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Volume 22 Issue 4
Aug 2011
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Journal of Earth Science  > 2011  >  22(4): 539-548.
Puyu Wang, Zhongqin Li, Wenyu Gao. Rapid Shrinking of Glaciers in the Middle Qilian Mountain Region of Northwest China during the Last ~50 Years. Journal of Earth Science, 2011, 22(4): 539-548. doi: 10.1007/s12583-011-0195-4
Citation: Puyu Wang, Zhongqin Li, Wenyu Gao. Rapid Shrinking of Glaciers in the Middle Qilian Mountain Region of Northwest China during the Last ~50 Years. Journal of Earth Science, 2011, 22(4): 539-548. doi: 10.1007/s12583-011-0195-4
shu

Rapid Shrinking of Glaciers in the Middle Qilian Mountain Region of Northwest China during the Last ~50 Years

doi: 10.1007/s12583-011-0195-4
  • 1.

    State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences/Tien Shan Glaciological Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China

  • 2.

    College of Geography and Environment Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

  • 3.

    College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Funds:

the National Basic Research Program of China 2010CB951003

the National Basic Research Program of China 2007CB411501

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 91025012

the National Natural Science Foundation of China J0930003/J0109

More Information
  • Corresponding author: Puyu Wang, wangpuyu862@163.com
  • Received Date: 28 Sep 2010
  • Accepted Date: 30 Dec 2010
  • Publish Date: 01 Aug 2011
    Abstract
  • During the past five decades, fluctuations of glaciers were reconstructed from historical documents, aerial photographs, and remote sensing data. From 1956 to 2003, 910 glaciers investigated had reduced in area by 21.7% of the 1956 value, with a mean reduction for the individual glacier of 0.10 km2. The relative area reductions of small glaciers were usually higher than those of large ones, which exhibited larger absolute loss, indicating that the small glaciers were more sensitive to climate change than large ones. Over the past ~50 years, glacier area decreased by 29.6% in the Heihe (黑河) River basin and 18.7% in the Beidahe (北大河) River basin, which were the two regions investigated in the Middle Qilian (祁连) Mountain region. Compared with other areas of the Qilian Mountain region, the most dramatic glacier shrinkage had occurred in the Middle Qilian Mountain region, mainly resulting from rapid rising temperatures. Regional differences in glacier area changes are related to local climate conditions, the relative proportion of glaciers in different size classes, and other factors.

     

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