Economic losses from reduced freshwater under future climate scenarios: An example from the Urumqi River,Tianshan Mountains

As important freshwater resources in alpine basins, glaciers and snow cover tend to decline due to climate warming, thus affecting the amount of water available downstream and even regional economic development. However, impact assessments of the economic losses caused by reductions in freshwater supply are quite limited. This study aims to project changes in glacier meltwater and snowmelt of the Urumqi River in the Tianshan Mountains under future climate change scenarios (RCP2.6 (RCP, Representative Concentration Pathway), RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) by applying a hydrological model and estimate the economic losses from future meltwater reduction for industrial, agricultural, service, and domestic water uses combined with the present value method for the 2030s, 2050s, 2070s, and 2090s. The results indicate that total annual glacier meltwater and snowmelt will decrease by 65.6% and 74.5% under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios by the 2090s relative to the baseline period (1980-2010), respectively. Compared to the RCP2.6 scenario, the projected economic loss values of total water use from reduced glacier meltwater and snowmelt under the RCP8.5 scenario will increase by 435.10×10⁶ and 537.20×10⁶ CNY in the 2050s and 2090s, respectively, and the cumulative economic loss value for 2099 is approximately 2124.00×10⁶ CNY. We also find that the industrial and agricultural sectors would likely face the largest and smallest economic losses, respectively. The economic loss value of snowmelt in different sectorial sectors is greater than that of glacier meltwater. These findings highlight the need for climate mitigation actions, industrial transformation, and rational water allocation to be considered in decision-making in the Tianshan Mountains in the future.     

Climate change and its impacts on mountain glaciers during 1960-2017 in western China

Mountain glaciers are highly sensitive to climate change. In this paper, we systematically analyzed and discussed the responses of glaciers to climate change during 1960-2017 in western China by the methods of least squares and correlation analysis. Results show that the maximum temperature, minimum temperature, average temperature, and precipitation significantly increased in western China at the rates of 0.32°C/10a, 0.48°C/10a, 0.39°C/10a, and 11.20 mm/10a, respectively. However, the wind speed, hours of sunshine, snowfall, and snowy days displayed decreasing trends at the rates of -0.53 m/(s?10a), 3.72 h/10a, -2.90 mm/10a, and -0.10 d/10a, respectively. The annual percentage of glacier area decreased by approximately 0.42%, and the average glacier area decreased by 2.76 km²/a. Meanwhile, glacial shrinkages were greater in the Altay Mountains, Tanggula Mountains, and Qilian Mountains than in the other mountainous regions. Glacier accumulation decreased while melt volume increased at a rate of 2.7×10⁴ m³/a. The area of melt volume was 1.3 times that of the glacier accumulation area. The glacier mass balance (GMB) decreased substantially at a rate of -14.0 mm/a, whereas the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) showed an increasing trend at a rate of 0.5 mm/a. After 1997, the mass was smaller than -500.0 mm, indicating a huge loss in glaciers. Furthermore, relationships between ELA and GMB and various climatic factors were established. Temperature and precipitation demonstrated a significantly negative correlation, whereas wind speed and snowy days had significantly positive correlations with GMB. Snowy days also exhibited a remarkably negative correlation with ELA. The strong warming trend and less snowy days were thought to be the main factors leading to glacial melting, whereas the increase in precipitation, and reductions of sunshine hours and wind speed might slow glacial melting.     

近51a来乌鲁木齐河源区径流特征及对气候变化的响应

基于天山乌鲁木齐河源区1959-2009年的径流与气象记录,采用线性回归、M-K突变检验法和水量平衡模型分析了河源区气候、冰川及融水量的变化特征。研究发现:河源区冰川径流量与冰川物质平衡成负相关关系,过去51a间河源1号冰川融水径流共增加157.48×104m3,冰川融水径流量增加主要是由冰川退缩和降水量增加造成的。自20世纪90年代以后,冰川融水径流量增加显著,但整个河源区径流量却在减少,与气温升高导致蒸散能力增强、地下冰结构变化及冰川融水补给能力下降等有关。     

近年来祁连山中段冰川变化

基于遥感和实测的方法,对近50 a来祁连山中段,包括黑河流域和北大河流域的冰川变化特征进行了分析。研究表明：1956-2003年,祁连山中段所研究的910条冰川面积共缩小了21.7%。其中,黑河流域冰川面积缩小了29.6%,北大河流域冰川面积缩小了18.7%。小冰川面积变化较大冰川要大,其对气候变化的敏感性较强。由于祁连山中段东西跨度较大,气候和地形等因素的不同,直接造成了冰川变化的区域差异。近期野外考察发现,位于黑河上游的葫芦沟流域,1956-2010年冰川面积缩小了30.1%,近7 a冰川面积缩小的比率达到前期的近5倍,且其中的十一冰川由于消融严重,已经完全分离成2条独立的冰川。雪冰融水径流是该流域中重要的水源,在稳定河川径流、调节其年际变化和年内分配方面发挥着重要作用。     

Five decades of glacier changes in the Hulugou Basin of central Qilian Mountains,Northwest China

The Heihe River Basin is the second largest inland river basin in the arid regions of Northwest China. Glaciers provide a large proportion of water resources for human production and living. Studies of glacier changes and their impact on water resources in the arid lands are of vital importance. A joint expedition was carried out in 2010 for investigating glaciers in the Hulugou Basin, which is located in the upper reaches of Heihe River. Therefore, glacier changes in the Hulugou Basin of central Qilian Mountains during the past 50 years were analyzed in this study by comparing topographic maps, satellite images, digital elevation models and field observation data from different periods. Results showed that the total area of the 6 glaciers in the Hulugou Basin decreased by 0.590±0.005 km2 during the period 1956–2011, corresponding to a loss of 40.7% over the total area in 1956. The average area reduction rate of the 6 glaciers is 0.011 km2/a. During the past five decades, the glacier shrinkage was accelerated. The changes in glacier ice surface elevation ranged from –15 to 3 m with an average thinning of 10±8 m or an annual decrease of 0.23±0.18 m(0.20±0.15 m/a water equivalent) for the period 1956–2000. The area of Shiyi Glacier in the Hulugou Basin decreased from 0.64 km2 in 1956 to 0.53 km2 in 2011 with a reduction rate of 17.2%. The Shiyi Glacier had been divided into two separated glaciers because of severe melting. Comparative analysis showed that glacier shrinkage in the Hulugou Basin is more serious than that in the other regions of Qilian Mountains.     

近50年来新疆天山南北坡典型流域冰川与冰川水资源的变化

冰川是大自然修筑的"固体水库",在水资源的构成中占有重要地位。新疆地处内陆干旱区,是我国现代冰川面积分布最广的地区之一。冰川和冰川融水为新疆灌溉农业发展提供了可靠的水资源保障。本文根据中国冰川编目及近年来其它冰川研究成果和监测资料,对1960年以来新疆,主要是天山山区的冰川与冰川径流的变化进行了分析。分析表明,受全球气候变暖的影响,上世纪60年代以来至本世纪初,天山冰川的变化整体上以退缩为主,1963-2000年冰川面积平均减少12.5%。但受地理位置和地势条件的影响,不同流域的冰川变化存在着较大的区域性差异。随着冰川的强烈退缩和冰川融水的增加,使得近十余年来新疆天山地区大部分冰川补给河流径流量呈增加的趋势。     

Glacier variations and their response to climate change in an arid inland river basin of Northwest China

Glaciers are a critical freshwater resource of river recharge in arid areas around the world. In recent decades, glaciers have shown evidence of retreat due to climate change, and the accelerated ablation of glaciers and associated impacts on water resources have received widespread attention. Glacier variations result from climate change, so they can serve as an indicator of climate change. Considering the climatic differences in different elevation ranges, it is worthwhile to explore whether different responses exist between glacier area and air temperature in each elevation zone. In this study, we selected a typical arid inland river basin(Sugan Lake Basin) in the western Qilian Mountains of Northwest China to analyze the glacier variations and their response to climate change. The glacier area data from 1989 to 2016 were delineated using Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM), Enhanced TM+(ETM+) and Operational Land Imager(OLI) images. We compared the relationships between glacier area and air temperature at seven meteorological stations in the glacier-covered areas and in the Sugan Lake Basin, and further analyzed the relationship between glacier area and mean air temperature of the glacier surfaces in July–August in the elevation range of 4700–5500 m a.s.l. by the linear regression method and correlation analysis. In addition, based on the linear regression relationship established between glacier area and air temperature in each elevation zone, we predicted glacier areas under future climate scenarios during the periods of 2046–2065 and 2081–2100. The results indicate that the glaciers experienced a remarkable shrinkage from 1989 to 2016 with a shrinkage rate of –1.61 km2/a(–0.5%/a), and the rising temperature is the decisive factor dominating glacial retreat; there is a significant negative linear correlation between glacier area and mean air temperature of the glacier surfaces in July–August in each elevation zone from 1989 to 2016. The variations in glaciers are far less sensitive to changes in precipitation than to changes in air temperature. Due to the influence of climate and topographic conditions, the distribution of glacier area and the rate of glacier ablation first increased and then decreased in different elevation zones. The trend in glacier shrinkage will continue because air temperature will continue to increase in the future, and the result of glacier retreat in each elevation zone will be slightly slower than that in the entire study area. Quantitative glacier research can more accurately reflect the response of glacier variations to climate change, and the regression relationship can be used to predict the areas of glaciers under future climate scenarios. These conclusions can offer effective references for assessing glacier variations and their response to climate change in arid inland river basins in Northwest China as well as other similar regions in the world.     

1960-2009年中国天山现代冰川末端变化特征

基于冰川定位观测、野外考察、航空摄影、遥感影像和地形图分析方法,研究了1960-2009年中国天山8条冰川末端变化特征。结果表明：1960-2009年,在天山地区气温与降水呈上升趋势的背景下,8条冰川均处于退缩状态,退缩速率由西向东逐渐减缓,其变化幅度因气候环境、地理位置、冰川规模和冰川形态等的不同而存在明显的区域性与阶段性差异。其中,乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川1962-1973年冰川末端退缩速率为5.96 m•a^-1,1973-1980年为3.28 m•a^-1,1980-1993年为3.93 m•a^-1,在1993年完全分离成东、西两支独立的冰川;博格达峰四工河4号冰川末端1962-1981年退缩速率为6 m•a^-1,1981-2006年为8.9 m•a^-1,2006-2009年为13.3 m•a^-1。表碛覆盖的青冰滩72号冰川和74号冰川末端1964-2009年退缩速率分别为41 m•a^-1和30 m•a^-1,远较无表碛覆盖的庙儿沟平顶冰川退缩迅速（1972-2007年冰川末端退缩速率为2.32 m•a^-1）。表面特征（表碛）亦是造成冰川变化差异的一个主要原因。     

祁连山北大河流域冰川变化遥感监测

基于1956年地形图和2003年ASTER影像数据,在RS和GIS技术支持下,确定了1956年和2003年的冰川边界,对祁连山北大河流域冰川近47 a来的变化进行了研究。结果表明：该流域372条冰川面积在47 a间共减小了33.56 km²,平均每条减小0.09 km²,变化率-15.42%,冰川末端累计退缩51 015 m。分析显示,小冰川比大冰川消融的更快。对研究区附近气象站近年来的年平均气温、夏季平均气温和年降水量进行分析,认为气温升高是北大河流域冰川快速萎缩的主要原因。与中国西部其他冰川进行对比研究发现,北大河流域冰川消融速率比新疆要快,但较黑河流域及其他子流域要慢,初步推测是由冰川所在区域的气候及冰川自身因素共同作用的结果。     

Region-wide glacier area and mass budgets for the Shaksgam River Basin,Karakoram Mountains,during 2000–2016

The Karakoram Mountains are well known for their widespread surge-type glaciers and slight glacier mass gains.On the one hand,glaciers are one of the sensitive indicators of climate change,their area and thickness will adjust with climate change.On the other hand,glaciers provide freshwater resources for agricultural irrigation and hydroelectric generation in the downstream areas of the Shaksgam River Basin(SRB)in western China.The shrinkage of glaciers caused by climate change can significantly affect the security and sustainable development of regional water resources.In this study,we analyzed the changes in glacier area from 2000 to 2016 in the SRB using Landsat TM(Thematic Mapper)/ETM+(Enhanced Mapper Plus)/OLI(Operational Land Imager)images.It is shown that the SRB contained 472 glaciers,with an area of 1840.3 km2,in 2016.The glacier area decreased by 0.14%/a since 2000,and the shrinkage of glacier in the southeast,east and south directions were the most,while the northeast,north directions were the least.Debris-covered area accounted for 8.0%of the total glacier area.We estimated elevation and mass changes using the 1 arc-second SRTM(Shuttle Radar Topography Mission)DEM(Digital Elevation Model)(2000)and the resolution of 8 m HMA(High Mountain Asia)DEM(2016).An average thickness of 0.08(±0.03)m/a,or a slight mass increase of 0.06(±0.02)m w.e./a has been obtained since 2000.We found thinning was significantly lesser on the clean ice than the debris-covered ice.In addition,the elevation of glacier surface is spatially heterogeneous,showing that the accumulation of mass is dominant in high altitude regions,and the main mass loss is in low altitude regions,excluding the surge-type glacier.For surge-type glaciers,the mass may transfer from the reservoir to the receiving area rapidly when surges,then resulting in an advance of glacier terminus.The main surge mechanism is still unclear,it is worth noting that the surge did not increase the glacier mass in this study.     

Multi-decadal variations in glacier flow velocity and the influencing factors of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in Tianshan Mountains,Northwest China

Urumqi Glacier No. 1 is a representative glacier in the inland areas of Central Asia and is the only Chinese reference glacier in the World Glacier Monitoring Service. In this study, we explored multi-decadal variations in the flow velocity of the glacier and the influencing factors based on continuous field observations and path coefficient analysis. Results show that the glacier flow velocity decreased from 5.5 m/a in 1980/1981 to 3.3 m/a in 2010/2011. The annual variation in the direction of glacier flow velocity in the western branch and eastern branch was less than 1°–3°, and the change of glacier flow velocity in the western branch was more dramatic than that in the eastern branch. Glacier flow velocity was influenced by glacier morphology(including glacier area, glacier length, and ice thickness), glacier mass balance and local climate conditions(air temperature and precipitation), the glacier morphology being the leading factor. The long-term flow velocity data set of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 contributes to a better understanding of glacier dynamics within the context of climatic warming.     

1959-2009年乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川零平衡线高度变化研究

基于1959-2009年间天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川观测资料,研究了该冰川零平衡线高度变化特征,并建立了零平衡线高度与夏季气温和夏季降水量之间的统计关系。研究表明:近51年来,1号冰川零平衡线高度呈缓慢上升、缓慢下降、急剧上升、急剧下降的变化趋势,但总体呈上升趋势,且该冰川零平衡线高度上升了约45m。1号冰川零平衡线高度和年净物质平衡有良好的线性关系,冰川处于稳定状态时的零平衡线高度为4018m。此外,对1号冰川零平衡线高度的气候敏感性研究表明,如果夏季气温升高(或降低)1℃,那么该冰川零平衡线高度将上升(或下降)约64m;如果夏季降水量增加(或减少)100mm,那么该冰川零平衡线高度将下降(上升)约21m,夏季气温是影响冰川零平衡线高度变化的主要气候因素。     

Impact of climate change on the streamflow in the glacierized Chu River Basin,Central Asia

Catchments dominated by meltwater runoff are sensitive to climate change as changes in precipitation and temperature inevitably affect the characteristics of glaciermelt/snowmelt, hydrologic circle and water resources. This study simulated the impact of climate change on the runoff generation and streamflow of Chu River Basin(CRB), a glacierized basin in Central Asia using the enhanced Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT). The model was calibrated and validated using the measured monthly streamflow data from three discharge gauge stations in CRB for the period 1961–1985 and was subsequently driven by downscaled future climate projections of five Global Circulation Models(GCMs) in Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5) under three radiative forcing scenarios(RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). In this study, the period 1966–1995 was used as the baseline period, while 2016–2045 and 2066–2095 as the near-future and far-future period, respectively. As projected, the climate would become warmer and drier under all scenarios in the future, and the future climate would be characterized by larger seasonal and annual variations under higher RCP. A general decreasing trend was identified in the average annual runoff in glacier(–26.6% to –1.0%), snow(–21.4% to +1.1%) and streamflow(–27.7% to –6.6%) for most of the future scenario periods. The projected maximum streamflow in each of the two future scenarios occurred one month earlier than that in the baseline period because of the reduced streamflow in summer months. Results of this study are expected to arouse the serious concern about water resource availability in the headwater region of CRB under the continuously warming climate. Changes in simulated hydrologic outputs underscored the significance of lowering the uncertainties in temperature and precipitation projection.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of the inter-annual oscillations of glacier mass over Central Asia inferred from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment(GRACE) data

Monitoring glacier mass balance is crucial to managing water resources and also to understanding climate change for the arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia. This study extracted the inter-annual oscillations of glacier mass over Central Asia from the first ten principal components(S-PCs) of filtered variability via multichannel singular spectral analysis(MSSA), based on gridded data of glacier mass inferred from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment(GRACE) data obtained from July 2002 to March 2015. Two significant cycles of glacier mass balance oscillations were identified. The first cycle with a period of 6.1-year accounted for 54.5% of the total variance and the second with a period of 2.3-year accounted for 4.3%. The 6.1-year oscillation exhibited a stronger variability compared with the 2.3-year oscillation. For the 6.1-year oscillation, the results from lagged cross-correlation function suggested that there were significant correlations between glacier mass balances and precipitation variations with the precipitation variations leading the response of glacier mass balances by 9–16 months.     

1976-2010年祁连山中段岗格尔肖合力雪山冰川退缩和气候变化的关系研究

运用最大似然监督分类法和比值阈值法（TM3/TM5）结合目视解译方法,从1976、1990、2001和2010的MSS、TM、ETM影像中提取了岗格尔肖合力雪山四个时段的冰川边界,并结合距其较近的托勒、野牛沟、祁连、德令哈和刚察5个气象站点1960-2010年年总降水量数据和年平均气温数据进行了分析,得到如下结论：1）...     

1973-2010年布喀塔格峰冰川波动对气候变化的响应

通过遥感图像处理技术和目视解译方法提取1973-2010年位于昆仑山中段的布喀塔格峰冰川界限,用GIS分析近37a冰川面积变化,并系统地研究其对气候变化的响应情况。结果表明:1973-2010年布喀塔格峰冰帽表现先扩大(1973-1976年)后退缩(1976-2010年)趋势,总面积缩小了5.42%,每年退缩0.14%。分析1960-2010年研究区的气候变化特征,发现布喀塔格峰冰帽退缩的关键因素是气候变暖,年降水量的增加不能够抵消由夏季温度剧烈上升导致的冰川消融率,并且地形条件、地理位置以及冰川规模都是影响冰川波动的重要因素。     

Spatial variability between glacier mass balance and environmental factors in the High Mountain Asia

High Mountain Asia (HMA) region contains the world's highest peaks and the largest concentration of glaciers except for the polar regions, making it sensitive to global climate change. In the context of global warming, most glaciers in the HMA show various degrees of negative mass balance, while some show positive or near-neutral balance. Many studies have reported that spatial heterogeneity in glacier mass balance is strongly related to a combination of climate parameters. However, this spatial heterogeneity may vary according to the dynamic patterns of climate change at regional or continental scale. The reasons for this may be related to non-climatic factors. To understand the mechanisms by which spatial heterogeneity forms, it is necessary to establish the relationships between glacier mass balance and environmental factors related to topography and morphology. In this study, climate, topography, morphology, and other environmental factors are investigated. Geodetector and linear regression analysis were used to explore the driving factors of spatial variability of glacier mass balance in the HMA by using elevation change data during 2000-2016. The results show that the coverage of supraglacial debris is an essential factor affecting the spatial heterogeneity of glacier mass balance, followed by climatic factors and topographic factors, especially the median elevation and slope in the HMA. There are some differences among mountain regions and the explanatory power of climatic factors on the spatial differentiation of glacier mass balance in each mountain region is weak, indicating that climatic background of each mountain region is similar. Therefore, under similar climatic backgrounds, the median elevation and slope are most correlated with glacier mass balance. The interaction of various factors is enhanced, but no unified interaction factor plays a primary role. Topographic and morphological factors also control the spatial heterogeneity of glacier mass balance by influencing its sensitivity to climate change. In conclusion, geodetector method provides an objective framework for revealing the factors controlling glacier mass balance.     

气候变化对青海高原冰川资源的影响评价

青海高原位于青藏高原的东北部,区内有现代冰川2965条,冰川面积3675km2,冰储量2650×108m3。冰川面积占全国冰川总面积的6.19%,占西北冰川总面积的6.31%,是我国中低纬度地带山岳冰川较多的地区。青海高原山岳冰川具有稳定河川径流和调节作用,是青海高原水资源的重要组成部分。青海高原气候自20世纪80年代中后期出现由暖干向暖湿变化,对冰川生存和发展,提供了物质基础和环境条件。据预测到2050年青海高原温度上升2.2-2.6℃,降水量增加6~15%,青海高原现代冰川虽有退缩,但未来冰川不一定消失。     

Long-term variations in runoff of the Syr Darya River Basin under climate change and human activities

In this study,we analyzed the hydrological and meteorological data from the Syr Darya River Basin during the period of 1930–2015 to investigate variations in river runoff and the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff.The Syr Darya River,which is supplied by snow and glacier meltwater upstream,is an important freshwater source for Central Asia,as nearly half of the population is concentrated in this area.River runoff in this arid region is sensitive to climate change and human activities.Therefore,estimation of the climatic and hydrological changes and the quantification of the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff are of great concern and important for regional water resources management.The long-term trends of hydrological time series from the selected 11 hydrological stations in the Syr Darya River Basin were examined by non-parametric methods,including the Pettitt change point test and Mann-Kendall trend tests.It was found that 8 out of 11 hydrological stations showed significant downward trends in river runof f.Change of river runoff variations occurred in the year around 1960.Moreover,during the study period(1930–2015),annual mean temperature,annual precipitation,and annual potential evapotranspiration in the river basin increased substantially.We employed hydrological sensitivity method to evaluate the impacts of climate change and human activities on river runoff based on precipitation and potential evapotranspiration.It was estimated that human activities accounted for over 82.6%–98.7%of the reduction in river runoff,mainly owing to water withdrawal for irrigation purpose.The observed variations in river runoff can subsequently lead to adverse ecological consequences from an ecological and regional water resources management perspective.     

近40年东帕米尔高原冰川变化及其对气候的响应

以1972年、2000年和2011年Landsat Mss/TM/ETM+遥感影像处理和目视解译结果为依据,分析了东帕米尔高原1972～2011年冰川变化情况。结果表明:1972～2011年研究区冰川面积、储量减少了103.97km2和8.04km3,分别占1972年冰川总面积、储量的5.79%和6.69%。但冰川退缩具有不等速性,1972～2000年面积、储量年退缩百分比分别为0.182%和0.212%,而2000～2011年仅为0.045%和0.048%。对流域内两个气象站气候资料的分析表明:1972～2000年冰川快速退缩与1970～1980年气温偏高而降水偏少有关,2000～2011年冰川退缩趋缓与80年代以后相对低温和湿润气候相关。