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Variations of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 in the western Qilian Mountains, China, from 1957 to 2015

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Abstract

Glaciers were solid reservoirs and important water resources in western China, but they were retreating significantly in context of global warming. Laohugou Glacier No. 12 was the largest valley glacier in Qilian Mountains. In this study, realtime kinematic (RTK) data, topographic map and WorldView-2 satellite imagery were used to measure changes in terminus, extent and volume of Laohugou Glacier No. 12. Results showed that Laohugou Glacier No. 12 was shrinking significantly since 1957. From 1960 to 2015, the terminus reduction of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 was 402.96 m (3.99%) in total, and glacier length decreased to 9.7 km from 10.1 km. Reduction of glacier area and volume were the most obvious. From 1957 to 2015, glacier area and volume decreased by 1.54 km2 (7.03%) and 0.1816 km3, respectively. Reduction trend of terminus and area was slowing in 1950 -1980s, even stable for a period in the mid-1980s, and then accelerated. Ice core analysis result and nearly meteorological station data shown an increasing trend of temperature in 1957 -2015, it was a main reason of continuous retreating of Laohugou Glacier No.12.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Foundational Scientific and Technological Work Programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (grant No. 2013FY111400), the Project from the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences (grant No. SKLCS-ZZ-2017) and the National Key Geographic Conditions Monitoring: The Project of Basic National Geographical Conditions Monitoring in 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China

    Yu-shuo Liu, Xiang Qin, Ji-zu Chen, Wen-tao Du & Wan-qin Guo

  2. Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China

    Yu-shuo Liu, Xiang Qin, Ji-zu Chen & Wen-tao Du

  3. Geomatics Center of Gansu Province, Gansu Bureau of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China

    Zhen-lin Li & Jing Wang

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  1. Yu-shuo Liu
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  2. Xiang Qin
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  3. Ji-zu Chen
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  4. Zhen-lin Li
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  5. Jing Wang
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  6. Wen-tao Du
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  7. Wan-qin Guo
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Correspondence to Yu-shuo Liu.

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Liu, Ys., Qin, X., Chen, Jz. et al. Variations of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 in the western Qilian Mountains, China, from 1957 to 2015. J. Mt. Sci. 15, 25–32 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4492-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4492-y

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