Accelerated thinning of Hei Valley No. 8 Glacier in the Tianshan Mountains, China

Abstract

Two field surveys on the thickness of Hei Valley No. 8 Glacier (H8) on the southern slope of Mount Bogda in the Tianshan (天山) Mountains using ground-penetration radar (GPR) were carried out in August 2008 and September 2009. Comparisons of the observed change in glacier thickness using GPR and ablation stakes suggest that GPR observations have high accuracy. Thus, the thickness change for H8 during 2008–2009 was estimated using GPR data. Digital elevation models obtained from topographic maps and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission were used to analyze ice-elevation changes of H8 between 1 969 and 2 000 m a.s.l.. The results show that H8 has continually thinned, and the thinning rate has increased gradually. The thinning of ablation areas of H8 increased from 0.42±0.56 m/a in 1969–2000 to 1.47±0.79 m/a in 2000–2008, and then accelerated to 1.92±0.98 m/a in 2008–2009. The retreat of the glacier terminus has had a similar pattern. The distribution of the temperate-ice zone of H8 as determined from GPR data also implies that H8 has experienced strong melting from 2008 to 2009, which indicates that temperature rises have not only enhanced glacial surface melting and prolonged melting periods, but also changed the englacial structure and increased the water content of glacier, both of which probably lead to the acceleration of glacial thinning.

Keywords

Hei Valley No. 8 Glacier (H8) / ground-penetrating radar / ice-elevation change / thinning retreat / Tianshan

References

[1] Aizen V B, Kuzmichenok V A, Surazakov A B, . Glacier Changes in the Tien Shan as Determined from Topographic and Remotely Sensed Data. Global and Planetary Change, 2007, 56(3–4): 328-340.

[2] Al-Qadi I L, Lahouar S. Measuring Layer Thicknesses with GPR-Theory to Practice. Construction and Building Materials, 2005, 19(10): 763-772.

[3] Anderson B, Lawson W, Owens L, . Past and Future Mass Balance of Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand. Journal of Glaciology, 2006, 52(179): 597-607.

[4] Andrea F. Calculation of Glacier Volume from Sparse Ice-Thickness Data, Applied to Schaufelferner, Austria. Journal of Glaciology, 2009, 55(191): 453-460.

[5] Annina S, Tobias B, Markus S, . Climate Change Impacts on Glaciers and Runoff in Tien Shan (Central Asia). Nature Climate Change, 2012, 2(10): 725-731.

[6] Bamber J L. Internal Reflecting Horizons in Spitsbergen Glaciers. Annals of Glaciology, 1987, 9: 5-10.

[7] Bennett M R, Cassidy N J, Pile J. Internal Structure of a Barrier Beach as Revealed by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): Chesil Beach, UK. Geomorphology, 2009, 104(3–4): 218-229.

[8] Bhosle B, Parkash B, Awasthi A K, . Remote Sensing-GIS and GPR Studies of Two Active Faults, Western Gangetic Plains, India. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 2007, 61(2): 155-164.

[9] Binder D, Bruckl E, Roch K H, . Determination of Total Ice Volume and Ice-Thickness Distribution of Two Glaciers in the Hohe Tauern Region, Eastern Alps, from GPR Data. Annals of Glaciology, 2009, 50(51): 71-79.

[10] Björnsson H, Gjessing Y, Hamran S E, . The Thermal Regime of Sub-Polar Glaciers Mapped by Multi-Frequency Radio-Echo Sounding. Journal of Glaciology, 1996, 42(140): 23-32.

[11] Braithwaite R J. Glacier Mass Balance: The First 50 Years of International Monitoring. Progress in Physical Geography, 2002, 26(1): 76-95.

[12] Brandt O, Langley K, Kohler J, . Detection of Buried Ice and Sediment Layers in Permafrost Using Multi-Frequency Ground Penetrating Radar: a Caseexamination on Svalbard. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2007, 111(2–3): 212-227.

[13] Cannone N, Diolaiuti G, Guglielmin M, . Accelerating Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Glacier Forefield Ecosystems in the European Alps. Ecological Applications, 2008, 18(3): 637-648.

[14] Christoph S, Michael S, César A, . Glacier Inventory of the Gran Campo Nevado Ice Cap in the Southern Andes and Glacier Changes Observed during Recent Decades. Global and Planetary Change, 2007, 59(1–4): 87-100.

[15] Clarke G, Goodman R. Radio Echo Soundings and Ice-Temperature Measurements in a Surge-Type Glacier. Journal of Glaciology, 1975, 14(70): 71-78.

[16] Clark D H, Clark M M, Gillespie A. Debris-Covered Glaciers in the Sierra Nevada, California, and Their Implications for Snowline Reconstructions. Quaternary Research, 1994, 41(2): 139-153.

[17] Ding Y J, Liu S Y, Li J, . The Retreat of Glaciers in Response to Recent Climate Warming in Western China. Ann. Glaciol., 2006, 43(1): 97-105.

[18] Dowdeswell J A, Evans S. Investigations of the Form and Flow of Ice Sheets Using Radio Echo-Sounding. Rep. Prog. Phys., 2004, 67(10): 1821-1861.

[19] Etzelmüller B, Vatne G, Degard R S. Mass Balance Changes of Surface Slope, Crevasse and Flow Pattern of Erikbreen, Northern Spitsbergen: An Application of a Geographical Information System. Polar Research, 1993, 12(2): 131-146.

[20] Gogineni S, Tammana D, Braaten D, . Coherent Radar Ice Thickness Measurements over the Greenland Ice Sheet. Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, 2001, 106(24): 33761-33772.

[21] Genthon C, Krinner G, Castebrunet H, . Antarctic Precipitation and Climate-Change Predictions: Horizontal Resolution and Margin Vs Plateau Issues. Annals of Glaciology, 2009, 50(50): 55-60.

[22] Goodsell B M, Hambrey M J, Glasser N F, . Debris Transport in a Temperate Valley Glacier: Haut Glacier D’Arolla, Valais, Switzerland. Journal of Glaciology, 2005, 51(172): 139-146.

[23] Han H, Liu S, Wang J, . Glacial Runoff Characteristics of the Koxkar Glacier, Tuomuer-Khan Tengri Mountain Ranges, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 2010, 61(4): 665-674.

[24] Hu X G, Li N J. A Stochastic Meltwater Runoff Model of Heigou Glacier No. 8 in the Southern Slope of Mt. Bogda. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 1989, 11(3): 91-98.

[25] Hu X G, Li N J, Deng S M. Glacier Meltwater Runoff on the South Slope of the Bogeda Mt—Taking the Heigou as an Example. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 1990, 12(1): 71-82.

[26] Irvine-Fynn T D L, Moorman B J, Williams J L M, . Seasonal Changes in Ground Penetrating Radar Signature Observed at a Polythermal Glacier, Bylot Island, Canada. Earth Surface Process and Landforms, 2006, 31(7): 892-909.

[27] J. Geophys. Res., 2008, 113 D8

[28] Kaab A. Combination of SRTM3 and Repeat ASTER Data for Deriving Alpine Glacier Flow Velocities in the Bhutan Himalaya. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2005, 94(4): 463-474.

[29] Kaser G J, Cogley M B, Dyurgerov M F, . Mass Balance of Glaciers and Ice Caps: Consensus Estimates for 1961–2004. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2006, 33 19 L19501

[30] Kotlyakov V M, Macheret Y Y. Radio Echo-Sounding of Sub-Polar Glaciers in Svalbard: Some Problems and Results of Soviet Studies. Journal of Glaciology, 1987, 9: 151-159.

[31] Kutuzov S, Shahgedanova M. Glacier Retreat and Climatic Variability in the Eastern Terskey-Alatoo, Inner Tien Shan between the Middle of the 19th Century and Beginning of the 21st Century. Global and Planetary Change, 2009, 69(1): 59-70.

[32] Li Z Q, Shen Y P, Wang F T, . Response of Glacier Melting to Climate Change—Take Urumqi Glacier No. 1 as an Example. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 2007, 29(3): 333-342.

[33] Lioubimtseva E, Cole R. Impacts of Climate and Land-Cover Changes in Arid Lands of Central Asia. Journal of Arid Environments, 2005, 62(2): 285-308.

[34] Liu Q, Liu S Y, Zhang Y, . Recent Shrinkage and Hydrological Response of Hailuogou Glacier, a Monsoon Temperate Glacier on the East Slope of Mount Gongga, China. Journal of Glaciology, 2010, 56(196): 215-224.

[35] Liu S Y, Sun W X, Shen Y e a1. Glacier Changes since the Little Ice Age Maximum in the Western Qilian Mountains, Northwest China. Journal of Glaciology, 2003, 49(164): 117-124.

[36] Macheret Y Y, Zhuravlev A B. Velocity of Radio Waves in Glaciers as an Indicator of Their Hydrothermal State, Structure and Regime. Journal of Glaciology, 1993, 39(132): 373-384.

[37] Meier M K, Dyurgerov U K, Rick S, . Glaciers Dominate Eustatic Sea-Level Rise in the 21st Century. Science, 2007, 317(5481): 1064-1067.

[38] Moore J C, Mulvaney R, Paren J G. Dielectric Stratigraphy of Ice: A New Technique for Determining Total Ionic Concentrations in Polar Ice Cores. Geophys. Res. Lett., 1989, 16(10): 1177-1180.

[39] Moore J C, Palli A, Ludwig F, . High-Resolution Hydrothermal Structure of Hansbreen, Spitsbergen, Mapped by Ground-Penetrating Radar. Journal of Glaciology, 1999, 45(151): 524-532.

[40] Moorman B J, Michel F A. Glacial Hydrological System Characterization Using Ground Penetrating Radar. Hydrological Processes, 2000, 14(15): 2645-2667.

[41] Murray T, Stuart G W, Fry M, . Englacial Water Distribution in a Temperate Glacier from Surface and Borehole Radar Velocity Analysis. Journal of Glaciology, 2000, 46(154): 389-398.

[42] Oerlemans J. Extracting a Climate Signal from 169 Glacier Records. Science, 2005, 308(5722): 675-677.

[43] Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 2003, 108 F1

[44] Plewes L A, Hubbard B. A Review of the Use of Radio-Echo Sounding in Glaciology. Progress in Physical Geography, 2001, 25(2): 203-236.

[45] Rippin D, Willis I, Arnold N, . Changes in Geometry and Subglacial Drainage of Midre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, Determined from Digital Eevation Models. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 2003, 28(3): 273-298.

[46] Rivera A, Casassa G, Bamber J, . Ice-Elevation Changes of Glaciar Chico, Southern Patagonia, Using ASTER DEMs, Aerial Photographs and GPS data. Journal of Glaciology, 2005, 51(172): 105-112.

[47] Shangguan D H, Liu S Y, Ding Y J, . Glacier Changes during the Last Forty Years in the Tarim Interior River Basin, Northwest China. Progress in Natural Science, 2009, 19(6): 727-732.

[48] Shangguan D H, Liu S Y, Ding Y J, . Changes in the Elevation and Extent of Two Glaciers along the Yanglonghe River, Qilian Mountains, China. Journal of Glaciology, 2010, 56(196): 309-317.

[49] Su Z, Shi Y F. Response of Monsoonal Temperate Glaciers to Global Warming since the Little Ice Age. Quaternary International, 2002, 97–98: 123-131.

[50] Vincent C. Influence of Climate Change over the 20^th Century on Four French Glacier Mass Balances. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2002, 107(D19): 1-12.

[51] Wang P Y, Li Z Q, Li H L, . Ice Surface-Elevation Change and Velocity of Qingbingtan Glacier No. 72 in the Tomor Region, Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia. Journal of Mountain Science, 2011, 8(6): 855-864.

[52] Wang Y, Hou S, Liu Y P. Glacier Changes in the Karlik Shan, Eastern Tien Shan, during 1971/72–2001/02. Annals of Glaciology, 2010, 50(53): 39-45.

[53] Welch B C, Pfeffer W T, Harper J T, . Mapping Subglacial Surfaces of Temperate Valley Glaciers by Two-Pass Migration of a Radio-Echo Sounding Survey. Journal of Glaciology, 1998, 44(146): 164-170.

[54] Xie C W, Ding Y J, Chen C P, . Study on the Chang of Koxkar Glacier during the Last 30 Years, Mt. Tuomuer, Western China. Environ. Geol., 2007, 51(6): 1165-1170.

[55] Yao T D, Wang Y Q, Liu S Y. Recent Retreat of High Asian Glaciers and the Impact to Water Resource of Northwest China. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences, 2004, 34(6): 535-543.

[56] Zhang Y, Liu S Y, Shangguan D H, . Study of the Positive Degree 2 day Factors on the Koxkar Glacier on the South Slope of Tianshan Mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 2005, 27(3): 337-343.

[57] Zhang Y, Fujita K, Liu S Y, . Multi-Decadal Ice-Velocity and Elevation Changes of a Monsoonal Maritime Glacier: Hailuogou Glacier, China. Journal of Glaciology, 2010, 56(195): 65-74.