What question did this study set out to answer?

To quantify decadal changes in glacier surface area and mass balance across western China under conditions of regional warming.

January 1, 2006Annals of GlaciologyOpen Access

The retreat of glaciers in response to recent climate warming in western China

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Authors

YDYongjian DingChinese Academy of Sciences SLShiyin LiuSouth China Agricultural University JLJing LiNortheast Normal University

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Implication

Remote-sensing survey reveals widespread retreat in high-altitude mountain glaciers, highlighting accelerating cryospheric ice wastage driven by climate warming.

Key Points

To quantify decadal changes in glacier surface area and mass balance across western China under conditions of regional warming.
Monitored areal changes across >5,000 glaciers over a 50-year period using remote-sensing imagery and Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses.
Assessed regional meteorological data detailing temperature increases of 0.2°C per decade since 1951 and precipitation increases of 5–10% per decade between 1953 and 1997.
Over 80% of monitored glaciers retreated, resulting in an overall 4.5% loss of their total areal coverage, despite isolated glacier advances.
Glaciers in the central and northwestern Tibetan Plateau remained relatively stable, whereas glaciers in surrounding peripheral mountain ranges exhibited extensive wastage.
Mass-balance measurements demonstrated accelerated ice shrinkage across recent decades.

Cite This Study

Ding et al. (2006) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0ddf536e03bc61cb09f62c https://doi.org/10.3189/172756406781812005

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Implication

Remote-sensing survey reveals widespread retreat in high-altitude mountain glaciers, highlighting accelerating cryospheric ice wastage driven by climate warming.

The retreat of glaciers in response to recent climate warming in western China

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

The retreat of glaciers in response to recent climate warming in western China

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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