Abstract:Ice thickness and storage are the prerequisites for glaciological studies such as predicting future
glacier changes, estimating available freshwater resources, and assessing potential sea level rise. Based on
ground-penetrating radar (GPR) thickness data from 31 glaciers in western China, parameters of the GlabTop 2
(Glacier Bed Topography) model was calibrated and optimized. The simulation of ice thickness on the Qiangtang
Plateau and the assessment of the total amount of glacier water resources reveal the following results: ①The
average ice thickness simulated by the GlabTop2 model closely matches the measured average thickness, with a
correlation of 0.87 and an RMSE of 18.2 m. Overestimation and underestimation of ice thickness by the model
are 9% and -17% respectively. The ice thickness distribution along flow is better captured than the distribution
across flow; ②The GlabTop2 model estimates that the ice storage of glaciers on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in
2022 is (177.6±26.6) km3, with an average ice thickness of (88.2±12.3) m. The glacier volume is mainly
distributed between 5 600 and 6 200 m, amounting to (148.28±22.24) km3, which accounts for 84.4% of the total
glacier volume of the Qiangtang Plateau. The glacier volume in other elevation bands is relatively small.