Vulnerability of glacier change in the Tianshan Mountains region of China

The glacier is a crucial freshwater resource in arid and semiarid regions,and the vulnerability of the glacier change is intimately linked to regional ecological services and so-cio-economic sustainability.Taking the Tianshan Mountains region in China as an example,a basic framework for studying the vulnerability of glacier change was constructed so as to address factors such as physical geography,population status,socio-economic level,agri-cultural development,and social services.The framework was based on key dimensions,that is,exposure,sensitivity,and adaptability,and this constituted a targeted evaluation index system.We examined the spatial structure and spatial autocorrelation of the glacier change vulnerability using ArcGIS and GeoDa software.The influence and interaction of natural,so-cial,economic,population and other factors on glacier change adaptability was examined using the GeoDetector model.The results suggested the following:(1) The vulnerability level decreased from the western region to the eastern region with significant differences between the two regions.The eastern region had the lowest vulnerability,followed by the central re-gion,and then western region which had the highest vulnerability.(2) Significant positive and negative correlations were found between exposure,sensitivity,and adaptability,indicating that the areas with high exposure and high sensitivity to glacier change tended to have a low adaptive capacity,which led to high vulnerability,and vice versa.(3) The spatial heterogeneity regarding the ability to cope with glacier change reflected the combined effects of the natural,social,economic,and demographic factors.Among them,factors such as the production value of secondary and tertiary industries,the urban population,urban fixed-asset investment,and the number of employees played major roles regarding the spatial heterogeneity of glacier change.     

Quantitative evaluation of different hydrological modelling approaches in a partly glacierized Swiss watershed

Mountain water resources management often requires hydrological models that need to handle both snow and ice melt. In this study, we compared two different model types for a partly glacierized watershed in central Switzerland: (1) an energy‐balance model primarily designed for snow simulations; and (2) a temperature‐index model developed for glacier simulations. The models were forced with data extrapolated from long‐term measurement records to mimic the typical input data situation for climate change assessments. By using different methods to distribute precipitation, we also assessed how various snow cover patterns influenced the modelled runoff. The energy‐balance model provided accurate discharge estimations during periods dominated by snow melt, but dropped in performance during the glacier ablation season. The glacier melt rates were sensitive to the modelled snow cover patterns and to the parameterization of turbulent heat fluxes. In contrast, the temperature‐index model poorly reproduced snow melt runoff, but provided accurate discharge estimations during the periods dominated by glacier ablation, almost independently of the method used to distribute precipitation. Apparently, the calibration of this model compensated for the inaccurate precipitation input with biased parameters. Our results show that accurate estimates of snow cover patterns are needed either to correctly constrain the melt parameters of the temperature‐index model or to ensure appropriate glacier surface albedos required by the energy‐balance model. Thus, particularly when only distant meteorological stations are available, carefully selected input data and efficient extrapolation methods of meteorological variables improve the reliability of runoff simulations in high alpine watersheds. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川物质平衡对比研究——以天山和阿尔卑斯山典型冰川为例

物质平衡是冰川对气候变化最直接的响应,是冰川变化的重要参数.大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川发育在不同的水热环境下,它们对气候变化的响应程度、过程和机理存在很大差异,因此在全球变暖背景下对这两类不同性质冰川物质平衡变化特征及其机理做一全面的对比研究意义重大.以东、西天山的乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川和图尤克苏冰川以及阿尔卑斯山东、中、西部的欣特雷斯冰川、Caresèr冰川和Sarennes冰川为参照冰川,在对比分析这五条参照冰川近60 a来物质平衡变化幅度差异和阶段性差异基础上,对大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川物质平衡变化特征及其机理进行了对比研究.结果表明:在物质平衡阶段性变化上,阿尔卑斯山参照冰川物质平衡变化具有相似的阶段性,而天山和阿尔卑斯山参照冰川之间以及天山内部两条参照冰川之间物质平衡阶段性变化存在很大的差异,可见,无论不同性质冰川还是同一性质的不同冰川,其物质平衡的阶段性变化都可能存在差异,这与不同冰川所处环境水热变化的时间差异有关,而与冰川性质无关;在物质平衡变化幅度上,海洋型冰川变化幅度明显大于大陆型冰川,原因是不同性质冰川发育的水热环境及其对气候变化敏感性差异;在前人对冰川加速消融机理的研究基础上,本文也讨论了大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川物质平衡变化的机理及其异同.     

A multi‐dimensional analysis of pro‐glacial landscape change at Sólheimajökull,southern Iceland

Pro‐glacial landscapes are some of the most active on Earth. Previous studies of pro‐glacial landscape change have often been restricted to considering either sedimentological, geomorphological or topographic parameters in isolation and are often mono‐dimensional. This study utilized field surveys and digital elevation model (DEM) analyses to quantify planform, elevation and volumetric pro‐glacial landscape change at Sólheimajökull in southern Iceland for multiple time periods spanning from 1960 to 2010. As expected, the most intense geomorphological changes persistently occurred in the ice‐proximal area. During 1960 to 1996 the pro‐glacial river was relatively stable. However, after 2001 braiding intensity was higher, channel slope shallower and there was a shift from overall incision to aggradation. Attributing these pro‐glacial river channel changes to the 1999 jökulhlaup is ambiguous because it coincided with a switch from a period of glacier advance to that of glacier retreat. Furthermore, glacier retreat (of ~40 m yr^?1) coincided with ice‐marginal lake development and these two factors have both altered the pro‐glacial river channel head elevation. From 2001 to 2010 progressive increase in channel braiding and progressive downstream incision occurred; these together probably reflecting stream power due to increased glacier ablation and reduced sediment supply due to trapping of sediment by the developing ice‐marginal lake. Overall, this study highlights rapid spatiotemporal pro‐glacial landscape reactions to changes in glacial meltwater runoff regimes, glacier terminus position, sediment supply and episodic events such as jökuhlaups. Recognizing the interplay of these controlling factors on pro‐glacial landscapes will be important for understanding the geological record and for landscape stability assessments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of glacier advance on the development of the multipart Riffeltal rock glacier,Central Austrian Alps

The multipart Riffeltal rock glacier, located in a tributary valley of the Kaunertal, Tyrol, Austria is investigated to enlarge the knowledge about spatial and temporal development of rock glaciers in and at the margins of pro‐glacial areas and to get a better understanding of glacier–rock glacier interactions. The subject of interest consists of a complex system of two adjacent rock glacier tongues and various superposed lobes with differing ages, origin and root zones, and therefore diverse development. To determine the reasons for their diverging development, the internal structure and permafrost occurrence on and in the surrounding area of the rock glacier were studied by application of geomorphological mapping, geophysical methods and measurement of the basal temperature of the winter snow cover (BTS). Permafrost modelling was performed on the basis of BTS data and land surface parameters derived from a high resolution airborne laser scanning (ALS) digital elevation model (DEM). Additionally, the ALS data were used to measure vertical and horizontal changes of the rock glacier surface between 2006 and 2012. Glacier–rock glacier interactions during and since the Little Ice Age (LIA) are evident for the development of the studied rock glacier. A geomorphic map gives important information about the connection between glacial advance or retreat and permafrost or ground ice occurrence. The combination of all information helps in the analysis of diverse kinematic action of neighbouring rock glacier tongues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

四川螺髻山清水沟冰川槽谷演化及其影响因素

螺髻山地处青藏高原东南缘,是确切存在第四纪古冰川遗迹的典型山地之一,该区冰川地貌演化对于研究环境变化具有重要的科学意义。螺髻山东坡清水沟保存两套古冰川槽谷,分别为上槽谷和下槽谷,其中下槽谷保存完整,而上槽谷在3450~3600 m的阴坡部分出现缺失。采用野外地貌调查与模型分析相结合的方法,对冰川槽谷地貌进行分析,结果表明:清水沟槽谷的抛物线模型中,|A|值在1.3101~15.2064 之间变动,B 值变化于0.9695~3.2965 之间,且随着海拔由高到低,都存在着先变小后变大的规律,A、B值同时反映出在海拔3450~3600 m处冰川槽谷的演化不符合常态。分析认为岩性差异和河流溯源侵蚀是影响上槽谷形态的主要原因。对保存在清水沟上下槽谷内的高、低侧碛进行ESR年代测定,结果显示:高侧碛形成于58-84 ka BP左右的末次冰期早期,对应深海氧同位素4 阶段(MIS4);低侧碛形成于13-17 ka BP,属于于全球末次冰盛期晚期的产物。两次冰川作用分别塑造出两套冰川槽谷,即在末次冰期早期冰川作用形成上槽谷,末次冰期晚期形成下槽谷。     

近20 a来玛纳斯河流域南山冰雪动态变化特征分析

利用1990-2010年的TM影像和DEM数据,通过面向对象的分类方法提取了玛纳斯河流域南山4个时期的冰雪分布信息,并结合近20 a（1987-2007年）的气温资料对研究区冰雪时空分布特征和变化原因进行了研究。结果表明：（1）1990-2010年间,研究区冰雪面积从1442.32 km²退缩到710.54 km²,面积减少了50.7%。（2）1990-2010年间,冰雪变化主要呈现退缩的态势,尤其在海拔4000 m以下,面积减少更为剧烈,在海拔4000 m以上相对平缓。这种现象在研究区东区表现的更为明显,西区相对较小。（3）自1987年以来,气温的升高是冰雪面积不断退缩的主要原因之一。     

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。     

冰川系统高度结构计算研究--以塔里木盆地水系冰川为例

冰川面积随高度的分布(即高度结构)具有重要的水文学及冰川学意义. 在分析中低纬冰川作用区(冰川系统)特征的基础上,着眼于特定冰川系统的全体, 依托概率理论, 提出计算冰川系统高度结构的统计学公式. 与普遍使用的经验公式相比, 它具有计算所需参数少, 结果不存在系统误差的特点, 并且二者计算结果的总差异程度在0.1～0.3之间. 用内天山的实测资料验证显示, 统计学公式计算的结果与实测值的总的差异程度仅为0.045.     

水文模型在估算冰川径流研究中的应用现状

冰川径流估算是气候变化风险评估和水资源可持续管理的重要内容.冰川径流估算方法主要包括:直接观测法、冰川物质平衡法、水量平衡方程法、水化学示踪法和水文模型法.本文首先对五种方法的应用情况进行简要总结,进而重点阐述水文模型法在估算冰川径流研究中的应用现状.水文模型法是冰川径流估算研究中使用最频繁的方法,使用方式主要包括耦合冰川模块和开发新的冰川水文模型.冰川水文模型中的消融算法主要包括温度指数模型(度日因子法)、修正的温度指数模型、能量平衡模型.受当前观测条件限制,修正的温度指数模型兼顾能量平衡模型和温度指数模型的优势而成为冰川水文模型中最流行的方法.随着学科的发展进步,能量平衡模型与水文模型的耦合将会成为未来的研究重点,发展大尺度分布式冰川水文模型是冰川水文学的未来发展方向之一.