However, the accuracy estimation is difficult due to the limited number of samples. The correlation was not improved after adding eleven glacier samples in other mountains. Two reference glaciers are then analyzed in more detail. The linear correlation coefficient is higher than 0.800 when using the observed changes in ice volume and area during different periods on Urumqi Glacier No. 1, which suggests that the linear relation is valid for one glacier for different periods if its shape does not change noticeably and also for other glaciers of the same shape during the same period. The relation between changes in ice volume and area of Qingbingtan Glacier No. 72 is different during different periods due to change in the shape of the glacier tongue and the influence of the debris cover. Moreover, errors in glacier-change monitoring and-volume estimation have an important influence on the correlation results. Therefore, further study needs to focus not only on the distinction between glacier types and between different periods but also on the accuracy of volume estimation.     

天山1号冰川旅游资源可持续利用初探

文章在分析1号冰川旅游资源禀赋，客源市场特征和发展旅游业优，劣势的基础上，着重考虑旅游基础设施建设，旅游活动以及其它生产，生活行为可能对冰川地的自然环境，生态环境，景观美学质量等产生的负面效应，并进行相应的旅游环境影响评价，由此提出1号冰川旅游资源可持续利用策略。     

天山东段冰雪消融与产汇流水文过程——以乌鲁木齐河源区为例

应用天山北坡乌鲁木齐河源区1 号冰川、空冰斗和总控3 个水文断面2011 年5-9 月每10min 实测水位数据、15 min 的气温、降水数据、1 号冰川消融及空冰斗区积雪观测数据,采用排除和不排除降水对冰雪消融产流影响的研究方法,系统分析了不同冰川覆盖率下水文断面冰雪消融特征及产汇流过程。结果表明：（1） 乌鲁木齐河源区3 个水文断面流量昼夜差异明显,1 号冰川水文断面白天径流大于夜晚径流,空冰斗和总控断面则相反;3 个断面流量亦具有显著日变化过程,且流量峰值大小和到来的时间存在差异。（2） 在排除与不排除降水两种天气影响下,1 号冰川最大流量滞后最高气温分别为1~3 h 和0~1 h;空冰斗断面分别为10~16 h和13 h,总控断面分别为5~11 h 和6~7 h,反映了1 号冰川从消融产流到汇流时间最短,空冰斗积雪消融产流时间最长,总控位于二者之间,同时亦反映伴随降水过程冰雪融水汇流迅速,即从产流到汇流时间有一定的缩短。（3） 影响3 个水文断面流量变化的因素不同,冰川区热量条件是影响1 号冰川水文断面的关键,1 号冰川在过去20 余年间,冰内、冰下排水道变得更为单一,对融水的阻滞和贮存作用弱化,融水汇流过程变得更为迅速。（4） 冰川覆盖山区流域水文断面在冰川消融期的流量过程线变化及最大流量与最高气温时滞变化规律在一定程度上对于认识冰川覆盖率有差异背景下的流域下垫面水系演化、冰雪消融过程及水文断面径流补给具有重要的指示意义。     

2000—2014年喀喇昆仑山音苏盖提冰川表面高程变化

喀喇昆仑山区冰川由于存在正物质平衡或跃动、前进现象,被称之为“喀喇昆仑异常”,不过该地区冰川变化差异显著,尤其是大型表碛覆盖冰川,呈现与其他类型冰川明显的差异性响应,为理解喀喇昆仑冰川异常的机理,冰川尺度的详细变化研究十分必要。音苏盖提冰川位于喀喇昆仑山乔戈里峰北坡,是中国面积最大的冰川,是典型的大型表碛覆盖冰川。通过应用TanDEM-X/TerraSAR-X（2014年2月）与SRTM-X DEM（2000年2月）的差分干涉测量方法计算音苏盖提冰川表面高程变化,并结合冰川表面流速对冰川表面高程变化和跃动进行分析和讨论。结果表明：2000—2014年音苏盖提冰川表面高程平均下降了1.68±0.94 m,即冰川整体厚度在减薄,年变化率为-0.12±0.07 m·a^-1。冰川表面高程变化分布不均,其中南分支（S）冰流冰川整体减薄较为显著,冰川南分支冰流运动速度较快,前进/跃动的末端占据了冰川的主干,阻滞原主干冰川物质的向下运移（跃动）,导致原主干冰舌表面高程上升;冰川厚度减薄随着海拔升高先下降后保持稳定,同时呈现一定的波动性;低海拔表碛区域消融大于裸冰区,可能存在较薄表碛,因热传导高、覆盖大量冰面湖塘和冰崖存在,加速了冰川消融;在坡度小于30 °的区域,冰川厚度减薄随着坡度的减小而加剧;坡向朝南冰川厚度略微增加（0.01 m）,西南坡向冰川厚度略微减薄（-0.03 m）,其他坡向冰川厚度减薄明显。近14 a来,表碛覆盖的音苏盖提冰川表面高程整体下降表明物质处于亏损状态,冰川跃动导致局部冰川表面高程的增加。     

祁连山冰川变化及其脆弱性

Glaciers are a reliable freshwater resource in arid regions of West China and the vulnerability of its changes is closely related to regional ecosystem services and economic sustainable development. Here, we took the Qilian Mountains as an example and analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of glacier changes from 1998 to 2018, based on remote sensing images and the Second Chinese Glacier Inventory. We estimated the basic organizational framework and evaluation index system of glacier change vulnerability from exposure, sensitivity and adaptability, which covered the factors of physical geography, population status and socio-economic level. We analyzed the spatial and temporal evolutions of glacier change vulnerability by using the vulnerability evaluation model. Our results suggested that:(1) Glacier area and volume decreased by 71.12±98.98 km² and 5.59±4.41 km³, respectively, over the recent two decades, which mainly occurred at the altitude below 4800 m, with an area shrinking rate of 2.5%. In addition, glaciers in the northern aspect(northwest, north and northeast) had the largest area reduction. Different counties exhibited remarkable discrepancies in glacier area reduction, Tianjuan and Minle presented the maximum and minimum decrease, respectively.(2) Glacier change vulnerability level showed a decreasing trend in space from the central to the northwestern and southeastern regions with remarkable differences. Vulnerability level had increased significantly over time and was mainly concentrated in moderate, high and extreme levels with typical characteristics of phases and regional complexity. Our study can not only help to understand and master the impacts of recent glacier changes on natural and social aspects but also be conducive to evaluate the influences of glacier retreat on socio-economic developments in the future, thus providing references for formulating relevant countermeasures to achieve regional sustainable development.