Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains

Jizu Chen; Xiang Qin; Shichang Kang; Wentao Du; Weijun Sun; Yushuo Liu

doi:10.1007/s12583-019-1238-5

Volume 31 Issue 2

Apr 2020

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Journal of Earth Science > 2020 > 31(2): 410-418.

Jizu Chen, Xiang Qin, Shichang Kang, Wentao Du, Weijun Sun, Yushuo Liu. Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains. Journal of Earth Science, 2020, 31(2): 410-418. doi: 10.1007/s12583-019-1238-5

Citation:

Jizu Chen, Xiang Qin, Shichang Kang, Wentao Du, Weijun Sun, Yushuo Liu. Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains. Journal of Earth Science, 2020, 31(2): 410-418. doi: 10.1007/s12583-019-1238-5

Citation:

Jizu Chen, Xiang Qin, Shichang Kang, Wentao Du, Weijun Sun, Yushuo Liu. Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains. Journal of Earth Science, 2020, 31(2): 410-418. doi: 10.1007/s12583-019-1238-5

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Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains

doi: 10.1007/s12583-019-1238-5

1.
Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China
2.
CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
3.
College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China

Funds:

the Science and Technology planning Project of Gansu Province 18JR4RA002

the Open Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering 2017490711

the Chinese Academy of Sciences QYZDJ-SSW-DQC039

the Project of the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences SKLCS-OP-2019-01

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 41630754

the Project of the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences SKLCS-OP-2018-06

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 41721091

More Information

Corresponding author: Wentao Du
Received Date: 01 Mar 2019
Accepted Date: 05 Sep 2019
Publish Date: 01 Feb 2020

Abstract

Abstract

This study reconstructed the annual mass balance (MB) of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 in the western Qilian Mountains during 1961-2015. The annual MB was calculated based on a temperature-index and an accumulation model with inputs of daily air temperature and precipitation recorded by surrounding meteorological stations. The model was calibrated by in-situ MB measurements conducted on the glacier during 2010-2015. Change in constructed annual MB had three phases. During Phase Ⅰ (1961-1984),glacier-wide MB values were slightly positive with an average MB of 24±276 mm w.e. (water equivalent). During Phase Ⅱ (1984-1995),the MB values became slightly negative with an average MB of -50±276 mm w.e.. The most negative MB values were found during Phase Ⅲ (1996-2015),with an average MB of -377±276 mm w.e. Climatic analysis showed that the warming led to accelerated glacier mass loss despite a persistent increase of precipitation during the analysis period. However,an increase of black carbon deposited on the glacier surface since the 1980s could have contributed to intensified glacier melt. From simulations and measurements of MB on the Urumqi Glacier No. 1,26% of glacier melt caused by black carbon could be identified.
- Laohugou Glacier No. 12,
- climate change,
- temperature-index model,
- mass balance,
- black carbon

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References(58)

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Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains

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Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains

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