Rapid Shrinking of Glaciers in the Middle Qilian Mountain Region of Northwest China during the Last ～50 Years  

作　　者：王璞玉 李忠勤 高闻宇 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences/Tien Shan Glaciological Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences [2]College of Geography and Environment Sciences, Northwest Normal University [3]College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University

出　　处：《Journal of Earth Science》2011年第4期539-548,共10页地球科学学刊（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Nos. 2010CB951003 and 2007CB411501);the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 91025012 and J0930003/J0109)

摘　　要：During the past five decades, fluctuations of glaciers were reconstructed from historical documents, aerial photographs, and remote sensing data. From 1956 to 2003, 910 glaciers investigated had reduced in area by 21.7% of the 1956 value, with a mean reduction for the individual glacier of 0.10 km2. The relative area reductions of small glaciers were usually higher than those of large ones, which exhibited larger absolute loss, indicating that the small glaciers were more sensitive to climate change than large ones. Over the past -50 years, glacier area decreased by 29.6% in the Heihe （黑河） River basin and 18.7% in the Beidahe （北大河） River basin, which were the two regions investigated in the Middle Qilian （祁连） Mountain region. Compared with other areas of the Qilian Mountain region, the most dramatic glacier shrinkage had occurred in the Middle Qilian Mountain region, mainly resuiting from rapid rising temperatures. Regional differences in glacier area changes are related to local climate conditions, the relative proportion of glaciers in different size classes, and other factors.During the past five decades, fluctuations of glaciers were reconstructed from historical documents, aerial photographs, and remote sensing data. From 1956 to 2003, 910 glaciers investigated had reduced in area by 21.7% of the 1956 value, with a mean reduction for the individual glacier of 0.10 km2. The relative area reductions of small glaciers were usually higher than those of large ones, which exhibited larger absolute loss, indicating that the small glaciers were more sensitive to climate change than large ones. Over the past -50 years, glacier area decreased by 29.6% in the Heihe （黑河） River basin and 18.7% in the Beidahe （北大河） River basin, which were the two regions investigated in the Middle Qilian （祁连） Mountain region. Compared with other areas of the Qilian Mountain region, the most dramatic glacier shrinkage had occurred in the Middle Qilian Mountain region, mainly resuiting from rapid rising temperatures. Regional differences in glacier area changes are related to local climate conditions, the relative proportion of glaciers in different size classes, and other factors.

关 键 词：glacier change regional difference remote sensing Middle Qilian Mountain region. 

分 类 号：P343.6[天文地球—水文科学]