Articles | Volume 20, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2279-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-20-2279-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Apr 2026
Research article |
| 21 Apr 2026
| 21 Apr 2026
Glacier mass balance and its response to 2022 heatwaves for Kangxiwa Glacier in the eastern Pamir: insights from time-lapse photography
Ying Xie
State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Muztagh Ata Station for Westerly Environment Observation and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Akto 845550, China
Baiqing Xu
State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Muztagh Ata Station for Westerly Environment Observation and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Akto 845550, China
Meilin Zhu
College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yu Fan
State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Pengling Wang
National Climate Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, China
Song Yang
School of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
Wenqing Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Wei Yang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Muztagh Ata Station for Westerly Environment Observation and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Akto 845550, China
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We continuously measured ice crystal sizes along two ice cores from the Tibetan Plateau. We found that the pattern of crystal size variation with depth is similar to that in polar ice cores. Crystal sizes increase abruptly in refrozen ice layers, while they decrease in impurity-rich bands. Notably, in specific layers, crystal size is linked to δ18O, which means the crystal sizes in mountain glacier ice cores can retain temperature signals, helping us understand past climate change.
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Wei Yang, Zhongyan Wang, Baosheng An, Yingying Chen, Chuanxi Zhao, Chenhui Li, Yongjie Wang, Weicai Wang, Jiule Li, Guangjian Wu, Lin Bai, Fan Zhang, and Tandong Yao
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The Cryosphere, 17, 2625–2628, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2625-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2625-2023, 2023
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The monsoon is important for the shrinking and growing of glaciers in the Himalaya during summer. We calculate the melt of seven glaciers in the region using a complex glacier melt model and weather data. We find that monsoonal weather affects glaciers that are covered with a layer of rocky debris and glaciers without such a layer in different ways. It is important to take so-called turbulent fluxes into account. This knowledge is vital for predicting the future of the Himalayan glaciers.
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On 22 March 2021, a ~ 50 Mm 3 ice-rock avalanche occurred from 6500 m a.s.l. in the Sedongpu basin, southeastern Tibet. It caused temporary blockage of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra. We utilize field investigations, high-resolution satellite imagery, seismic records, and meteorological data to analyse the evolution of the 2021 event and its impact, discuss potential drivers, and briefly reflect on implications for the sustainable development of the region.
Jiule Li, Baiqing Xu, Ninglian Wang, Ping Yao, and Xiangke Xu
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The air bubbles enclosed in the alpine glacier ice could be used to reveal regional climate changes. Thus, we analyzed the δ18O of gaseous oxygen in the ice core air bubbles (δ18Obub) from a glacier in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). We find that there is a good correlation between the variation of the δ18Obub and the accumulation or melting of the glacier. Combined with the chronology of the ice core air bubbles, we reconstruct the glacier variations since the late Holocene in the central TP.
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Short summary
This study explored how the Kangxiwa Glacier in the eastern Pamir responded to the 2022 heatwaves. Consecutive time-lapse photos from 2019 to 2023 were used to capture daily changes in the glacier’s mass. The glacier mainly gained mass in spring and lost it in summer. Notably, the 2022 heatwaves caused extreme mass loss. This work shows that glaciers in the eastern Pamir are sensitive to heatwaves, providing a foundation for predicting how glaciers will change in this region in the future.
This study explored how the Kangxiwa Glacier in the eastern Pamir responded to the 2022...
