The response of lake-glacier variations to climate change in Nam Co Catchment, central Tibetan Plateau, during 1970–2000

Based upon the 1970 aero-photo topographic map, and TM/ETM satellite images taken in 1991 and 2000, the authors artificially interpreted boundaries of lake and glaciers in Nam Co Catchment, and quantified lake-glacier area variations in different stages by “inte-grated method” with the support of GIS. Results show that from 1970 to 2000, lake area in-creased from 1942.34 km2 to 1979.79 km2 at a rate of 1.27 km2/a, while glacier area de-creased from 167.62 km2 to 141.88 km2 at a rate of 0.86 km2/a. The increasing rate of lake in 1991–2000 was 1.76 km2/a that was faster than 1.03 km2/a in 1970–1991, while in the same period of time, the shrinking rates of glaciers were 0.97 km2/a and 0.80 km2/a respectively. Important factors, relevant to lake and glacier response to the climate, such as air tempera-ture, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration and their values in warm and cold seasons, were discussed. The result suggests that temperature increasing is the main reason for the accelerated melting of glaciers. Lake expansion is mainly induced by the increase of the gla-cier melting water, increase of precipitation and obvious decrease of potential evapotranspi-ration. Precipitation, evaporation and their linkages with lake enlargement on regional scale need to be thoroughly studied under the background of global warming and glacier retreating.     

ENDOLITHIC LICHENS,RAPID BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING AND SCHMIDT HAMMER R‐VALUES ON RECENTLY EXPOSED ROCK SURFACES: STORBREEN GLACIER FORELAND,JOTUNHEIMEN, NORWAY

The endolithic lichen Lecidea auriculata is known to enhance rock surface weathering on the Little Ice Age moraines of the glacier Storbreen in Jotunheimen, central southern Norway. This study demonstrates the reduction in Schmidt hammer Rvalues that followed the rapid colonization by this lichen of pyroxene‐granulite boulders on terrain deglaciated over the last 88 years. In the absence of this lichen, the characteristic mean R‐value of boulder surfaces is 61.0 ± 0.3; where this lichen is present, R‐values are lower by at least 20 units on surfaces exposed for 30–40 years. A similar reduction in rock hardness on rock surfaces without a lichen cover requires about 10 ka. The rapid initial weakening of the rock surfaces is indicative of rates of biological weathering by endolithic lichens that may be two orders of magnitude (200–300 times) faster than rates of physico‐chemical weathering alone. If not avoided, the effects of this type of lichen are likely to negate the effectiveness of the Schmidt hammer and other methods for exposure‐age dating, including cosmogenic‐nuclide dating, in severe alpine and polar periglacial environments. The results also suggest a new method for dating rock surfaces exposed for <50 years.     

1968-2009年叶尔羌河流域冰川变化——基于第一、二次中国冰川编目数据

利用"中国冰川资源及其变化调查"项目最新冰川编目成果和中国第一次冰川编目结果, 对中国叶尔羌河流域1968-2009年冰川变化进行了分析. 结果表明:叶尔羌河流域冰川总体上处于退缩状态, 面积减少了927 km², 年平均面积减少23.2 km², 年均面积缩小比例为0.36%·a^-1, 与中国其他地区冰川退缩程度相比属于中等水平. 叶尔羌河流域不同规模冰川的退缩幅度存在差异, 小冰川大幅萎缩, 甚至消失; 规模较大的冰川相对变化幅度较小, 一些冰川出现过跃动. 从朝向分布来看, 位于南坡的冰川退缩最为严重, 而西坡较小. 冰川集中分布在海拔5 100~5 500 m和5 500~5 900 m区间, 海拔4 700~5 100 m区间的冰川面积减少最为显著. 消失冰川大多数为面积在0.2~0.5 km²的小冰川, 且朝向东北坡的冰川消失数量最多. 研究区有冰川分裂现象, 也出现了支冰川前进超覆现象, 统计表明该流域有13条冰川在前进后形成6条冰川. 1968-2009年研究区气温升高、降水增加, 总体上看, 降水增加缓解了因升温而导致的冰川退缩.     

近40a来基于树轮年代学的梅里雪山明永冰川变化研究

由于冰川观测资料在时空分布上的匮乏,关于梅里雪山地区冰川进退的研究很少,限制了对本区冰川进退的时间和规模及其与气候间相关性的等方面的认知. 树轮年代学方法作为冰川进退历史定年的有效手段,在世界上已经被广泛采用. 通过对采自冰川末端冰碛上的树轮样本进行分析,利用GIS结合地形图与野外GPS点冰川边界确定,研究和分析了明永冰川年近40a来的冰川进退变化. 为进一步的树轮冰川学研究提供支持,也为预估未来变化趋势提供重要的科学基本数据.     

Mountain Glacier Flow Velocities Analyzed from Satellite Optical Images

Mountain glaciers are sensitive to environment. It is important to acquire ice flow velocities over time for glacier research and hazard forecast. For this paper, cross-correlating of optical images is used to monitor ice flow velocities, and an improvement, which is called ＂moving grid,＂ is made to this method. For this research, two remote-sensing images in a certain glacier area, dur-ing different times are selected. The first image is divided into grids, and we calculated the correlation coefficient of each window in the grid with the window on the second image. The window with the highest correlation coefficient is considered the counter-part one on the first image. The displacement of the two corresponding windows is the movement of the glacier, and it is used to calculate glacier surface velocity. Compared to the traditional way of dividing an image with ascertain grid, this method uses small steps to move the grid from one location to another adjacent location until the whole glacier area is covered in the image, thus in-creasing corresponding point density. We selected a glacier in the Tianshan Mountains for this experiment and used two re-mote-sensing images with a 10-year interval to determine this method.     

面向对象的极高海拔区水体及冰川信息提取——以珠穆朗玛峰国家级自然保护区核心区为例

极高海拔地区多为河流发源、冰川发育地,由于地形起伏强烈,且野外考察验证工作困难,传统的遥感信息提取方法很难保证该地区水体及冰川的提取精度。本文基于ASTER影像,运用面向对象的图像信息自动分析方法,对珠穆朗玛峰国家级自然保护区核心区的水体及冰川信息进行了提取研究。为保证信息提取的准确度,将数字高程模型(DEM)及其衍生数据(坡度、坡向),归一化植被指数(NDVI)数据,及有助于区分水体、冰川与其他地物的相关指数(冰雪指数NDSII)及波段运算结果(b1-b3)、(b3/b4)等,分别作为一个波段叠加到原始图像中,使之成为对目标地物光谱特征的有益补充。并对不同类型的水体及冰川进行多级、多尺度分割,以满足其对分割尺度的不同要求。分割完成后,综合考虑目标地物的光谱特征、纹理特征、空间结构特征,根据各特征指数的直方图信息,设定合适的阈值,建立了各水体及冰川类型信息提取的知识规则,并结合实地调查对信息提取的精度进行验证,改进了ASTER遥感影像自动快速提取极高海拔区水体及冰川信息的实用模型。     

The structural,geometric and volumetric changes of a polythermal Arctic glacier during a surge cycle: Comfortlessbreen,Svalbard

Various parameters of the most recent surge of the polythermal glacier Comfortlessbreen in northwest Svalbard, have been assessed through a combination of remote sensing and ground observations. Analysis of a digital elevation model time‐series shows a marked change in the geometry of the glacier from quiescence (1990 and earlier) into the late surge phase (2009). The transfer of 0.74 km³ of ice caused up to 80 m of surface drawdown in the reservoir area, above the equilibrium line, whilst ice built up in a spatially concentrated manner in the receiving zone, below the equilibrium line. A ramp of ice, c. 100 m above quiescent level, developed in the lower reaches of the glacier late in the surge. Also in the lower reaches of the glacier, structures attributable to the passage of a kinematic wave are identified and the migration of a surge front on the glacier is thus inferred. In a conceptual model, we consider that a bend in the valley, in which the glacier resides, and convergence with tributary glaciers, to be significant factors in the style of surge evolution. Their flow‐restrictive interference results in slow initial mass‐transfer and the growth of a surge front within 3–4 km of the terminus. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青藏高原冰川演变与生态地质环境响应

利用青藏高原现代冰川雪线的遥感调查与监测结果,对青藏高原40多年来由于现代冰川雪线的变化而引发的水资源、冻土、荒漠化、湿地、湖泊、地质灾害、海平面上升以及地震等生态地质环境问题进行了分析,并对可能产生的生态环境和气候问题进行了初步探讨。