Rates of rockwall slope erosion in the upper Bhagirathi catchment,Garhwal Himalaya

Rockwall slope erosion is defined for the upper Bhagirathi catchment using cosmogenic Beryllium-10 (¹⁰Be) concentrations in sediment from medial moraines on Gangotri glacier. Beryllium-10 concentrations range from 1.1 ± 0.2 to 2.7 ± 0.3 × 10⁴ at/g SiO₂, yielding rockwall slope erosion rates from 2.4 ± 0.4 to 6.9 ± 1.9 mm/a. Slope erosion rates are likely to have varied over space and time and responded to shifts in climate, geomorphic and/or tectonic regime throughout the late Quaternary. Geomorphic and sedimentological analyses confirm that the moraines are predominately composed of rockfall and avalanche debris mobilized from steep relief rockwall slopes via periglacial weathering processes. The glacial rockwall slope erosion affects sediment flux and storage of snow and ice at the catchment head on diurnal to millennial timescales, and more broadly influences catchment configuration and relief, glacier dynamics and microclimates. The slope erosion rates exceed the averaged catchment-wide and exhumation rates of Bhagirathi and the Garhwal region on geomorphic timescales (10³−10⁵ years), supporting the view that erosion at the headwaters can outpace the wider catchment. The ¹⁰Be concentrations of medial moraine sediment for the upper Bhagirathi catchment and the catchments of Chhota Shigri in Lahul, northern India and Baltoro glacier in Central Karakoram, Pakistan show a tentative relationship between ¹⁰Be concentration and precipitation. As such there is more rapid glacial rockwall slope erosion in the monsoon-influenced Lesser and Greater Himalaya compared to the semi-arid interior of the orogen. Rockwall slope erosion in the three study areas, and more broadly across the northwest Himalaya is likely governed by individual catchment dynamics that vary across space and time. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GRACE估计南极冰川质量变化的泄露影响及其改正

利用2003-01～2013-12期间GRACE数据反演得到地球表面质量变化,使用全球正向建模恢复法改正泄露影响,获得南极冰盖质量变化。比较GRACE直接估计和泄露影响改正后的结果发现,南极冰盖在2003～2013年质量变化信号衰减20.3%,西南极有26.4%的质量消融信号泄露到了周边,东南极的泄露影响更高达70%。改正后的结果表明,南极冰盖绝大部分质量消融发生在西南极和南极半岛,质量积累发生在东南极的Ronne冰架和Amery冰架;西南极冰盖质量变化速度达到-152.47±2.00 Gt/a,基本上等同于南极全岛的质量消融速度,而南极半岛的冰盖融化速度为-27.44±0.75 Gt/a,基本与东南极的冰盖质量积累速度27.27±5.12Gt/a抵消;南极全岛冰川整体质量以-152.64±7.00 Gt/a速度消失,并以-18.85±4.87 Gt/a2的加速度加速融化,导致海平面以0.41 mm/a的速度上升。     

高分一号遥感数据在冰川变化监测中的应用

针对冰川遥感监测研究工作中存在的数据源选择问题,首次将国产高分一号卫星数据应用于祁连山系青海境内冰川动态变化监测工作.通过国产高分遥感数据与同尺度的Landsat历史数据对比,从变化面积、变化率、空间变化、类型变化、结构变化等方面阐述祁连山系冰川变化规律.研究对比表明：国产高分卫星遥感数据在采集、处理、监测冰川变化中的应用效果完全可以满足1：10万尺度的遥感调查和监测,不管是光谱信息还是纹理信息都优于ETM等中低分辨率数据;国产高分卫星的多光谱数据与Landsat、Aster等历史数据可以形成对比数据集;祁连山系冰川总体变化不大,但在内部结构与时空分布存在较大差异,冰川面积和数量呈双降态势;针对冰川的特殊性,能保证在每年的最佳季节获取最优质的遥感数据,对于时间跨度大的遥感监测目标监测具有重要意义.     

Hazardous processes and events from glacier and permafrost areas: lessons from the Chilean and Argentinean Andes

Glacier and permafrost hazards such as glacial‐lake outburst floods and rock–ice avalanches cause significant socio‐economic damages worldwide, and these processes may increase in frequency and magnitude if the atmospheric temperature rises. In the extratropical Andes nearly 200 human deaths were linked to these processes during the twentieth century. We analysed bibliographical sources and satellite images to document the glacier and permafrost dynamics that have caused socio‐economic damages in this region in historic time (including glacial lake outburst floods, ice and rock–ice avalanches and lahars) to unravel their causes and geomorphological impacts. In the extratropical Andes, at least 15 ice‐dammed lakes and 16 moraine‐dammed lakes have failed since the eighteenth century, causing dozens of floods. Some floods rank amongst the largest events ever recorded (5000 × 10⁶ m³ and 229 × 10⁶ m³, respectively). Outburst flood frequency has increased in the last three decades, partially as a consequence of long‐term (decades to centuries) climatic changes, glaciers shrinkage, and lake growth. Short‐term (days to weeks) meteorological conditions (i.e. intense and/or prolonged rainfall and high temperature that increased meltwater production) have also triggered outburst floods and mass movements. Enormous mass failures of glaciers and permafrost (> 10 × 10⁶ m³) have impacted lakes, glaciers, and snow‐covered valleys, initiating chain reactions that have ultimately resulted in lake tsunamis and far‐reaching (> 50 km) flows. The eruption of ice‐covered volcanoes has also caused dozens of damaging lahars with volumes up to 45 × 10⁶ m³. Despite the importance of these events, basic information about their occurrence (e.g. date, causes, and geomorphological impact), which is well established in other mountain ranges, is absent in the extratropical Andes. A better knowledge of the processes involved can help to forecast and mitigate these events. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于GRACE数据估计近年喜马拉雅冰川质量变化

基于CSR发布的GRACE时变重力场模型RL05数据,在频域上计算得到2002~2014年喜马拉雅山冰川质量变化。扣除GIA和水文模型影响后,喜马拉雅地区的冰川质量变化整体上呈现加速消融的趋势,消融速率约为-8.26±4.61 Gt/a,加速度约为-3.54±1.25 Gt/a2。     

近40 a来天山台兰河流域冰川资源变化分析

台兰河流域作为阿克苏河的支流,是以冰川融水补给为主的河流,流域面积为1 324 km²。结合1：5万地形图、Landsat ETM+遥感影像及数字高程模型数据,通过综合计算机自动解译及目视解译的方法,将面向对象图像特征提取方法应用到该流域冰川信息提取中,并以影像叠加数字高程模型来提取表碛覆盖区的冰川末端边界,最后参照专家指导意见进行边界的再次修订,得到1972~2011年该流域的冰川变化数据,并分析了过去近40 a来冰川变化特征及其对气候变化的响应过程。结果表明：1972~2011年,台兰河流域冰川退缩明显,冰川总面积从435.44 km²退缩到385.38 km²,减少了50.06 km²,退缩率为11.50%,年均减少约1.25 km²,平均单条冰川面积减小0.31 km²;冰川总条数从113条减少到109条,消失冰川10条,有3条冰川分离成了9条,其余100条冰川都呈减小趋势。结合阿克苏和拜城气象站气象资料分析认为,台兰河流域冰川萎缩与该地区气温快速上升关系密切,气温上升导致的冰川消融在一定程度上抵消了降水增加对冰川的补给。     

Environmental significance of snowpit chemistry in the typical monsoonal temperate glacier region,Baishui glacier no. 1, Mt Yulong,China

Samples were collected from two snowpits in Baishui glacier no. 1, Mt Yulong, China, in May 2006. Snowpit chemistry was studied, using ion tracer techniques, HYSPLIT model, factor analysis, correlation and trend analysis. It indicated that total cation concentration is higher in 4,900-m snowpit than in 4,750-m snowpit, whereas total anion concentration is higher in 4,750-m snowpit. Cations, especially Ca²⁺, dominate ionic concentrations in Baishui glacier no. 1. According to correlation analysis and factor analysis, ions can be categorized as follows: Cl⁻ and NO₃ ⁻ as Group 1, SO₄ ²⁻ as Group 2, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ as Group 3, Na⁺ as Group 4, K⁺ as Group 5. Contribution made by terrestrial dust to ionic concentration accounts for 52.27, 100, 99.36, 98.91, 96.16 and 99.97% of Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺, respectively, in 4,900-m snowpit, and for 64.00, 100, 99.57, 98.63, 96.25 and 99.97% in 4,750-m snowpit. Local dust is the principal source of snowpit chemical components. Pollutants brought from industrial areas of South Asia, Southeast Asia and South China by monsoonal circulation also makes some contribution to anion concentrations, but pollution associated with human activities makes a very slight contribution in study area. The chemical characteristics of two snowpits are different owing to the difference of deposition mechanism and local environment in different altitudes.     

光学遥感影像的山地冰川运动速度分析方法

山地冰川随着地形、气候变化等因素不断运动,及时准确的获取冰川运动速度是研究山地冰川特性以及冰川灾害预警的重要组成部分.将光学影像相关技术应用于冰川的运动监测,并在运算中提出了"移动格网"方法.选用相同区域时间序列影像,一幅影像上用格网分割冰川区域,每个小单元格在另一幅影像上根据冰川表面纹理特征进行相关分析,取相关性最大的对应单元格作为变化后的位置,两幅图像由单元格位移量计算运动速度.影像上格网逐步移动,直至完成整个冰川区域的速度解算.选用天山区域一块冰川间隔10a的光学影像,对方法进行了验证.     

百年来天山阿克苏河流域麦茨巴赫冰湖演化与冰川洪水灾害

阿克苏河源区的冰川融水和冰湖溃决洪水, 对我国境内阿克苏河乃至整个塔里木河的径流补给及下游的防洪安全都有着举足轻重的作用. 萨雷扎兹-库玛拉克河的麦茨巴赫冰川湖(Merzbacher Lake)为众多冰川湖中最大的一个, 同时又是频繁发生突发性溃决洪水的冰湖, 在1932-2008年的67 a内发生溃决突发性洪水62次, 其频率高达92.5 %以上. 随着气温的变暖, 冰川减薄后退, 冰川融水增多、 冰湖库容增加, 洪水总量在不断增大. 冰川洪水的总量已经由1960-1970年代的1×10~8m~3左右, 增加到1990年以来的3×10~8～4×1~8m~3 , 最高达5×1~8m~3 多; 年最大流量1990年代较1950年代增多37%, 洪水频率也在不断增加. 库玛拉克河流域冰川物质平衡变化也对冰湖溃决洪水影响很大, 冰川消融的越多, 产生的冰川洪水洪峰也越大. 随着全球气候进一步变暖, 将会加大下游的防洪压力. 所以, 要加强冰川消融观测及冰湖水位的监测, 建立预警系统, 进行冰湖溃决洪水预报, 为下游的防洪安全和水电安全运行提供科技支持.     

祁连山冷龙岭宁缠河3号冰川表面流速特征分析

2009年9月对祁连山冷龙岭宁缠河3号冰川外围建立控制网, 于冰川表面布设了13根标志杆, 随后分别于2010年7月、2010年9月再次对设立在冰川表面的花杆点进行测量, 获取2009/2010年度、2009年9月-2010年7月与2010年7-9月3个时段宁缠河3号冰川表面流速.结果显示: 2009/2010年度宁缠河3号冰川最大流速出现在海拔4 430 m附近, 为3.76 m·a^-1;2009年9月-2010年7月表面流速最大值出现在海拔4 430 m附近, 为0.32 m·月^-1;2010年7-9月最大流速出现在海拔4 380 m附近, 为0.47 m·月^-1.总体来看, 2009/2010年度宁缠河3号冰川纵剖面上流速变化较为缓和, 显示出流速随海拔变化而变化的规律. 但不同季节表面流速在纵剖面上的分布情况不同, 横剖面上主流线附近流速最大, 向冰川两边逐渐递减, 各观测点均平行于主流线方向向冰川末端运动, 表现出冰川运动一般规律. 在冰川表面运动速度观测区域内东南边缘流速略大于西北边缘, 同时与规模相近的冰川运动速度相比, 宁缠河3号冰川运动速度较大.