Solar and proxy-sensitivity imprints on paleohydrological records for the last millennium in west-central Europe

This paper presents a lake-level record established for the last millennium at Lake Saint-Point in the French Jura Mountains. A comparison of this lake-level record with a solar irradiance record supports the hypothesis of a solar forcing of variations in the hydrological cycle linked to climatic oscillations over the last millennium in west-central Europe, with higher lake levels during the solar minimums of Oort (around AD 1060), Wolf (around AD 1320), Spörer (around AD 1450), Maunder (around AD 1690), and Dalton (around AD 1820). Further comparisons of the Saint-Point record with the fluctuations of the Great Aletsch Glacier (Swiss Alps) and a record of Rhône River floods from Lake Bourget (French Alps) give evidence of possible imprints of proxy sensitivity on reconstructed paleohydrological records. In particular, the Great Aletsch record shows an increasing glacier mass from AD 1350 to 1850, suggesting a cumulative effect of the Little Ice Age cooling and/or a possible reflection of a millennial-scale general cooling until the mid-19th century in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, the Saint-Point and Bourget records show a general trend toward a decrease in lake levels and in flood magnitude anti-correlated with generally increasing solar irradiance.     

Little Ice Age fluctuations of Glaciar Río Manso in the north Patagonian Andes of Argentina

Little Ice Age (LIA) fluctuations of Glaciar Río Manso, north Patagonian Andes, Argentina are studied using information from previous work and dendrogeomorphological analyses of living and subfossil wood. The most extensive LIA expansion occurred between the late 1700s and the 1830-1840s. Except for a massive older frontal moraine system apparently predating ca. 2240 ¹⁴C yr BP and a small section of a south lateral moraine ridge that is at least 300 yr old, the early nineteenth century advance overrode surficial evidence of any earlier LIA glacier events. Over the past 150 yr the gently sloping, heavily debris-covered lower glacier tongue has thinned significantly, but several short periods of readvance or stasis have been identified and tree-ring dated to the mid-1870s, 1890s, 1900s, 1920s, 1950s, and the mid-1970s. Ice mass loss has increased in recent years due to calving into a rapidly growing proglacial lake. The neighboring debris-free and land-based Glaciar Frías has also retreated markedly in recent years but shows substantial differences in the timing of the peak LIA advance (early 1600s). This indicates that site-specific factors can have a significant impact on the resulting glacier records and should thus be considered carefully in the development and assessment of regional glacier chronologies.     

Characteristics of DDF at Baishui Glacier No.1 Region in Yulong Snow Mountain

Based on observed mass balance and meteorological data since September 2008 and ablation data by the expedition team of Tibetan plateau from June to August 1982 at Baishui(白水) Glacier No.1 region,we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes of degree-day factor(DDF) of the Baishui Glacier No.1 following the changes of space,time,and temperature,which lays a theoretical foundation to establish DDF model.The results indicate that the melting DDF of ice showed a significant down-ward trend with rising temperat...     

Evolution of debris cover on glaciers of the Eastern Alps,Austria, between 1996 and 2015

Debris cover on glaciers is an important component of glacial systems as it influences climate–glacier dynamics and thus the lifespan of glaciers. Increasing air temperatures, permafrost thaw and rock faces freshly exposed by glacier downwasting in accumulation zones result in increased rockfall activity and debris input. In the ablation zone, negative mass balances result in an enhanced melt-out of englacial debris. Glacier debris cover thus represents a clear signal of climate warming in mountain areas. To assess the temporal development of debris on glaciers of the Eastern Alps, Austria, we mapped debris cover on 255 glaciers using Landsat data at three time steps. We applied a ratio-based threshold classification technique and analysed glacier catchment characteristics to understand debris sources better. Across the Austrian Alps, debris cover increased by more than 10% between 1996 and 2015 while glaciers retreated in response to climate warming. Debris cover distribution shows significant regional variability, with some mountain ranges being characterised by mean debris cover on glaciers of up to 75%. We also observed a general rise of the mean elevation of debris cover on glaciers in Austria. The debris cover distribution and dynamics are highly variable due to topographic, lithological and structural settings that determine the amount of debris delivered to and stored in the glacier system. Despite strong variation in debris cover, all glaciers investigated melted at increasing rates. We conclude that the retarding effects of debris cover on the mass balance and melt rate of Austrian glaciers is strongly subdued compared with other mountain areas. The study indicates that, if this trend continues, many glaciers in Austria may become fully debris covered. However, since debris cover seems to have little impact on melt rates, this would not lead to prolonged existence of debris-covered ice compared with clean ice glaciers.     

Evaluating the growth characteristics of a glacial lake and its degree of danger of outburst flooding: Imja Glacier,Khumbu Himal,Nepal

The Imja Glacier Lake (Imja Tsho) (1.03 km² in 2007) is repeatedly cited as one of the most dangerous glacial lakes in the Himalaya with a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) claimed to be imminent. Knowledge of lake development and its dynamics, however, is limited and forecasts of a possible outburst are not scientifically based. Nevertheless, prospects for such a catastrophe are repeatedly exaggerated, attracting alarmist mass media coverage. The paper provides an assessment of the lake expansion rates from 1956 to 2007. Stage 1 (1956–1975), slowest: coalescence of several small supra-glacial ponds; Stage 2 (1975–1978), a short period of most rapid expansion; Stage 3 (1978–1997), slow: gradual expansion of single lake; and Stage 4 (1997–2007), renewed acceleration: mainly eastward expansion into the glacier surface. The lake's water level has fallen from 5041 m to 5004 m (1964–2006). The results show that there is no immediate danger of catastrophic outburst although the dynamics of up-glacier and down-valley lake expansion, fluctuation of lake water level, and dead-ice morphology changes should be continuously and comprehensively monitored. Alarmist prognostications based solely upon rapid areal expansion are counterproductive.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川消融对气候变化的响应

Current glacier recession under the global warming has aroused world-wide attention.Initiated from 1958,the observations show that over the past 50 years,the glacier has changed remarkably in the aspects of snow-firn stratigraphy,ice formation zone,ice temperature,area and terminus position,etc.These changes are apparently the results of temperature rise in this area.The glacier recession continued throughout the entire observed time period,and showed an accelerated tendency since 1985.Meltwater runoff also increased 84.2% over the last 20 years.     

祁连山中段北坡最大降水高度带观测与研究

2006年6月至2008年9月,在祁连山中段北坡黑河流域上游进行了降水空间变化的统观测.结果表明:在黑河上游流域中山区,夏季降水量从东向西呈减少趋势,递减率约为80 mm·(100 km)-1;最大降水高度带位于海拔4 500～4 700 m左右,年降水量为485 mm.该高度带与本区最大相对湿度高度层(海拔4 600 m左右)以及夏季气温零温层高度(海拔4 680 m左右)相一致.研究区域2008年夏季的凝结高度大致位于海拔4 900 m左右,个别降水日的凝结高度可降至海拔4 460 m左右.在最大降水高度带以下的高山和中低山区,年降水量随海拔升高的递增率为17.2 mm·(100 m)-1,夏季降水量的递增率为11.5 mm·(100m)-1.     

七一冰川消融末期融水化学日变化特征

2006年9月1-8日在祁连山七一冰川作用区水文总控点逐时采集河水样, 并分析水样的主要可溶离子含量、电导率以及pH, 研究冰川作用区水化学组成日变化特征. 结果表明: 消融末期河水中pH的平均值约为7.60, 与离子浓度时间变化过程一致, 说明是偏碱性物质的输入增加了融水中化学物质的含量;SO~(2-)_4, Ca~(2+)分别是浓度最大的阴、阳离子, 属于SO~(2-)_4+HCO~-_3-Ca~(2+)+Mg~(2+)型水. 河水中可溶性离子浓度日变化过程具有不对称性, 表现为快速降低和缓慢的增加过程, 与流量变化呈显著反相关, Pearson相关说明流量是冰川区水化学特征随时间变化的控制性因素;阳离子通量计算显示, 在七一冰川区达54.7 t·km~(-2)·a~(-1), 其日变化过程与流量正相关, 与离子浓度成反相关, 说明径流量也是控制离子通量的主要因素.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川物质平衡过程研究

天山乌鲁木齐河源１号冰川１９５８－１９５９～１９９１－１９９２年度，以负物质平衡状态为主，累积负平衡量达８５１．９×１０４ｍ３，冰川平均亏损４５６２ｍｍ水层，与中亚山地冰川物质平衡的变化趋势相似，均是由夏季平均气温升高和年降水量减少引起的。分析１７ａ的物质平衡实测资料表明，净物质平衡与平衡线高度，以及平衡线高度与夏季平均气温和年降水量存在着密切关系，夏季平均气温变化１℃，平衡线高度变化１０２ｍ，年降水量变化１００ｍｍ，平衡线高度波动５８ｍ。     

希夏邦马峰抗物热冰川区消融期气候特征

根据１９９３年夏季在希夏邦马峰抗物热冰川考察时取得的部分气象要素观测资料，结果表明，尽管夏季气温相对较高，但由于降水频繁，冰川表面降雪，通过增加冰面反射，削弱冰面消融，导致冰川水文循环水平低。温度观测揭示出受西南季风影响，夏季冰川区处于高温环境中；又由于相对远离主山脉，且无明显的山谷形态，该冰川区局地环流不发育，整个观测期间均受制于东南和南风控制之下