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Arid Land Geography ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (5): 810-819.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2023.519

• Climatology and Hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Temporal and spatial changes of glaciers and glacier lakes and its response to climate change in Poiqu Basin during 1990—2020

WANG Xiaoli(), ZHOU Lingxiang, WANG Xiudong, HE Ying   

  1. School of Geography and Tourism, Chongqing Key Laboratory of GIS Application Research, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
  • Received:2023-09-21 Revised:2024-01-02 Online:2024-05-25 Published:2024-05-30

Abstract:

Utilizing Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI imagery and digital elevation model (DEM) data, this study extracted the boundaries of glaciers and glacial lakes in Poiqu Basin, Xigaze City, Xizang Autonomous Region, China from 1990 to 2020 through the ratio threshold method and visual interpretation. The distribution and variation of glaciers and glacial lakes over three decades were analyzed, alongside the exploration of their co-evolution and response to climate change within the basin. The findings revealed: (1) A notable acceleration in glacier shrinkage within the Poiqu Basin over the last decade, with glaciers primarily situated between 5500 m and 6100 m. While the count of large-scale glaciers (≥10 km2) remained constant, small-scale glaciers (≤0.5 km2) exhibited an upward trend. (2) Both the number and area of glacial lakes witnessed a significant increase, with an expansion rate of 74.24%. Predominantly located between 4900 m and 5300 m, the expansion was more pronounced in larger glacial lakes (≥0.07 km2), whereas smaller lakes (≤0.03 km2) also saw a marked rise in numbers. (3) Glacial lakes connected to their parent glaciers emerged as the most significant type contributing to glacial lake expansion, registering a 72.08% increase. (4) The past 30 years have experienced a gradual temperature rise and a minor decline in precipitation. These climatic shifts, particularly the temperature increase and precipitation decrease, have been crucial in glacier retreat, while meltwater from glaciers has facilitated the expansion of glacial lakes. Through examining the distribution, changes, and interrelation of glaciers and glacial lakes in Poiqu Basin, this study aims to provide valuable data support for understanding glacier area dynamics and aiding in the prediction and mitigation of glacial lake outburst floods.

Key words: Poiqu Basin, glacier retreat, glacier lake expansion, climatic response