1959-2013年中国境内萨吾尔山冰川变化特征

萨吾尔山冰川条数少,中国冰川编目将萨吾尔山南北坡的冰川分别附入了天山和阿尔泰山区的冰川,不便于冰川变化研究,因此应给予其特殊考虑.鉴于前人工作中鲜有涉及该区的冰川研究,以萨吾尔山区冰川为研究对象,利用地形图、冰川编目数据以及Landsat遥感影像数据结合实测探地雷达数据,分析萨吾尔山地区冰川变化特征.通过目视解译结合野外实地观测的方法,得到1959-2013年该区的冰川变化特征.结果表明:总体上,萨吾尔山冰川持续退缩明显,1959-2013年中国境内的冰川面积由17.69 km²退缩为10.13 km²,退缩率42.74%,平均每年退缩0.14 km²;萨吾尔山北坡的冰川退缩率为37.57%,南坡退缩率为72.69%,南坡冰川退缩率基本为北坡的两倍.分析认为,南坡冰川退缩率较高的原因除了与坡向因素有关外,单条冰川面积大小是该差异的主要影响因素;基于木斯岛冰川探地雷达测厚结果,对该冰川体积进行了初步估算并与1959年地形图估算出的体积进行对比,发现该冰川体积减少约44.6%.

Variation of glaciers in the Sawuer Mountain within Chinese territory during 1959-2013

As the number of glaciers in the Sawuer Mountain(Muz Taw Mountain range) was small, glaciers located at the north and south slopes were divided into the Altai Mountains and the Tianshan Mountains by "Glacier Inventory of China", respectively. Therefore, it is difficult to study the glacier change information, should be given special consideration. In this study, topographic maps, Landsat images, digital elevation model and ground penetrating radar(GPR) data were used to study the glacier variation. Through visual interpretation and interpolation method, glacierized area and glacier length changes were extracted, and the Muz Taw Glacier thickness distribution was also obtained. The results show that:(1) during 1959-2013, glaciers had retreated evidently, glacierized area had shrunk from 17.69 km² to 10.13 km², with a retreating rate of 42.74%, and an annual retreating rate of 0.14 km²·a^-1approximately;(2) the retreating rate was 37.57% on north slopes and 72.69% on the south slopes, depending on slope aspect and glacierized area;(3) based on the GPR data, it is found that the Muz Taw Glacier volume had decreased by 44.6% as compared with the estimated glacier volume from the topographic map in 1959.