Articles | Volume 12, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-103-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-103-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Jan 2018
Research article |
| 12 Jan 2018
| 12 Jan 2018
Recent glacier mass balance and area changes in the Kangri Karpo Mountains from DEMs and glacier inventories
School of Resources and Environment, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, 246133, China
Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
State key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Zongli Jiang
Department of Geography, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, China
Junli Xu
Department of Surveying and Mapping, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007 China
Junfeng Wei
Department of Geography, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, China
Wanqin Guo
State key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Related authors
Junfeng Wei, Shiyin Liu, Te Zhang, Xin Wang, Yong Zhang, Zongli Jiang, Kunpeng Wu, and Zheng Zhang
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-259, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-259, 2020
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
During the past three decades, Longbasaba Glacier has experienced a continuous and accelerating recession in glacier area and length but accompanied by the decelerating surface lowing and ice flow. The glacier surface lowering played a predominant role in the mass contribution of glacier shrinkage to the increase in lake water volume, while ice avalanches were the main potential trigger for failure of moraine dams and subsequent GLOF events.
Kunpeng Wu, Shiyin Liu, Zongli Jiang, Junli Xu, and Junfeng Wei
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-90, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-90, 2018
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents diminishing ice cover in the central Nyainqentanglha Range by 0.68 % ± 0.05 % a−1, and a mean mass deficit of 0.46 % ± 0.04 m w.e. a−1 since 1968. Mass losses accelerating from 0.42 % ± 0.05 m w.e. a−1 to 0.60 % ± 0.20 m w.e. a−1 during 1968–2000 and 2000–~2013, with thinning noticeably greater on the debris-covered ice than the clean ice. Surface-elevation changes can be influenced by ice cliffs, as well as debris cover, and land- or lake-terminating glaciers and supraglacial lakes.
Yu Zhu, Shiyin Liu, Junfeng Wei, Kunpeng Wu, Tobias Bolch, Junli Xu, Wanqin Guo, Zongli Jiang, Fuming Xie, Ying Yi, Donghui Shangguan, Xiaojun Yao, and Zhen Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-255, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-255, 2024
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
This study compiled a near-complete inventory of glacier mass changes across the eastern Tibetan Plateau using topographical maps. This data enhances our understanding of glacier change variability before 2000. When combined with existing research, our dataset provides a nearly five-decade record of mass balance, aiding hydrological simulations and assessments of mountain glacier contributions to sea-level rise.
Yu Zhu, Shiyin Liu, Ben W. Brock, Lide Tian, Ying Yi, Fuming Xie, Donghui Shangguan, and Yiyuan Shen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 2023–2045, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2023-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2023-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This modeling-based study focused on Batura Glacier from 2000 to 2020, revealing that debris alters its energy budget, affecting mass balance. We propose that the presence of debris on the glacier surface effectively reduces the amount of latent heat available for ablation, which creates a favorable condition for Batura Glacier's relatively low negative mass balance. Batura Glacier shows a trend toward a less negative mass balance due to reduced ablation.
Miaomiao Qi, Shiyin Liu, Yongpeng Gao, Fuming Xie, Georg Veh, Letian Xiao, Jinlong Jing, Yu Zhu, and Kunpeng Wu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-24, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-24, 2024
Revised manuscript under review for HESS
Short summary
Short summary
Here we propose a new mathematically robust and cost-effective model to improve glacial lake water storage estimation. We have also provided a dataset of measured water storage in glacial lakes through field depth measurements. Our model incorporates an automated calculation process and outperforms previous ones, achieving an average relative error of only 14 %. This research offers a valuable tool for researchers seeking to improve the risk assessment of glacial lake outburst floods.
Dharmaveer Singh, Manu Vardhan, Rakesh Sahu, Debrupa Chatterjee, Pankaj Chauhan, and Shiyin Liu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1047–1075, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1047-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1047-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines, for the first time, the potential of various machine learning models in streamflow prediction over the Sutlej River basin (rainfall-dominated zone) in western Himalaya during the period 2041–2070 (2050s) and 2071–2100 (2080s) and its relationship to climate variability. The mean ensemble of the model results shows that the mean annual streamflow of the Sutlej River is expected to rise between the 2050s and 2080s by 0.79 to 1.43 % for SSP585 and by 0.87 to 1.10 % for SSP245.
Fuming Xie, Shiyin Liu, Yongpeng Gao, Yu Zhu, Tobias Bolch, Andreas Kääb, Shimei Duan, Wenfei Miao, Jianfang Kang, Yaonan Zhang, Xiran Pan, Caixia Qin, Kunpeng Wu, Miaomiao Qi, Xianhe Zhang, Ying Yi, Fengze Han, Xiaojun Yao, Qiao Liu, Xin Wang, Zongli Jiang, Donghui Shangguan, Yong Zhang, Richard Grünwald, Muhammad Adnan, Jyoti Karki, and Muhammad Saifullah
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 847–867, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-847-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-847-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, first we generated inventories which allowed us to systematically detect glacier change patterns in the Karakoram range. We found that, by the 2020s, there were approximately 10 500 glaciers in the Karakoram mountains covering an area of 22 510.73 km2, of which ~ 10.2 % is covered by debris. During the past 30 years (from 1990 to 2020), the total glacier cover area in Karakoram remained relatively stable, with a slight increase in area of 23.5 km2.
Yu Zhu, Shiyin Liu, Junfeng Wei, Kunpeng Wu, Tobias Bolch, Junli Xu, Wanqin Guo, Zongli Jiang, Fuming Xie, Ying Yi, Donghui Shangguan, Xiaojun Yao, and Zhen Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-473, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-473, 2023
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we presented a nearly complete inventory of glacier mass change dataset across the eastern Tibetan Plateau by using topographical maps, which will enhance the knowledge on the heterogeneity of glacier change before 2000. Our dataset, in combination with the published results, provide a nearly five decades mass balance to support hydrological simulation, and to evaluate the contribution of mountain glacier loss to sea level.
Dahong Zhang, Xiaojun Yao, Hongyu Duan, Shiyin Liu, Wanqin Guo, Meiping Sun, and Dazhi Li
The Cryosphere, 15, 1955–1973, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1955-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1955-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier centerlines are crucial input for many glaciological applications. We propose a new algorithm to derive glacier centerlines and implement the corresponding program in Python language. Application of this method to 48 571 glaciers in the second Chinese glacier inventory automatically yielded the corresponding glacier centerlines with an average computing time of 20.96 s, a success rate of 100 % and a comprehensive accuracy of 94.34 %.
Chuanguang Zhu, Wenhao Wu, Mahdi Motagh, Liya Zhang, Zongli Jiang, and Sichun Long
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3399–3411, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-3399-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-3399-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the contemporary ground deformation along the RLHR-HZ using Sentinel-1 data and find that the RLHR-HZ runs through two main subsidence areas. A total length of 35 km of the RLSR-HZ is affected by the two subsidence basins. Considering the previous investigation coupled with information on human activities, we conclude that the subsidence is mainly caused by extraction of groundwater and underground mining.
Xin Wang, Xiaoyu Guo, Chengde Yang, Qionghuan Liu, Junfeng Wei, Yong Zhang, Shiyin Liu, Yanlin Zhang, Zongli Jiang, and Zhiguang Tang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2169–2182, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2169-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2169-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The theoretical and methodological bases for all processing steps including glacial lake definition and classification and lake boundary delineation are discussed based on satellite remote sensing data and GIS techniques. The relative area errors of each lake in 2018 varied 1 %–79 % with average relative area errors of ±13.2 %. In high-mountain Asia, 30 121 glacial lakes with a total area of 2080.12 ± 2.28 km2 were catalogued in 2018 with a 15.2 % average rate of increase in area in 1990–2018.
F. Xie, S. Liu, Y. Gao, Y. Zhu, K. Wu, M. Qi, S. Duan, and A. M. Tahir
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., V-3-2020, 417–424, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2020-417-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2020-417-2020, 2020
Junfeng Wei, Shiyin Liu, Te Zhang, Xin Wang, Yong Zhang, Zongli Jiang, Kunpeng Wu, and Zheng Zhang
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-259, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-259, 2020
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
During the past three decades, Longbasaba Glacier has experienced a continuous and accelerating recession in glacier area and length but accompanied by the decelerating surface lowing and ice flow. The glacier surface lowering played a predominant role in the mass contribution of glacier shrinkage to the increase in lake water volume, while ice avalanches were the main potential trigger for failure of moraine dams and subsequent GLOF events.
Zhiguang Tang, Xiaoru Wang, Jian Wang, Xin Wang, and Junfeng Wei
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-139, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-139, 2019
Preprint withdrawn
Zhen Zhang, Shiyin Liu, Zongli Jiang, Donghui Shangguan, Junfeng Wei, Wanqin Guo, Junli Xu, Yong Zhang, and Danni Huang
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-94, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-94, 2019
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
We present an integrated view of the glacier area and its mass changes for Mt. Xinqingfeng and Mt. Malan of the inner Tibetan Plateau as derived from topographic maps, Landsat, ASTER, SRTM DEM, and TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X for the period of 1970–2012 and 1970–2018, respectively. The glaciers experienced weak shrinkage and slight negative mass balance. The Monuomaha Glacier and Zu Glacier together with another 5 glaciers displayed the surging or advancing characteristics during the observation period.
Kunpeng Wu, Shiyin Liu, Zongli Jiang, Junli Xu, and Junfeng Wei
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-90, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-90, 2018
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents diminishing ice cover in the central Nyainqentanglha Range by 0.68 % ± 0.05 % a−1, and a mean mass deficit of 0.46 % ± 0.04 m w.e. a−1 since 1968. Mass losses accelerating from 0.42 % ± 0.05 m w.e. a−1 to 0.60 % ± 0.20 m w.e. a−1 during 1968–2000 and 2000–~2013, with thinning noticeably greater on the debris-covered ice than the clean ice. Surface-elevation changes can be influenced by ice cliffs, as well as debris cover, and land- or lake-terminating glaciers and supraglacial lakes.
Y. Zhang, Y. Hirabayashi, K. Fujita, S. Liu, and Q. Liu
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-7-2413-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-7-2413-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript not accepted
Related subject area
Mass Balance Obs
Mapping geodetically inferred Antarctic ice surface height changes into thickness changes: a sensitivity study
Reanalysis of the longest mass balance series in Himalaya using nonlinear model: Chhota Shigri Glacier (India)
Globally consistent estimates of high-resolution Antarctic ice mass balance and spatially resolved glacial isostatic adjustment
On the importance of the humidity flux for the surface mass balance in the accumulation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Combined GNSS reflectometry–refractometry for automated and continuous in situ surface mass balance estimation on an Antarctic ice shelf
Observations of preferential summer melt of Arctic sea-ice ridge keels from repeated multibeam sonar surveys
Accumulation by avalanches as significant contributor to the mass balance of a High Arctic mountain glacier
Brief communication: The Glacier Loss Day as an indicator of a record-breaking negative glacier mass balance in 2022
European heat waves 2022: contribution to extreme glacier melt in Switzerland inferred from automated ablation readings
Central Asia's spatiotemporal glacier response ambiguity due to data inconsistencies and regional simplifications
Evaluating Greenland surface-mass-balance and firn-densification data using ICESat-2 altimetry
Changes in the annual sea ice freeze–thaw cycle in the Arctic Ocean from 2001 to 2018
Recent contrasting behaviour of mountain glaciers across the European High Arctic revealed by ArcticDEM data
Characteristics of mountain glaciers in the northern Japanese Alps
Assimilating near-real-time mass balance stake readings into a model ensemble using a particle filter
The regional-scale surface mass balance of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, over the period 2005–2014, derived from airborne radar soundings and neutron probe measurements
Geodetic point surface mass balances: a new approach to determine point surface mass balances on glaciers from remote sensing measurements
Review article: Earth's ice imbalance
Applying artificial snowfall to reduce the melting of the Muz Taw Glacier, Sawir Mountains
Satellite-observed monthly glacier and snow mass changes in southeast Tibet: implication for substantial meltwater contribution to the Brahmaputra
Brief communication: Ad hoc estimation of glacier contributions to sea-level rise from the latest glaciological observations
Sensitivity of inverse glacial isostatic adjustment estimates over Antarctica
Recent precipitation decrease across the western Greenland ice sheet percolation zone
Heterogeneous spatial and temporal pattern of surface elevation change and mass balance of the Patagonian ice fields between 2000 and 2016
Long-range terrestrial laser scanning measurements of annual and intra-annual mass balances for Urumqi Glacier No. 1, eastern Tien Shan, China
Multi-year evaluation of airborne geodetic surveys to estimate seasonal mass balance, Columbia and Rocky Mountains, Canada
Interannual snow accumulation variability on glaciers derived from repeat, spatially extensive ground-penetrating radar surveys
Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier
How does the ice sheet surface mass balance relate to snowfall? Insights from a ground-based precipitation radar in East Antarctica
Multi-decadal mass balance series of three Kyrgyz glaciers inferred from modelling constrained with repeated snow line observations
Spatial and temporal distributions of surface mass balance between Concordia and Vostok stations, Antarctica, from combined radar and ice core data: first results and detailed error analysis
Changing pattern of ice flow and mass balance for glaciers discharging into the Larsen A and B embayments, Antarctic Peninsula, 2011 to 2016
Using satellite laser ranging to measure ice mass change in Greenland and Antarctica
Reanalysis of a 10-year record (2004–2013) of seasonal mass balances at Langenferner/Vedretta Lunga, Ortler Alps, Italy
Accelerating retreat and high-elevation thinning of glaciers in central Spitsbergen
Application and validation of long-range terrestrial laser scanning to monitor the mass balance of very small glaciers in the Swiss Alps
Reconstructing the annual mass balance of the Echaurren Norte glacier (Central Andes, 33.5° S) using local and regional hydroclimatic data
Analysis of the mass balance time series of glaciers in the Italian Alps
Reanalysis of long-term series of glaciological and geodetic mass balance for 10 Norwegian glaciers
Quantifying the resolution level where the GRACE satellites can separate Greenland's glacial mass balance from surface mass balance
Surface elevation and mass changes of all Swiss glaciers 1980–2010
Mass changes in Arctic ice caps and glaciers: implications of regionalizing elevation changes
Constraining the recent mass balance of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, West Antarctica, with airborne observations of snow accumulation
Region-wide glacier mass balances over the Pamir-Karakoram-Himalaya during 1999–2011
Density assumptions for converting geodetic glacier volume change to mass change
Balanced conditions or slight mass gain of glaciers in the Lahaul and Spiti region (northern India, Himalaya) during the nineties preceded recent mass loss
Climatic drivers of seasonal glacier mass balances: an analysis of 6 decades at Glacier de Sarennes (French Alps)
Extrapolating glacier mass balance to the mountain-range scale: the European Alps 1900–2100
Mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet (2003–2008) from ICESat data – the impact of interpolation, sampling and firn density
Assessing high altitude glacier thickness, volume and area changes using field, GIS and remote sensing techniques: the case of Nevado Coropuna (Peru)
Natasha Valencic, Linda Pan, Konstantin Latychev, Natalya Gomez, Evelyn Powell, and Jerry X. Mitrovica
The Cryosphere, 18, 2969–2978, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2969-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2969-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We quantify the effect of ongoing Antarctic bedrock uplift due to Ice Age or modern ice mass changes on estimates of ice thickness changes obtained from satellite-based ice height measurements. We find that variations in the Ice Age signal introduce an uncertainty in estimates of total Antarctic ice change of up to ~10%. Moreover, the usual assumption that the mapping between modern ice height and thickness changes is uniform systematically underestimates net Antarctic ice volume changes.
Mohd Farooq Azam, Christian Vincent, Smriti Srivastava, Etienne Berthier, Patrick Wagnon, Himanshu Kaushik, Arif Hussain, Manoj Kumar Munda, Arindan Mandal, and Alagappan Ramanathan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-644, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-644, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Mass balance series on Chhota Shigri Glacier has been reanalysed by combining the traditional mass balance reanalysis framework and a nonlinear model. The nonlinear model is preferred over traditional glaciological method to compute the mass balances as the former can capture the spatiotemporal variability of point mass balances from a heterogeneous in-situ point mass balance network. The nonlinear model outperforms the traditional method and agrees better with the geodetic estimates.
Matthias O. Willen, Martin Horwath, Eric Buchta, Mirko Scheinert, Veit Helm, Bernd Uebbing, and Jürgen Kusche
The Cryosphere, 18, 775–790, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-775-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-775-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Shrinkage of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) leads to sea level rise. Satellite gravimetry measures AIS mass changes. We apply a new method that overcomes two limitations: low spatial resolution and large uncertainties due to the Earth's interior mass changes. To do so, we additionally include data from satellite altimetry and climate and firn modelling, which are evaluated in a globally consistent way with thoroughly characterized errors. The results are in better agreement with independent data.
Laura J. Dietrich, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Sonja Wahl, Anne-Katrine Faber, and Xavier Fettweis
The Cryosphere, 18, 289–305, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-289-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-289-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The contribution of the humidity flux to the surface mass balance in the accumulation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet is uncertain. Here, we evaluate the regional climate model MAR using a multi-annual dataset of eddy covariance measurements and bulk estimates of the humidity flux. The humidity flux largely contributes to the summer surface mass balance (SMB) in the accumulation zone, indicating its potential importance for the annual SMB in a warming climate.
Ladina Steiner, Holger Schmithüsen, Jens Wickert, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 17, 4903–4916, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4903-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4903-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The present study illustrates the potential of a combined Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry and refractometry (GNSS-RR) method for accurate, simultaneous, and continuous estimation of in situ snow accumulation, snow water equivalent, and snow density time series. The combined GNSS-RR method was successfully applied on a fast-moving, polar ice shelf. The combined GNSS-RR approach could be highly advantageous for a continuous quantification of ice sheet surface mass balances.
Evgenii Salganik, Benjamin A. Lange, Christian Katlein, Ilkka Matero, Philipp Anhaus, Morven Muilwijk, Knut V. Høyland, and Mats A. Granskog
The Cryosphere, 17, 4873–4887, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4873-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4873-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Arctic Ocean is covered by a layer of sea ice that can break up, forming ice ridges. Here we measure ice thickness using an underwater sonar and compare ice thickness reduction for different ice types. We also study how the shape of ridged ice influences how it melts, showing that deeper, steeper, and narrower ridged ice melts the fastest. We show that deformed ice melts 3.8 times faster than undeformed ice at the bottom ice--ocean boundary, while at the surface they melt at a similar rate.
Bernhard Hynek, Daniel Binder, Michele Citterio, Signe Hillerup Larsen, Jakob Abermann, Geert Verhoeven, Elke Ludewig, and Wolfgang Schöner
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-157, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-157, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
A strong avalanche event in winter 2018 caused thick snow deposits on Freya Glacier, a mountain glacier in Northeast Greenland. The avalanche deposits led to positive elevation changes during the study period 2013–2021 and altered the mass balance of the glacier significantly. The eight year mass balance was positive, it would have been negative without avalanches. The contribution from snow avalanches might become more important with rising temperatures in the Arctic.
Annelies Voordendag, Rainer Prinz, Lilian Schuster, and Georg Kaser
The Cryosphere, 17, 3661–3665, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3661-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3661-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Glacier Loss Day (GLD) is the day on which all mass gained from the accumulation period is lost, and the glacier loses mass irrecoverably for the rest of the mass balance year. In 2022, the GLD was already reached on 23 June at Hintereisferner (Austria), and this led to a record-breaking mass loss. We introduce the GLD as a gross yet expressive indicator of the glacier’s imbalance with a persistently warming climate.
Aaron Cremona, Matthias Huss, Johannes Marian Landmann, Joël Borner, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 17, 1895–1912, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1895-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1895-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Summer heat waves have a substantial impact on glacier melt as emphasized by the extreme summer of 2022. This study presents a novel approach for detecting extreme glacier melt events at the regional scale based on the combination of automatically retrieved point mass balance observations and modelling approaches. The in-depth analysis of summer 2022 evidences the strong correspondence between heat waves and extreme melt events and demonstrates their significance for seasonal melt.
Martina Barandun and Eric Pohl
The Cryosphere, 17, 1343–1371, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1343-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1343-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Meteorological and glacier mass balance data scarcity introduces large uncertainties about drivers of heterogeneous glacier mass balance response in Central Asia. We investigate the consistency of interpretations derived from various datasets through a systematic correlation analysis between climatic and static drivers with mass balance estimates. Our results show in particular that even supposedly similar datasets lead to different and partly contradicting assumptions on dominant drivers.
Benjamin E. Smith, Brooke Medley, Xavier Fettweis, Tyler Sutterley, Patrick Alexander, David Porter, and Marco Tedesco
The Cryosphere, 17, 789–808, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-789-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-789-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We use repeated satellite measurements of the height of the Greenland ice sheet to learn about how three computational models of snowfall, melt, and snow compaction represent actual changes in the ice sheet. We find that the models do a good job of estimating how the parts of the ice sheet near the coast have changed but that two of the models have trouble representing surface melt for the highest part of the ice sheet. This work provides suggestions for how to better model snowmelt.
Long Lin, Ruibo Lei, Mario Hoppmann, Donald K. Perovich, and Hailun He
The Cryosphere, 16, 4779–4796, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4779-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4779-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Ice mass balance observations indicated that average basal melt onset was comparable in the central Arctic Ocean and approximately 17 d earlier than surface melt in the Beaufort Gyre. The average onset of basal growth lagged behind the surface of the pan-Arctic Ocean for almost 3 months. In the Beaufort Gyre, both drifting-buoy observations and fixed-point observations exhibit a trend towards earlier basal melt onset, which can be ascribed to the earlier warming of the surface ocean.
Jakub Małecki
The Cryosphere, 16, 2067–2082, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2067-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2067-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a snapshot of the recent state of small mountain glaciers across the European High Arctic, where severe climate warming has been occurring over the past years. The analysis revealed that this class of ice mass might melt away from many study sites within the coming two to five decades even without further warming. Glacier changes were, however, very variable in space, and some glaciers have been gaining mass, but the exact drivers behind this phenomenon are unclear.
Kenshiro Arie, Chiyuki Narama, Ryohei Yamamoto, Kotaro Fukui, and Hajime Iida
The Cryosphere, 16, 1091–1106, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1091-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1091-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In recent years, seven glaciers are confirmed in the northern Japanese Alps. However, their mass balance has not been clarified. In this study, we calculated the seasonal and continuous annual mass balance of these glaciers during 2015–2019 by the geodetic method using aerial images and SfM–MVS technology. Our results showed that the mass balance of these glaciers was different from other glaciers in the world. The characteristics of Japanese glaciers provide new insights for earth science.
Johannes Marian Landmann, Hans Rudolf Künsch, Matthias Huss, Christophe Ogier, Markus Kalisch, and Daniel Farinotti
The Cryosphere, 15, 5017–5040, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5017-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5017-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we (1) acquire real-time information on point glacier mass balance with autonomous real-time cameras and (2) assimilate these observations into a mass balance model ensemble driven by meteorological input. For doing so, we use a customized particle filter that we designed for the specific purposes of our study. We find melt rates of up to 0.12 m water equivalent per day and show that our assimilation method has a higher performance than reference mass balance models.
Stefan Kowalewski, Veit Helm, Elizabeth Mary Morris, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 15, 1285–1305, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1285-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1285-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents estimates of total mass input for the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) over the period 2005–2014 from airborne radar measurements. Our analysis reveals a total mass input similar to an earlier estimate for the period 1985–2009 and same area. This suggests a stationary total mass input contrary to the accelerated mass loss of PIG over the past decades. However, we also find that its uncertainty is highly sensitive to the geostatistical assumptions required for its calculation.
Christian Vincent, Diego Cusicanqui, Bruno Jourdain, Olivier Laarman, Delphine Six, Adrien Gilbert, Andrea Walpersdorf, Antoine Rabatel, Luc Piard, Florent Gimbert, Olivier Gagliardini, Vincent Peyaud, Laurent Arnaud, Emmanuel Thibert, Fanny Brun, and Ugo Nanni
The Cryosphere, 15, 1259–1276, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1259-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1259-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In situ glacier point mass balance data are crucial to assess climate change in different regions of the world. Unfortunately, these data are rare because huge efforts are required to conduct in situ measurements on glaciers. Here, we propose a new approach from remote sensing observations. The method has been tested on the Argentière and Mer de Glace glaciers (France). It should be possible to apply this method to high-spatial-resolution satellite images and on numerous glaciers in the world.
Thomas Slater, Isobel R. Lawrence, Inès N. Otosaka, Andrew Shepherd, Noel Gourmelen, Livia Jakob, Paul Tepes, Lin Gilbert, and Peter Nienow
The Cryosphere, 15, 233–246, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-233-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-233-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Satellite observations are the best method for tracking ice loss, because the cryosphere is vast and remote. Using these, and some numerical models, we show that Earth has lost 28 trillion tonnes (Tt) of ice since 1994 from Arctic sea ice (7.6 Tt), ice shelves (6.5 Tt), mountain glaciers (6.1 Tt), the Greenland (3.8 Tt) and Antarctic ice sheets (2.5 Tt), and Antarctic sea ice (0.9 Tt). It has taken just 3.2 % of the excess energy Earth has absorbed due to climate warming to cause this ice loss.
Feiteng Wang, Xiaoying Yue, Lin Wang, Huilin Li, Zhencai Du, Jing Ming, and Zhongqin Li
The Cryosphere, 14, 2597–2606, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2597-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2597-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
How to mitigate the melting of most mountainous glaciers is a disturbing issue for scientists and the public. We chose the Muz Taw Glacier of the Sawir Mountains as our study object. We carried out two artificial precipitation experiments on the glacier to study the role of precipitation in mitigating its melting. The average mass loss from the glacier decreased by over 14 %. We also propose a possible mechanism describing the role of precipitation in mitigating the melting of the glaciers.
Shuang Yi, Chunqiao Song, Kosuke Heki, Shichang Kang, Qiuyu Wang, and Le Chang
The Cryosphere, 14, 2267–2281, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2267-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2267-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
High-Asia glaciers have been observed to be retreating the fastest in the southeastern Tibeten Plateau, where vast amounts of glacier and snow feed the streamflow of the Brahmaputra. Here, we provide the first monthly glacier and snow mass balance during 2002–2017 based on satellite gravimetry. The results confirm previous long-term decreases but reveal strong seasonal variations. This work helps resolve previous divergent model estimates and underlines the importance of meltwater.
Michael Zemp, Matthias Huss, Nicolas Eckert, Emmanuel Thibert, Frank Paul, Samuel U. Nussbaumer, and Isabelle Gärtner-Roer
The Cryosphere, 14, 1043–1050, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1043-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1043-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Comprehensive assessments of global glacier mass changes have been published at multi-annual intervals, typically in IPCC reports. For the years in between, we present an approach to infer timely but preliminary estimates of global-scale glacier mass changes from glaciological observations. These ad hoc estimates for 2017/18 indicate that annual glacier contributions to sea-level rise exceeded 1 mm sea-level equivalent, which corresponds to more than a quarter of the currently observed rise.
Matthias O. Willen, Martin Horwath, Ludwig Schröder, Andreas Groh, Stefan R. M. Ligtenberg, Peter Kuipers Munneke, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 14, 349–366, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-349-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-349-2020, 2020
Gabriel Lewis, Erich Osterberg, Robert Hawley, Hans Peter Marshall, Tate Meehan, Karina Graeter, Forrest McCarthy, Thomas Overly, Zayta Thundercloud, and David Ferris
The Cryosphere, 13, 2797–2815, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2797-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2797-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present accumulation records from sixteen 22–32 m long firn cores and 4436 km of ground-penetrating radar, covering the past 20–60 years of accumulation, collected across the western Greenland Ice Sheet percolation zone. Trends from both radar and firn cores, as well as commonly used regional climate models, show decreasing accumulation over the 1996–2016 period.
Wael Abdel Jaber, Helmut Rott, Dana Floricioiu, Jan Wuite, and Nuno Miranda
The Cryosphere, 13, 2511–2535, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2511-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2511-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We use topographic maps from two radar remote-sensing missions to map surface elevation changes of the northern and southern Patagonian ice fields (NPI and SPI) for two epochs (2000–2012 and 2012–2016). We find a heterogeneous pattern of thinning within the ice fields and a varying temporal trend, which may be explained by complex interdependence between surface mass balance and effects of flow dynamics. The contribution to sea level rise amounts to 0.05 mm a−1 for both ice fields for 2000–2016.
Chunhai Xu, Zhongqin Li, Huilin Li, Feiteng Wang, and Ping Zhou
The Cryosphere, 13, 2361–2383, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2361-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2361-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We take Urumqi Glacier No. 1 as an example and validate a long-range terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) as an efficient tool for monitoring annual and intra-annual mass balances, especially for inaccessible glacier areas where no glaciological measurements are available. The TLS has application potential for glacier mass-balance monitoring in China. For wide applications of the TLS, we can select some benchmark glaciers and use stable scan positions and in-situ-measured densities of snow–firn.
Ben M. Pelto, Brian Menounos, and Shawn J. Marshall
The Cryosphere, 13, 1709–1727, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1709-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1709-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Changes in glacier mass are the direct response to meteorological conditions during the accumulation and melt seasons. We derived multi-year, seasonal mass balance from airborne laser scanning surveys and compared them to field measurements for six glaciers in the Columbia and Rocky Mountains, Canada. Our method can accurately measure seasonal changes in glacier mass and can be easily adapted to derive seasonal mass change for entire mountain ranges.
Daniel McGrath, Louis Sass, Shad O'Neel, Chris McNeil, Salvatore G. Candela, Emily H. Baker, and Hans-Peter Marshall
The Cryosphere, 12, 3617–3633, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3617-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3617-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Measuring the amount and spatial pattern of snow on glaciers is essential for monitoring glacier mass balance and quantifying the water budget of glacierized basins. Using repeat radar surveys for 5 consecutive years, we found that the spatial pattern in snow distribution is stable over the majority of the glacier and scales with the glacier-wide average. Our findings support the use of sparse stake networks for effectively measuring interannual variability in winter balance on glaciers.
Caitlyn Florentine, Joel Harper, Daniel Fagre, Johnnie Moore, and Erich Peitzsch
The Cryosphere, 12, 2109–2122, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2109-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2109-2018, 2018
Niels Souverijns, Alexandra Gossart, Irina V. Gorodetskaya, Stef Lhermitte, Alexander Mangold, Quentin Laffineur, Andy Delcloo, and Nicole P. M. van Lipzig
The Cryosphere, 12, 1987–2003, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1987-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1987-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This work is the first to gain insight into the local surface mass balance over Antarctica using accurate long-term snowfall observations. A non-linear relationship between accumulation and snowfall is discovered, indicating that total surface mass balance measurements are not a good proxy for snowfall over Antarctica. Furthermore, the meteorological drivers causing changes in the local SMB are identified.
Martina Barandun, Matthias Huss, Ryskul Usubaliev, Erlan Azisov, Etienne Berthier, Andreas Kääb, Tobias Bolch, and Martin Hoelzle
The Cryosphere, 12, 1899–1919, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1899-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1899-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we used three independent methods (in situ measurements, comparison of digital elevation models and modelling) to reconstruct the mass change from 2000 to 2016 for three glaciers in the Tien Shan and Pamir. Snow lines observed on remote sensing images were used to improve conventional modelling by constraining a mass balance model. As a result, glacier mass changes for unmeasured years and glaciers can be better assessed. Substantial mass loss was confirmed for the three glaciers.
Emmanuel Le Meur, Olivier Magand, Laurent Arnaud, Michel Fily, Massimo Frezzotti, Marie Cavitte, Robert Mulvaney, and Stefano Urbini
The Cryosphere, 12, 1831–1850, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1831-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1831-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents surface mass balance measurements from both GPR and ice core data collected during a traverse in a so-far-unexplored area between the DC and Vostok stations. Results presented here will contribute to a better knowledge of the global mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet and thus help in constraining its contribution to sea level rise. Another novelty of the paper resides in the comprehensive error budget proposed for the method used for inferring accumulation rates.
Helmut Rott, Wael Abdel Jaber, Jan Wuite, Stefan Scheiblauer, Dana Floricioiu, Jan Melchior van Wessem, Thomas Nagler, Nuno Miranda, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 12, 1273–1291, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1273-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1273-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We analysed volume change, mass balance and ice flow of glaciers draining into the Larsen A and Larsen B embayments on the Antarctic Peninsula for 2011 to 2013 and 2013 to 2016. The mass balance is based on elevation change measured by the radar satellite mission TanDEM-X and on the mass budget method. The glaciers show continuing losses in ice mass, which is a response to ice shelf break-up. After 2013 the downwasting of glaciers slowed down, coinciding with years of persistent sea ice cover.
Jennifer A. Bonin, Don P. Chambers, and Minkang Cheng
The Cryosphere, 12, 71–79, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-71-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-71-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Before GRACE in 2002, few large-scale measurements of mass change over Greenland and Antarctica existed. We use a least squares inversion of satellite laser ranging (SLR) data to expand the polar mass change time series back to 1994. We explain the technique and analyze its errors, then apply it to SLR and GRACE data. We can estimate the summed mass change over Greenland and Antarctica with low uncertainty. SLR's noise causes interannual errors, but the 20-year estimate is reliable.
Stephan Peter Galos, Christoph Klug, Fabien Maussion, Federico Covi, Lindsey Nicholson, Lorenzo Rieg, Wolfgang Gurgiser, Thomas Mölg, and Georg Kaser
The Cryosphere, 11, 1417–1439, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1417-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1417-2017, 2017
Jakub Małecki
The Cryosphere, 10, 1317–1329, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1317-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1317-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Svalbard is a major terrestrial ice repository in the Arctic. This paper characterizes response of glaciers in its central part (Dickson Land) to climate change. After the Little Ice Age termination (ca. 1900) all glaciers have been retreating with an accelerating trend. After 1990 they have been thinning also in their highest zones, so most of them may be expected to disappear. These negative changes are linked to increasing air temperature over the region and contribute to sea-level rise.
Mauro Fischer, Matthias Huss, Mario Kummert, and Martin Hoelzle
The Cryosphere, 10, 1279–1295, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1279-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides the first thorough validation of geodetic glacier mass changes derived from close-range high-resolution remote sensing techniques, and highlights the potential of terrestrial laser scanning for repeated mass balance monitoring of very small alpine glaciers. The presented methodology is promising, as laborious and potentially dangerous in situ measurements as well as the spatial inter- and extrapolation of point measurements over the entire glacier can be circumvented.
Mariano H. Masiokas, Duncan A. Christie, Carlos Le Quesne, Pierre Pitte, Lucas Ruiz, Ricardo Villalba, Brian H. Luckman, Etienne Berthier, Samuel U. Nussbaumer, Álvaro González-Reyes, James McPhee, and Gonzalo Barcaza
The Cryosphere, 10, 927–940, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-927-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-927-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Glacier Echaurren Norte (ECH, 34° S) has the longest (> 35 yrs) mass-balance record in South America. A minimal model that explains 78 % of the variance in the ECH annual record identifies precipitation as the most important forcing. A regional streamflow series allows for extending the ECH annual record back to 1909 and shows a clear cumulative ice-mass loss. Similarities with documented glacier advances and other shorter mass-balance series suggest the ECH reconstruction is regionally representative.
Luca Carturan, Carlo Baroni, Michele Brunetti, Alberto Carton, Giancarlo Dalla Fontana, Maria Cristina Salvatore, Thomas Zanoner, and Giulia Zuecco
The Cryosphere, 10, 695–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-695-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-695-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This work analyses the longer mass balance series of Italian glaciers. All glaciers experienced mass loss in the observation period, with increasing mass loss rates mainly due to increased ablation during longer and warmer ablation seasons. Low-altitude glaciers with low range of elevation are more out of balance than the higher, larger and steeper glaciers, which maintain accumulation areas. Because most of the monitored glaciers are at risk of extinction, they require a soon replacement.
Liss M. Andreassen, Hallgeir Elvehøy, Bjarne Kjøllmoen, and Rune V. Engeset
The Cryosphere, 10, 535–552, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-535-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-535-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides homogenised and partly calibrated data series of glaciological and geodetic mass balance for the 10 Norwegian glaciers with long-term observations. In total, 21 periods of data were compared. Uncertainties were quantified for relevant sources of errors, both in the glaciological and geodetic series. The reanalysis processes altered seasonal, annual, and cumulative as well as ELA and AAR values for many of the years for the 10 glaciers presented.
J. A. Bonin and D. P. Chambers
The Cryosphere, 9, 1761–1772, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1761-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1761-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Separating surface mass balance from glacial mass balance over Greenland would provide important climatological information and constraints for models, but due to poor spatial resolution, the GRACE gravity satellites cannot ordinarily accomplish this. We demonstrate a least-squares technique which allows us to do so, in theory. However we also find that the GRACE errors are too large to make it practical for real-world use at this time. About a 9-fold reduction in noise would be needed.
M. Fischer, M. Huss, and M. Hoelzle
The Cryosphere, 9, 525–540, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-525-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-525-2015, 2015
J. Nilsson, L. Sandberg Sørensen, V. R. Barletta, and R. Forsberg
The Cryosphere, 9, 139–150, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-139-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-139-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The aim of this study is to determine and quantify the impact of different regionalization schemes on surface elevation changes, and how they affect the estimated spread in mass balance of Arctic ice caps and glaciers. The study found that the choice of regionalization has an important effect in regions with maritime climate and high variability in elevation change. In these areas the spread in mass balance was in many cases larger than the estimated errors of the individual methods.
B. Medley, I. Joughin, B. E. Smith, S. B. Das, E. J. Steig, H. Conway, S. Gogineni, C. Lewis, A. S. Criscitiello, J. R. McConnell, M. R. van den Broeke, J. T. M. Lenaerts, D. H. Bromwich, J. P. Nicolas, and C. Leuschen
The Cryosphere, 8, 1375–1392, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1375-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1375-2014, 2014
J. Gardelle, E. Berthier, Y. Arnaud, and A. Kääb
The Cryosphere, 7, 1263–1286, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1263-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1263-2013, 2013
M. Huss
The Cryosphere, 7, 877–887, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-877-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-877-2013, 2013
C. Vincent, Al. Ramanathan, P. Wagnon, D. P. Dobhal, A. Linda, E. Berthier, P. Sharma, Y. Arnaud, M. F. Azam, P. G. Jose, and J. Gardelle
The Cryosphere, 7, 569–582, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-569-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-569-2013, 2013
E. Thibert, N. Eckert, and C. Vincent
The Cryosphere, 7, 47–66, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-47-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-47-2013, 2013
M. Huss
The Cryosphere, 6, 713–727, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-713-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-713-2012, 2012
L. S. Sørensen, S. B. Simonsen, K. Nielsen, P. Lucas-Picher, G. Spada, G. Adalgeirsdottir, R. Forsberg, and C. S. Hvidberg
The Cryosphere, 5, 173–186, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-173-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-173-2011, 2011
P. Peduzzi, C. Herold, and W. Silverio
The Cryosphere, 4, 313–323, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-313-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-313-2010, 2010
Cited articles
Arendt, A., Bliss, A., Bolch, T., Cogley, J. G., and Gardner, A. S.: Randolph glacier inventory – a dataset of global glacier outlines. Version 5.0, University of Colorado. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS), Boulder, CO, digital media, available at: www.glims.org/RGI/00_rgi50_TechnicalNote.pdf (last access: 12 March 2017), 2015.
Bao, W.-J., Liu, S.-Y., Wei, J.-F., and Guo, W.-Q.: Glacier changes during the past 40 years in the West Kunlun Shan, J. Mt. Sci., 12, 344–357, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-014-3220-0, 2015.
Benn, D. I., Bolch, T., Hands, K., Gulley, J., Luckman, A., Nicholson, L. I., Quincey, D., Thompson, S., Toumi, R., and Wiseman, S.: Response of debris-covered glaciers in the Mount Everest region to recent warming, and implications for outburst flood hazards, Earth-Sci. Rev., 114, 156–174, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2012.03.008, 2012.
Berthier, E., Arnaud, Y., Vincent, C., and Rémy, F.: Biases of SRTM in high-mountain areas: implications for the monitoring of glacier volume changes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L08502, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL025862, 2006.
Berthier, E., Schiefer, E., Clarke, G. K. C., Menounos, B., and Rémy, F.: Contribution of Alaskan glaciers to sea-level rise derived from satellite imagery, Nat. Geosci., 3, 92–95, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo737, 2010.
Bolch, T., Menounos, B., and Wheate, R.: Landsat-based inventory of glaciers in western Canada, 1985–2005, Remote Sens. Environ., 114, 127–137, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2009.08.015, 2010a.
Bolch, T., Yao, T., Kang, S., Buchroithner, M. F., Scherer, D., Maussion, F., Huintjes, E., and Schneider, C.: A glacier inventory for the western Nyainqentanglha Range and the Nam Co Basin, Tibet, and glacier changes 1976–2009, The Cryosphere, 4, 419–433, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-419-2010, 2010b.
Bolch, T., Pieczonka, T., and Benn, D. I.: Multi-decadal mass loss of glaciers in the Everest area (Nepal Himalaya) derived from stereo imagery, The Cryosphere, 5, 349–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-349-2011, 2011.
Chen, Y., Yang, K., He, J., Qin, J., Shi, J., Du, J., and He, Q.: Improving land surface temperature modeling for dry land of China, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D20104, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JD015921, 2011.
Chinese National Standard: Compilation specifications for national fundamental scale maps. Part 1: Compilation soecifications for 1 : 25 000/1 : 50 000/1 : 100 000 topographic maps, GB/T 12343.1-2008, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing, China, 2008.
Dall, J., Madsen, S. N., Keller, K., and Forsberg, R.: Topography and penetration of the Greenland ice sheet measured with airborne SAR interferometry, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 1703–1706, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GL011787, 2001.
Davis, C. H. and Poznyak, V. I.: The depth of penetration in Antarctic firn at 10 GHz, IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 31, 1107–1111, https://doi.org/10.1109/36.263784, 1993.
Duan, J., Li, L., and Fang, Y.: Seasonal spatial heterogeneity of warming rates on the Tibetan Plateau over the past 30 years, Sci. Rep.-UK, 5, 11725, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11725, 2015.
Farr, T. G., Rosen, P. A., Caro, E., Crippen, R., Duren, R., Hensley, S., Kobrick, M., Paller, M., Rodriguez, E., Roth, L., Seal, D., Shaffer, S., Shimada, J., Umland, J., Werner, M., Oskin, M., Burbank, D., and Alsdorf, D.: The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Rev. Geophys., 45, RG2004, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005RG000183, 2007.
Gardelle, J., Berthier, E., and Arnaud, Y.: Impact of resolution and radar penetration on glacier elevation changes computed from DEM differencing, J. Glaciol., 58, 419–422, https://doi.org/10.3189/2012JoG11J175, 2012a.
Gardelle, J., Berthier, E., and Arnaud, Y.: Slight mass gain of Karakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century, Nat. Geosci., 5, 322–325, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1450, 2012b.
Gardelle, J., Berthier, E., Arnaud, Y., and Kääb, A.: Region-wide glacier mass balances over the Pamir-Karakoram-Himalaya during 1999–2011, The Cryosphere, 7, 1263–1286, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1263-2013, 2013.
Gardner, A. S., Moholdt, G., Cogley, J. G., Wouters, B., Arendt, A. A., Wahr, J., Berthier, E., Hock, R., Pfeffer, W. T., Kaser, G., Ligtenberg, S. R. M., Bolch, T., Sharp, M. J., Hagen, J. O., van den Broeke, M. R., and Paul, F.: A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise: 2003 to 2009, Science, 340, 852–857, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1234532, 2013.
Goldstein, R. M. and Werner, C. L.: Radar interferogram filtering for geophysical applications, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 4035–4038, https://doi.org/10.1029/1998GL900033, 1998.
Guo, W., Liu, S., Yu, P., and Xu, J.: Automatic extraction of ridgelines using on drainage boundaries and aspect difference, Sci. Surv. Map., 36, 210–213, 2011.
Guo, W., Liu, S., Xu, J., Wu, L., Shangguan, D., Yao, X., Wei, J., Bao, W., Yu, P., Liu, Q., and Jiang, Z.: The second Chinese glacier inventory: data, methods, and results, J. Glaciol., 61, 357–372, https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG14J209, 2015.
He, J. and Yang, K.: China meteorological forcing dataset, Cold and Arid Regions Science Data Center, Lanzhou, China, digital media, https://doi.org/10.3972/westdc.002.2014.db, 2011.
Immerzeel, W. W., van Beek, L. P. H., and Bierkens, M. F. P.: Climate change will affect the Asian water towers, Science, 328, 1382–1385, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1183188, 2010.
IPCC: Summary for policymakers, in: Climate change 2013: The physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by: Stocker, T. F., Qin, D., Plattner, G. K., Tignor, M., Allen, S. K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., and Midgley, P. M., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 1–30, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004, 2013.
Kääb, A., Berthier, E., Nuth, C., Gardelle, J., and Arnaud, Y.: Contrasting patterns of early twenty-first-century glacier mass change in the Himalayas, Nature, 488, 495–498, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11324, 2012.
Kääb, A., Treichler, D., Nuth, C., and Berthier, E.: Brief Communication: Contending estimates of 2003–2008 glacier mass balance over the Pamir–Karakoram–Himalaya, The Cryosphere, 9, 557–564, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-557-2015, 2015.
Kienholz, C., Rich, J. L., Arendt, A. A., and Hock, R.: A new method for deriving glacier centerlines applied to glaciers in Alaska and northwest Canada, The Cryosphere, 8, 503–519, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-503-2014, 2014.
Koblet, T., Gärtner-Roer, I., Zemp, M., Jansson, P., Thee, P., Haeberli, W., and Holmlund, P.: 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, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-4-333-2010, 2010.
Krieger, G., Moreira, A., Fiedler, H., Hajnsek, I., Werner, M., Younis, M., and Zink, M.: TanDEM-X: A satellite formation for high-resolution SAR interferometry, IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 45, 3317–3341, https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2007.900693, 2007.
Le Bris, R. and Paul, F.: An automatic method to create flow lines for determination of glacier length: a pilot study with Alaskan glaciers, Comput. Geosci., 52, 234–245, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2012.10.014, 2013.
Leclercq, P. W., Oerlemans, J., Basagic, H. J., Bushueva, I., Cook, A. J., and Le Bris, R.: A data set of worldwide glacier length fluctuations, The Cryosphere, 8, 659–672, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-659-2014, 2014.
Li, J., Zheng, B., and Yang, X.: The Glaciers of Xizang (Tibet), Scientific Expedition to the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau, Science Press, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 1986.
Li, X., Cheng, G., Jin, H., Kang, E., Che, T., Jin, R., Wu, L., Nan, Z., Wang, J., and Shen, Y.: Cryospheric change in China, Global Planet. Change, 62, 210–218, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2008.02.001, 2008.
Li, L., Yang, S., Wang, Z., Zhu, X., and Tang, H.: Evidence of warming and wetting climate over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res., 42, 449–457, https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.4.449, 2010.
Li, X., Yang, T.-B., and Ji, Q.: Study on glacier variations in the Gangrigabu Range, Res. Soil Water Conserv., 21, 233–237, https://doi.org/10.13869/j.cnki.rswc.2014.04.046, 2014.
Liu, S., Shangguan, D., Ding, Y., Han, H., Xie, C., Zhang, Y., Li, J., Wang, J., and Li, G.: Glacier changes during the past century in the Gangrigabu mountains, southeast Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau, China, Adv. Clim. Change Res., 43, 187–193, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756406781812348, 2006.
Liu, S., Guo, W., Xu, J., Shangguan, D., Wu, L., Yao, X., Zhao, J., Liu, Q., Jiang, Z., Li, P., Wei, J., Bao, W., Yu, P., Ding, L., Li, G., Ge, C., and Wang, Y.: The Second Glacier Inventory Dataset of China (Version 1.0). Cold and Arid Regions Science Data Center at Lanzhou, https://doi.org/10.3972/glacier.001.2013.db, 2014.
Liu, W., Guo, Q., and Wang, Y.: Temporal-spatial climate change in the last 35 years in Tibet and its geo-environmental consequences, Environ. Geol. Berlin, 54, 1747–1754, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0952-y, 2008.
Liu, X., Cheng, Z., Yan, L., and Yin, Z.-Y.: Elevation dependency of recent and future minimum surface air temperature trends in the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings, Global Planet. Change, 68, 164–174, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2009.04.001, 2009.
Mi, D., Xie, Z., Luo, X., Feng, Q., Ma, M., and Jin, D.: Glacier inventory of China XI. the Ganga drainage basin. XII. Indus drainage basin, Xi'an Cartographic Publishing House, Lanzhou Institute of Glaciology and Geocryology, Xi'an, 2002.
Nakawo, M. and Young, G. J.: Field experiments to determine the effect of a debris layer on ablation of glacier ice, Ann. Glaciol., 2, 85–91, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756481794352432, 1981.
Neckel, N., Braun, A., Kropáček, J., and Hochschild, V.: Recent mass balance of the Purogangri Ice Cap, central Tibetan Plateau, by means of differential X-band SAR interferometry, The Cryosphere, 7, 1623–1633, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1623-2013, 2013.
Neckel, N., Kropáček, J., Bolch, T., and Hochschild, V.: Glacier mass changes on the Tibetan Plateau 2003–2009 derived from ICESat laser altimetry measurements, Environ. Res. Lett., 9, 014009, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/1/014009, 2014.
Nuimura, T., Sakai, A., Taniguchi, K., Nagai, H., Lamsal, D., Tsutaki, S., Kozawa, A., Hoshina, Y., Takenaka, S., Omiya, S., Tsunematsu, K., Tshering, P., and Fujita, K.: The GAMDAM glacier inventory: a quality-controlled inventory of Asian glaciers, The Cryosphere, 9, 849–864, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-849-2015, 2015.
Nuth, C. and Kääb, A.: Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change, The Cryosphere, 5, 271–290, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-271-2011, 2011.
Oerlemans, J.: Quantifying global warming from the retreat of glaciers, Science, 264, 243–245, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.264.5156.243, 1994.
Paul, F. and Haeberli, W.: Spatial variability of glacier elevation changes in the Swiss Alps obtained from two digital elevation models, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L21502, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034718, 2008.
Paul, F. and Svoboda, F.: A new glacier inventory on southern Baffin Island, Canada, from ASTER data: II. Data analysis, glacier change and applications, Ann. Glaciol., 50, 22–31, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756410790595921, 2009.
Paul, F., Huggel, C., Kääb, A., Kellenberger, T., and Maisch, M.: Comparison of TM-derived glacier areas with higher resolution data sets, EARSeL eProc., 2, 15–21, available at: www.eproceedings.org/static/vol02_1/02_1_paul1.pdf (last access: 6 February 2017), 2003.
Paul, F., Barry, R. G., Cogley, J. G., Frey, H., Haeberli, W., Ohmura, A., Ommanney, C. S. L., Raup, B., Rivera, A., and Zemp, M.: Recommendations for the compilation of glacier inventory data from digital sources, Ann. Glaciol., 50, 119–126, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756410790595778, 2009.
Paul, F., Barrand, N. E., Baumann, S., Berthier, E., Bolch, T., Casey, K., Frey, H., Joshi, S. P., Konovalov, V., Le Bris, R., Mölg, N., Nosenko, G., Nuth, C., Pope, A., Racoviteanu, A., Rastner, P., Raup, B., Scharrer, K., Steffen, S., and Winsvold, S.: On the accuracy of glacier outlines derived from remote-sensing data, Ann. Glaciol., 54, 171–182, https://doi.org/10.3189/2013AoG63A296, 2013.
Pellicciotti, F., Stephan, C., Miles, E., Herreid, S., Immerzeel, W. W., and Bolch, T.: Mass-balance changes of the debris-covered glaciers in the Langtang Himal, Nepal, between 1974 and 1999, J. Glaciol., 61, 373–386, https://doi.org/10.3189/2015JoG13J237, 2015.
Pfeffer, W. T., Arendt, A. A., Bliss, A., Bolch, T., Cogley, J. G., Gardner, A. S., Hagen, J.-O., Hock, R., Kaser, G., Kienholz, C., Miles, E. S., Moholdt, G., Mölg, N., Paul, F., Radić, V., Rastner, P., Raup, B. H., Rich, J., Sharp, M. J., and the Randolph Consortium: The Randolph Glacier Inventory: a globally complete inventory of glaciers, J. Glaciol., 60, 537–552, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J176, 2014.
Pieczonka, T., Bolch, T., Wei, J., and Liu, S.: Heterogeneous mass loss of glaciers in the Aksu-Tarim catchment (central Tien Shan) revealed by 1976 KH-9 Hexagon and 2009 SPOT-5 stereo imagery, Remote Sens. Environ., 130, 233–244, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2012.11.020, 2013.
Pu, J., Yao, T., and Duan, K.: An observation on surface ablation on the Yangbark glacier in the Muztagata Ata, China, J. Glaciol. Geocryol., 25, 680–684, 2003.
Qin, J., Yang, K., Liang, S., and Guo, X.: The altitudinal dependence of recent rapid warming over the Tibetan Plateau, Climatic Change, 97, 321–327, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-009-9733-9, 2009.
Rabus, B., Eineder, M., Roth, A., and Bamler, R.: The Shuttle radar topography mission: a new class of digital elevation models acquired by spaceborne radar, ISPRS J. Photogramm., 57, 241–262, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-2716(02)00124-7, 2003.
Racoviteanu, A. E., Paul, F., Raup, B. H., Khalsa, S. J. S., and Armstrong, R.: Challenges and recommendations in mapping of glacier parameters from space: results of the 2008 Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) workshop, Boulder, Colorado, USA, Ann. Glaciol., 50, 53–69, https://doi.org/10.3189/172756410790595804, 2009.
Rosen, P. A., Hensley, S., Joughin, I. R., Li, F. K., Madsen, S. N., Rodriguez, E., and Goldstein, R. M.: Synthetic aperture radar interferometry, Proc. IEEE, 88, 333–385, https://doi.org/10.1109/5.838084, 2000.
Sakai, A. and Fujita, K.: Correspondence: Formation conditions of supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers in the Himalaya, J. Glaciol., 56, 177–181, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214310791190785, 2010.
Shangguan, D., Liu, S., Ding, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, J., Li, X., and Wu, Z.: Changes in the elevation and extent of two glaciers along the Yanglonghe River, Qilian Shan, China, J. Glaciol., 56, 309–317, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214310791968566, 2010.
Shangguan, D. H., Bolch, T., Ding, Y. J., Kröhnert, M., Pieczonka, T., Wetzel, H. U., and Liu, S. Y.: Mass changes of Southern and Northern Inylchek Glacier, Central Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan, during ∼ 1975 and 2007 derived from remote sensing data, The Cryosphere, 9, 703–717, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-703-2015, 2015.
Shi, Y. and Liu, S.: Estimation on the response of glaciers in China to the global warming in the 21st century, Chinese Sci. Bull., 45, 668–672, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02886048, 2000.
Shi, Y., Huang, M., and Ren, B.: An Introduction to the Glaciers in China, Science Press, Beijing, China, 1988.
Shi, Y., Liu, S., Shangguan, D., Li, D., Ye, B., and Shen, Y.: Two peculiar phenomena of climatic and glacial variations in the Tibetan Plateau, Adv. Clim. Change Res., 2, 154–160, 2006.
Shi, Y., Huang, M., Yao, T., and He, Y.: Glaciers and Related Environments in China, Science Press, Beijing, China, 2008a.
Shi, Y., Liu, S., Ye, B., Liu, C., and Wang, Z.: Concise Glacier Inventory of China, Shanghai Popular Science Press, Shanghai, China, 2008b.
Su, Z., Zhao, J., and Zheng, B.: Distribution and features of the glaciers' ELAs and the decrease of ELAs during the Last Glaciation in China, J. Glaciol. Geocryol., 36, 9–19, 2014.
Sun, M., Liu, S., Yao, X., Guo, W., and Xu, J.: Glacier changes in the Qilian Mountains in the past half century: based on the revised First and Second Chinese Glacier Inventory, Acta Geogr. Sin., 70, 1402–1414, 2015.
Surdyk, S.: Using microwave brightness temperature to detect short-term surface air temperature changes in Antarctica: an analytical approach, Remote Sens. Environ., 80, 256–271, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(01)00308-X, 2002.
Wang, S., Zhang, M., Li, Z., Wang, F., Li, H., Li, Y., and Huang, X.: Response of glacier area variation to climate change in Chinese Tianshan mountains in the past 50 years, Acta Geogr. Sin., 66, 38–46, 2011.
Wei, J., Liu, S., Guo, W., Yao, X., Xu, J., Bao, W., and Jiang, Z.: Surface-area changes of glaciers in the Tibetan Plateau interior area since the 1970s using recent Landsat images and historical maps, Ann. Glaciol., 55, 213–222, https://doi.org/10.3189/2014AoG66A038, 2014.
Wei, J., Liu, S., Guo, W., Xu, J., Bao, W., and Shangguan, D.: Changes in glacier volume in the north bank of the Bangong Co basin from 1968 to 2007 based on historical topographic maps, SRTM, and ASTER stereo images, Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res., 47, 301–311, https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR00C-13-129, 2015a.
Wei, J.-F., Liu, S.-Y., Xu, J.-L., Guo, W.-Q., Bao, W.-J., Shangguan, D.-H., And Jiang, Z.-L.: Mass loss from glaciers in the Chinese Altai Mountains between 1959 and 2008 revealed based on historical maps, SRTM, and ASTER images, J. Mt. Sci., 12, 330–343, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-014-3175-1, 2015b.
Werner, C., Wegmüller, U., Strozzi, T., and Wiesmann, A.: Gamma SAR and interferometric processing software, in: ERS–ENVISAT Symposium, 16–20 October 2000, Gothenburg, Sweden. Proceedings, edited by: Sawaya-Lacoste, H., European Space Agency, Noordwijk, 9 pp., digital media, available at: https://www.gamma-rs.ch/uploads/media/2000-1_GAMMA_Software.pdf (last access: 20 March 2017), 2001.
Wu, K., Liu, S., Guo, W., Wei, J., Xu, J., Bao, W., and Yao, X.: Glacier change in the western Nyainqentanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau using historical maps and Landsat imagery: 1970–2014, J. Mt. Sci., 13, 1358–1374, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-016-3997-0, 2016.
Wu, K., Liu, S., Bao, W., and Wang, R.: Remote sensing monitoring of the glacier change in the Gangrigabu Range, southeast Tibetan Plateau from 1980 through 2015, J. Glaciol. Geocryol., 39, 24–34, 2017.
Xu, J., Liu, S., Zhang, S., Guo, W., and Wang, J.: Recent changes in glacial area and volume on Tuanjiefeng Peak region of Qilian Mountains, China, PLoS ONE, 8, e70574, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070574, 2013.
Yang, W., Yao, T., Xu, B., Wu, G., Ma, L., and Xin, X.: Quick ice mass loss and abrupt retreat of the maritime glaciers in the Kangri Karpo Mountains, southeast Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Sci. Bull., 53, 2547–2551, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-008-0288-3, 2008.
Yang, W., Yao, T., Xu, B., Ma, L., Wang, Z., and Wan, M.: Characteristics of recent temperate glacier fluctuations in the Parlung Zangbo River basin, southeast Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Sci. Bull., 55, 2097–2102, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-010-3214-4, 2010.
Yang, K., Wu, H., Qin, J., Lin, C., Tang, W., and Chen, Y.: Recent climate changes over the Tibetan Plateau and their impacts on energy and water cycle: a review, Global Planet. Change, 112, 79–91, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2013.12.001, 2014.
Yao, T., Thompson, L., Yang, W., Yu, W., Gao, Y., Guo, X., Yang, X., Duan, K., Zhao, H., Xu, B., Pu, J., Lu, A., Xiang, Y., Kattel, D. B., and Joswiak, D.: Different glacier status with atmospheric circulations in Tibetan Plateau and surroundings, Nat. Clim. Change, 2, 663–667, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1580, 2012.
Yao, X., Liu, S., Guo, W., Huai, B., Sun, M., and Xu, J.: Glacier change of Altay Mountain in China from 1960 to 2009 – based on the Second Glacier Inventory of China, J. Nat. Resour., 27, 1734–1745, 2012.
Yao, X., Liu, S., Zhu, Y., Gong, P., An, L., and Li, X.: Design and implementation of an automatic method for deriving glacier centerlines based on GIS, J. Glaciol. Geocryol., 37, 1563–1570, 2015.
Ye, Q., Bolch, T., Naruse, R., Wang, Y., Zong, J., Wang, Z., Zhao, R., Yang, D., and Kang, S.: Glacier mass changes in Rongbuk catchment on Mt. Qomolangma from 1974 to 2006 based on topographic maps and ALOS PRISM data, J. Hydrol., 530, 273–280, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.09.014, 2015.
You, Q., Kang, S., Pepin, N., Flügel, W.-A., Yan, Y., Behrawan, H., and Huang, J.: Relationship between temperature trend magnitude, elevation and mean temperature in the Tibetan Plateau from homogenized surface stations and reanalysis data, Global Planet. Change, 71, 124–133, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2010.01.020, 2010.
Zhang, Y., Fujita, K., Liu, S., Liu, Q., and Nuimura, T.: Distribution of debris thickness and its effect on ice melt at Hailuogou glacier, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, using in situ surveys and ASTER imagery, J. Glaciol., 57, 1147–1157, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311798843331, 2011.
Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Wei, J., Xu, J., Guo, W., Bao, W., and Jiang, Z.: Mass change of glaciers in Muztag Ata–Kongur Tagh, eastern Pamir, China from 1971/76 to 2013/14 as derived from remote sensing data, PLoS ONE, 11, e0147327, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147327, 2016a.
Zhang, Z., Xu, J.-L., Liu, S.-Y., Guo, W.-Q., Wei, J.-F., and Feng, T.: Glacier changes since the early 1960s, eastern Pamir, China, J. Mt. Sci., 13, 276–291, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-014-3172-4, 2016b.
Zwally, H. J., Li, J., Brenner, A. C., Beckley, M., Cornejo, H. G., DiMarzio, J., Giovinetto, M. B., Neumann, T. A., Robbins, J., Saba, J. L., Yi, D., and Wang, W.: Greenland ice sheet mass balance: distribution of increased mass loss with climate warming; 2003–07 versus 1992–2002, J. Glaciol., 57, 88–102, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214311795306682, 2011.
Short summary
This study presents diminishing ice cover in the Kangri Karpo Mountains by 24.9 % ± 2.2 % or 0.71 % ± 0.06 % a−1 from 1980 to 2015 but with nine glaciers advancing. By utilizing geodetic methods, glaciers have experienced a mean mass deficit of 0.46 ± 0.08 m w.e. a−1 from 1980 to 2014. These glaciers showed slight accelerated shrinkage and significant accelerated mass loss during 2000–2015 compared to that during 1980–2000, which is consistent with the tendency of climate warming.
This study presents diminishing ice cover in the Kangri Karpo Mountains by 24.9 % ± 2.2 % or...
