Advances in Earth Science ›› 1999, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (3): 279-285. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.1999.03.0279

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ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GLACIER FLUCTUATIONS DURING THE LAST30YEARS IN URUMQI RIVER BASIN AND THE ESTIMATION OF TEMPERATURE RISE IN THE HIGH MOUNTAIN AREA

LIU Shiyin , WANG Ninglian , DING Yongjian , XIE Zichu
  

  1. ①Lanzhou Institute of Glaciology and Geocryology,Lanzhou730000,China;②Department of Resource and Environment,Hunan Normal University,Changsha 410081,China
  • Received:1998-08-10 Revised:1998-10-26 Online:1999-06-01 Published:1999-06-01

LIU Shiyin, WANG Ninglian, DING Yongjian, XIE Zichu. ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GLACIER FLUCTUATIONS DURING THE LAST30YEARS IN URUMQI RIVER BASIN AND THE ESTIMATION OF TEMPERATURE RISE IN THE HIGH MOUNTAIN AREA[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 1999, 14(3): 279-285.

Based on field observations and repeated photogrammetry, representative glacier and all the other glaciers in the Urumqi River basin have experienced definite shrinkage since the end of 1950s and the beginning of 1960s. It' s found that the decreases in length, area and ice volume of glaciers show a close relationship with their dimensions, that is, the larger the glaciers, the bigger their retreats and vise versa.
Analysis indicates that statistical relations can be established for the absolute and relative changes in length, area and volume of glaciers against with their lengths, which can be adapted to glaciers in other mountainous regions, if we conduct some supplementary measurements of glacier fluctuations. With this concept, an evaluation can be made for glacier fluctuations in a regional scale. Further calculation demonstrates that glacier shrinkage in the last 30 years corresponded to an air temperature rise of about 0.35±0.27℃in the high mountain region of the Urumqi River.

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