Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas
The glaciers of the Himalayas are essential for water resources in South Asia and the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, but they are undergoing accelerated mass loss, posing risks to water security and increasing glacial hazards. This study examines long-term changes in the geometry and flow speeds of both lan...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| author | Min Zhou Yuzhe Wang Tong Zhang Weijun Sun Yetang Wang |
| author_facet | Min Zhou Yuzhe Wang Tong Zhang Weijun Sun Yetang Wang |
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| description | The glaciers of the Himalayas are essential for water resources in South Asia and the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, but they are undergoing accelerated mass loss, posing risks to water security and increasing glacial hazards. This study examines long-term changes in the geometry and flow speeds of both land- and lake-terminating glaciers at the headwaters of the Yarlung Zangbo River, using field measurements, remote sensing, and numerical ice flow modeling. We observed significant heterogeneity in glacier behaviors across the region, with notable differences between glacier terminus types and even among neighboring glaciers of the same type. Between 1974 and 2020, glacier thinning and mass loss rates doubled in the early 21st century (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>0.57</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>0.05</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> m w.e. a<sup>−1</sup>) compared to 1974–2000 (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>0.24</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>0.11</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> m w.e. a<sup>−1</sup>). While lake-terminating glaciers generally experienced more rapid retreat and mass loss, the land-terminating N241 Glacier displayed comparable mass loss rates. Lake-terminating glaciers retreated by over 1000 m between 1990 and 2019, while land-terminating glaciers retreated by less than 750 m. The ITS_LIVE velocity dataset showed higher and more variable flow speeds in lake-terminating glaciers. Numerical modeling from 2000 to 2017 revealed divergent changes in flow regimes, with lake-terminating glaciers generally experiencing acceleration, while land-terminating glaciers showed either a slowing down or stable flow behavior. Our findings underscore the significant role of lake-terminating glaciers in contributing to ice mass loss, emphasizing the need for advanced glacier models that incorporate dynamic processes such as frontal calving and longitudinal coupling. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-0c8b3223bf90459089a6c7222160c3422025-01-10T13:20:02ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-12-011714010.3390/rs17010040Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western HimalayasMin Zhou0Yuzhe Wang1Tong Zhang2Weijun Sun3Yetang Wang4College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, ChinaCollege of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, ChinaThe glaciers of the Himalayas are essential for water resources in South Asia and the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, but they are undergoing accelerated mass loss, posing risks to water security and increasing glacial hazards. This study examines long-term changes in the geometry and flow speeds of both land- and lake-terminating glaciers at the headwaters of the Yarlung Zangbo River, using field measurements, remote sensing, and numerical ice flow modeling. We observed significant heterogeneity in glacier behaviors across the region, with notable differences between glacier terminus types and even among neighboring glaciers of the same type. Between 1974 and 2020, glacier thinning and mass loss rates doubled in the early 21st century (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>0.57</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>0.05</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> m w.e. a<sup>−1</sup>) compared to 1974–2000 (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>0.24</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>0.11</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> m w.e. a<sup>−1</sup>). While lake-terminating glaciers generally experienced more rapid retreat and mass loss, the land-terminating N241 Glacier displayed comparable mass loss rates. Lake-terminating glaciers retreated by over 1000 m between 1990 and 2019, while land-terminating glaciers retreated by less than 750 m. The ITS_LIVE velocity dataset showed higher and more variable flow speeds in lake-terminating glaciers. Numerical modeling from 2000 to 2017 revealed divergent changes in flow regimes, with lake-terminating glaciers generally experiencing acceleration, while land-terminating glaciers showed either a slowing down or stable flow behavior. Our findings underscore the significant role of lake-terminating glaciers in contributing to ice mass loss, emphasizing the need for advanced glacier models that incorporate dynamic processes such as frontal calving and longitudinal coupling.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/1/40glacier mass changelake-terminating glacierflow regime modelingYarlung Zangbo RiverHimalaya |
| spellingShingle | Min Zhou Yuzhe Wang Tong Zhang Weijun Sun Yetang Wang Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas Remote Sensing glacier mass change lake-terminating glacier flow regime modeling Yarlung Zangbo River Himalaya |
| title | Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas |
| title_full | Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas |
| title_fullStr | Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas |
| title_short | Characterizing Changes in Geometry and Flow Speeds of Land- and Lake-Terminating Glaciers at the Headwaters of Yarlung Zangbo River, Western Himalayas |
| title_sort | characterizing changes in geometry and flow speeds of land and lake terminating glaciers at the headwaters of yarlung zangbo river western himalayas |
| topic | glacier mass change lake-terminating glacier flow regime modeling Yarlung Zangbo River Himalaya |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/1/40 |
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