Deposition Process of Dust Microparticles from Aerosol to Snow-Firn Pack on Glacier No. 1 in Eastern Tianshan Mountains, China

Samples were continuously collected from aerosol, fresh snow, and snow pits on Glacier No. 1 at Urumqi River source in eastern Tianshan (天山) Mountains. The deposition processes and the characteristics of mineral dust microparticles from aerosol to fresh snow, and then evolution to the snow pit were determined. Total dust microparticle concentration in the surface snow and aerosol showed a similar temporal variation trend, which was strongly associated with regional and local at-mospheric circulation in the ...     

天山奎屯河哈希勒根51号冰川变化监测结果分析

哈希勒根51号冰川位于新疆奎屯市以南的天山依连哈比尔尕山北坡,即奎屯河上游支流哈希勒根河源区。1999年8月,在该冰川上布设了用于冰川变化观测研究的测杆18根;同时,在冰川外围测定了2个基本控制点和3个冰川末端变化观测控制点,运用GPS和全站仪等观测技术及测杆实测等方法,对该冰川进行了末端和运动速度变化的首次观测。嗣后,每年的8月底～9月初进行了重复观测;并在2000年和2006年对该冰川进行了测量制图。通过实测资料分析并对比20世纪60年代冰川状况,结果表明:42年来冰川末端累计退缩了84.51 m,其中,1964-1999年间退缩了49.00 m,年平均退缩量为1.40 m/a;1999-2006年间退缩了35.51 m,年平均退缩量5.07m/a。冰川面积减少了0.123 km~2或8.3%,其中,1964-2000年间减少了0.083 km~2;2000-2006年间减少了0.040 km~2。明显地反映出冰川末端退缩加剧和冰川面积减少增大的趋势。冰川年平均运动速度在1.53～3.05 m/a之间,并有逐年减小的趋势。     

东天山庙儿沟平顶冰川钻孔温度分布特征

2005年8月在庙儿沟平顶冰川顶部海拔4 518 m处钻取了两根透底冰芯,对其中60 m的Core1冰芯钻孔利用热敏电阻温度计进行了温度测量,初步揭示了该处冰川的温度分布特征.结果显示,最低冰层温度-8.27℃出现在50 m深度处,这个深度在同类冰川中处于较低的位置;冰床底部的温度为-8.16℃,远低于压力融点.庙儿沟平顶冰川冰温的上述分布特征是在各种因素的影响下形成的,具有其独特性.这种温度分布特征,对冰芯记录过程较为有利,为恢复该地区气候与环境记录的准确性提供了保证.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川雪坑中pH值和电导率的季节变化及淋溶过程

自2002年9月14日至2004年9月28日,在天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川积累区雪坑中连续观测取样,频率为1次/周。对表层雪样品和粒雪坑样品的pH值和电导率进行了分析。结果表明,表层雪的pH值和电导率具有明显的季节变化趋势,与本区域的主导山谷风风向NE和ENE密切相关。在春季,由于尘暴发生频率的增加,表层雪的pH值呈现较强碱性,电导率达到最大值;在冬季,由于原生气溶胶向次生气溶胶的转化,pH值呈现较弱碱性,电导率达到最小值。在后沉积过程中（2003年10月4日至2004年9月8日）,雪坑中不同时期的pH值和电导率呈现不同的季节变化特征和淋溶过程。电导率的峰值P1进入粒雪冰的时间比与它相对应的大粒径（直径>10 μm）微粒的浓度峰值提前40天左右;在有的雪坑中,pH值和电导率的峰值出现在污化层附近,与污化层的位置有较好的一致性,说明污化层对可溶性离子的淋溶作用可能有一定的影响。相关分析表明,Ca2+是影响表层雪中pH值和电导率变化的最主要离子。     

我国典型季风海洋性冰川区雪坑中主要阴、阳离子的来源

运用海盐示踪法、相关分析、趋势分析等方法,对我国两处典型季风海洋性冰川(海 螺沟1 号冰川和白水1 号冰川) 积累区雪坑主要化学离子来源进行了综合分析,结果表明： 两冰川区除Na⁺ 是海洋源外,其他离子主要是非海洋源;Cl^-、NO₃ ^-、SO₄ ^2- 、K⁺、Ca²⁺、Mg²⁺ 非 海洋源所占的比重,在海螺沟1 号冰川依次为52%、99%、100%、98%、99.9%、83%,白水 1 号冰川依次为68%、99%、100%、98%、99%、59%;分析认为,海螺沟1 号冰川离子的非 海洋源主要是大气环流远源物质和高原面物质输入,而白水1 号冰川除上述来源外,冰川区 近源物质输入对离子浓度贡献很大。两冰川区各离子具体来源存在较大的差异性并且阴、阳 离子来源的共源性较低,其主要原因是：(1) 冰川区内局地环境的差异,比如岩性、山谷风系 统、地形地貌等;(2) 两冰川区离子淋溶作用强度的差异,分析认为,海螺沟1 号冰川离子淋 溶作用较强;(3) 不同离子的来源方式、沉降方式、自身化学特征以及沉积后过程不同所致。     

Assessment of the Evolution in Velocity of Two Debris‐Covered Valley Glaciers in Nepal and New Zealand

Feature tracking of orthorectified pairs of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer satellite images is used to calculate velocities for the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand (2002–2014) and the Khumbu Glacier, Nepal (2001–2008). Velocities in the middle and upper ablation zones of both glaciers show a long‐term decrease of ～10–20%, while the terminus of Khumbu Glacier has remained near stagnation throughout the study period. In contrast, there has been a recent acceleration of the lower terminus of Tasman Glacier, from ～5 m a^–1 in 2002 to 40 m a^–1 in 2014. Both of these glaciers have an extensive supraglacial debris cover across their lower ablation regions, with the Khumbu Glacier terminating on land and the Tasman Glacier terminating in a proglacial lake. The rapid recent increase in velocity of the terminus of Tasman Glacier is closely correlated with the increase in size of its proglacial lake. These results indicate the complex dynamic changes that mountain valley glaciers may undergo in response to long‐term negative mass balance.     

Glacial conditions that contribute to the regeneration of Fountain Glacier proglacial icing,Bylot Island,Canada

Proglacial icings are one of the most common forms of extrusive ice found in the Canadian Arctic. However, the icing adjacent to Fountain Glacier, Bylot Island, is unique due to its annual cycle of growth and decay, and perennial existence without involving freezing point depression of water due to chemical characteristics. Its regeneration depends on the availability of subglacial water and on the balance between ice accretion and hydro‐thermal erosion. The storage and conduction of the glacial meltwater involved in the accretion of the icing were analyzed by conducting topographic and ground penetrating radar surveys in addition to the modelling of the subglacial drainage network and the thermal characteristics of the glacier base. The reflection power analysis of the geophysical data shows that some areas of the lower ablation zone have a high accumulation of liquid water, particularly beneath the centre part of the glacier along the main supraglacial stream. A dielectric permittivity model of the glacier – sediment interface suggests that a considerable portion of the glacier is warm based; allowing water to flow through unfrozen subglacial sediments towards the proglacial outwash plain. All these glacier‐related characteristics contribute to the annual regeneration of the proglacial icing and allow for portions of the icing to be perennial. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical characteristics and environmental significance of fresh snow deposition on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 of Tianshan Mountains, China

Ice and snow chemistry of alpine glaciers is crucial for the research of regional atmospheric environment change. Fresh snow samples were weekly collected from Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Tianshan Mountains, Xin- jiang, China, and the chemical characteristics and seasonal variations of major ions, mineral dust, δ18O and trace metals were measured. Results show that the concentrations of major ions in the snow are Ca2+ SO42- NH4+ NO3- Cl- Na+ Mg2+ K+, in which Ca2+ is the dominant cation, and SO42-is the dominant anion. All major ions have close positive correlations with each other except NO3-. δ18O shows positive correlation with air temperature change during the study period. Mineral dust particle and major ionic concentrations in fresh snow have obvious seasonal change, with high concentration in spring but low concentration in summer and autumn, which indicates that the chemical mass input from Asian dust activity to snow is very significant. Temporal changes of trace metals in fresh snow, e.g., Cd, Pb, Zn, Al, Fe, have shown that human-induced pollution of central Asian region also has large contribution to the snow chemistry on alpine glaciers of the Tianshan Mountains.     

Neotectonic Control on the Geomorphic Evolution of the Gangotri Glacier Valley, Garhwal Himalaya

The paper records evidences of neotectonic activities in the Gangotri glacier valley that are found to be responsible for the present-day geomorphic set-up of the area since the last phase of major glaciation. Geomorphological features indicate the presence of a large glacier in the valley in the geological past. Prominent planar structures present in the rocks were later on modified into sets of normal faults in the present-day Himalayan tectonic set-up giving rise to graben structures. The block nearest the snout is traversed by the NW-SE trending Gaumukh fault. A number of terraces mark the entrenchment of Bhagirathi River in this part. The contrasting drainage morphometric parameters of two sides of the valley and asymmetric recessional patterns of the tributary glaciers further document movement along the fault. The distribution and orientation of debris fans also seem to be controlled by neotectonic activity. The neotectonic activity that followed the process of deglaciation has brought the glacially carved, wide U- shaped valley in contact with the present-day fluvially incised narrow and relatively deep valley. The wider segments have become sites of active deposition of glacially eroded debris. The low gradient and excessive filling has resulted in the river attaining a braided nature in these segments.