Abstract
Landsat images, real-time kinematic GPS measurements, and topographic maps were used to determine changes in ice elevation, volume, and areal extent of the Laohugou No. 12 glacier (Qilian Mountains, China) between 1957 and 2007. The glacier experienced significant thinning and areal shrinkage in the ablation zone, but slight thickening in part of the accumulation zone. Elevation decreased by 18.6±5.4 m between 1957 and 2007 in the regions covered by the GPS measurements. The total volume loss for the entire glacier was estimated to be 0.218 km3 using a third-order polynomial fit method. The area diminished by 0.28 km2 between 1957 and 1994, 0.26 km2 between 1994 and 2000, and 0.28 km2 between 2000 and 2007, suggesting that the rate of loss in glacial coverage has increased since the mid-1990s. Significant increases in annual mean air temperature may have contributed to shrinkage and thinning of the glacier.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnett TP, Adam JC, Lettenmaier DP (2005) Potential impacts of a warming climate on water availability in snow-dominated regions. Nature 438: 303–309.
Braithwaite RJ (2002) Glacier mass balance: the first 50 years of international monitoring. Progress in Physical Geography 26(1): 76–95.
Ding YJ, Liu SY, Li J, et al. (2006) the retreat of glaciers in response to recent climate warming in western China. Annals of Glaciology 43: 97–105.
Du WT, Qin X, Liu YS, et al. (2008) Variation of the Laohugou Glacier No.12 in the Qilian Mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 30(3): 373–379. (In Chinese)
Duval, P (1977) the role of the water content on the creep rate of polycrystalline ice. International Association of Hydrological Sciences Publication 118 (Symposium at Grenoble 1975 — Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice). pp 29–33.
Dyurgerov M, Meier M (2000) Twentieth century climate change: Evidence from small glaciers. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 97(4):1406–1411.
Fountain A, Krimmel R, Trabant D (1997) A strategy for monitoring glaciers. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1132. USGS Numbered Series. Colorado, USA.
Gao J, Liu YS (2001) Applications of remote sensing, GIS and GPS in glaciology: a review. Progress in Physical Geography 25(4): 520–540.
Gleitsmann L, Kappas M (2006) Glacier monitoring survey flight blow clouds in Alaska: oblique aerial photograph utilizing digital multiple-image photogrammetry to cope with adverse weather. EARSeL eProceedings 5(1): 42–50.
Hall DK, Bayr KJ, Schöner W, et al. (2003) Consideration of the errors inherent in mapping historical glacier positions in Austria from the ground and space (1893–2001). Remote Sense of Environment 86(4): 566–577.
Joughin I, Winebrenner D, Fahnestock M, et al. (1996) Measurement of ice-sheet topography using satellite-radar interferometry. Journal of Glaciology 42(140): 10–22.
Kääb A, Member, IEEE (2008) Glacier volume changes using ASTER satellite stereo and ICESat GLAS laser altimetry. A test study on Edgeøya, Eastern Svalbard. IEEE Transactions on Geosciences and Remote Sensing 46(10): 2823–2830.
Kang XC, Ding LF (1981) the relationship of mass balance, equilibrium-line and climate in Tianshan and Qilian mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 3(1):33–36. (In Chinese)
Koblet T, Gärtner-Roer I, Zemp M, et al. (2010) Reanalysis of multi-temporal aerial images of Storglaciären, Sweden (1959–99) — Part 1: Determination of length, area, and volume changes. The Cryosphere 4: 333–343.
Li J, Liu SY, Shangguan DH, et al. (2010) Identification of ice elevation change of the Shuiguan River No. 4 glacier in the Qilian Mountains, China. Journal of Mountain Science 7(4): 375–379.
Liu CH, Kang ES, Liu SY, et al. (1999) Study on the glacier variation and its runoff responses in the region of northwest China. Science in China series D: Earth Sciences 42(supplement 1): 64–71.
Liu SY, Sun WX, Shen YP, et al. (2003) Glacier changes since the Little Ice Age maximum in the western Qilian Shan, northwest China, and consequences of glacier runoff for water supply. Journal of Glaciology 49(164): 117–124.
Liu SY, Ding YJ, Han HD, et al. (2006) Glacier changes during the past century in the Gangrigabu Mountains, southeast Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau, China. Annals of Glaciology 43: 187–193.
Liu YS, Qin X, Du WT, et al. (2010) Analysis of the movement features of the Laohugou Glacier No. 12 in the Qilian Mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 32(3): 475–479. (In Chinese)
Noferini L, Mecatti D, Macaluso G, et al. (2009) Monitoring of Belvedere Glacier using a wide angle GB-SAR interferometer. Journal of Applied Geophysics 68(2): 289–293.
Paul F, Andreassen LM (2009) A new glacier inventory for the Svartisen region, Norway, from Landsat ETM+ data challenges and change assessment. Journal of Glaciology 55(192): 607–618.
Ren JW, Ye BS, Ding YJ, et al. (2011) Initial estimate of the contribution of cryospheric change in China to sea level rise. Chinese Science Bulletin 56(16):1661–1664.
Rivera A, Casassa G, Bambar J, et al. (2005) Ice-elevation changes of Glacier Chico, Southern Patagonia, using ASTER DEMs, aerial photographs and GPS data. Journal of Glaciology 51(172): 105–112.
Sakai A, Yoshihiro M, Koji F, et al. (2006) Meteorological observation at July 1st glacier in northwest China from 2002 to 2005. Bulletin of Glaciological Research 23: 23–32.
Shangguan DH, Liu SY, Ding YJ, et al. (2008) Thinning and retreat of Xiao Dongkemadi glacier, Tibetan Plateau, since 1993. Journal of Glaciology 54(188): 949–951.
Shangguan DH, Liu SY, Ding YJ, Zhang YS, Li J, Li XY, Wu Z (2010) Changes in the elevation and extent of two glaciers along the Yanglonghe River, Qilian Shan, China. Journal of Glaciology 56(196): 309–317.
Solomon S, Qin DH, Manning M, et al. (2007) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Steiner D, Pauling A, Nussbaumer SU, et al. (2008) Sensitivity of European glaciers to precipitation and temperature — two case studies. Climatic Change 90(4):413–441. Doi: 10.1007/s10584-008-9393-1.
Sun WJ, Qin X, Ren JW, et al. (2011) Surface energy balance in the accumulation zone of the Laohugou Glacier No. 12 in the Qilian Mountains during ablation period. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 33(1): 38–45. (In Chinese)
Sun ZZ, Xie ZC (1981) Recent changes and trends of Laohugou No. 12 Glacier in Dxueshan, Qilian Mountains. Chinese Science Bulletin (6): 366–369. (In Chinese)
Vuille M, Francou B, Wagnon P, et al. (2008) Climate change and tropical Andean glaciers: past, present and future. Earth-Science Reviews 89(3–4): 79–96.
Wang Z (1981) Glacier Inventory of China, I, Qilian Mountains. Beijing: Science Press, 1986. (In Chinese)
Wang YT, Hou SG, Hong SM, et al. (2008) Glacier extent and volume change (1966⊃2000) on the Su-lo Mountain in northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China. Journal of Mountain Science 5(4): 299–309. Doi: 10.1007/s11629-008-0224-7.
Wu Z, Liu SY, Zhang SQ (2009) Structure characteristics of the No. 12 Glacier in Laohugou Valley, Qilian Mountain based on the ground penetrating radar sounding. Advances in Earth Science 24(10): 1149–1158. (In Chinese)
Ye QH, Kang SC, Chen F, et al. (2006) Monitoring glacier variations on Geladandong mountain, central Tibetan Plateau, from 1969 to 2002 using remote-sensing and GIS technologies. Journal of Glaciology 52(179): 537–545.
Zemp M, Roer I, Kääb A, et al. (2008) Global glacier changes: facts and figures. UNEP Publishing/WGMS.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, Y., Liu, S., Shangguan, D. et al. Thinning and shrinkage of Laohugou No. 12 glacier in the Western Qilian Mountains, China, from 1957 to 2007. J. Mt. Sci. 9, 343–350 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-009-2296-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-009-2296-4