Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau

The mass balance of glaciers requires more detailed and continuous observations to understand their seasonal change in relation to climate. Here, we designed and installed an automated real-time monitoring platform at 4645 m a.s.l. on the Baishui River Glacier No.1 to collect continuous high-resolut...

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Main Authors: Chuya Wang, Yuande Yang, Shijin Wang, Songtao Ai, Yanjun Che, Junhao Wang, Leiyu Li, Fei Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2023-09-01
Series:Annals of Glaciology
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0260305523000484/type/journal_article
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author Chuya Wang
Yuande Yang
Shijin Wang
Songtao Ai
Yanjun Che
Junhao Wang
Leiyu Li
Fei Li
author_facet Chuya Wang
Yuande Yang
Shijin Wang
Songtao Ai
Yanjun Che
Junhao Wang
Leiyu Li
Fei Li
author_sort Chuya Wang
collection DOAJ
description The mass balance of glaciers requires more detailed and continuous observations to understand their seasonal change in relation to climate. Here, we designed and installed an automated real-time monitoring platform at 4645 m a.s.l. on the Baishui River Glacier No.1 to collect continuous high-resolution observational data, and analyzed the seasonal dynamic from glacier movement and surface mass balance from glacier melting and snow accumulation. The results showed that the platform moved northeastward ~12.9 m at a rate of 0.06 ± 0.02 m d−1 between September 2021 and April 2022. The surface mass balance showed a varied temporal period. July and August were the main ablation periods, while ablation decreased and ceased in September. The glacier neither melted nor accumulated much between October and December, but began to have rapid snow accumulation in January. The glacier surface temperature varied with the air temperature and showed significant inter-seasonal differences among monsoon, post-monsoon and winter seasons. The surface mass balance also exhibited a strong response to the air temperature changes, with an average decrease of 1°C the point mass balance increased by 0.11 m w.e. from monsoon to post-monsoon and 0.22 m w.e. from post-monsoon to winter. Moreover, we found snowfall caused a decrease in the glacier surface temperature by increasing the surface albedo.
format Article
id doaj-art-e55742a638084a8280a7c4f11c8dc47f
institution Kabale University
issn 0260-3055
1727-5644
language English
publishDate 2023-09-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Annals of Glaciology
spelling doaj-art-e55742a638084a8280a7c4f11c8dc47f2024-11-27T11:13:48ZengCambridge University PressAnnals of Glaciology0260-30551727-56442023-09-016430931910.1017/aog.2023.48Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateauChuya Wang0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5054-2367Yuande Yang1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7689-9698Shijin Wang2Songtao Ai3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6677-3899Yanjun Che4Junhao Wang5Leiyu Li6Fei Li7Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaChinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China Key Laboratory of Polar Environment Monitoring and Public Governance, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaYulong Snow Mountain Glacier and Environment Observation and Research Station/State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaChinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China Key Laboratory of Polar Environment Monitoring and Public Governance, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Geography Science, Yichun University, Yichun, ChinaChinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaChinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaChinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China Key Laboratory of Polar Environment Monitoring and Public Governance, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, ChinaThe mass balance of glaciers requires more detailed and continuous observations to understand their seasonal change in relation to climate. Here, we designed and installed an automated real-time monitoring platform at 4645 m a.s.l. on the Baishui River Glacier No.1 to collect continuous high-resolution observational data, and analyzed the seasonal dynamic from glacier movement and surface mass balance from glacier melting and snow accumulation. The results showed that the platform moved northeastward ~12.9 m at a rate of 0.06 ± 0.02 m d−1 between September 2021 and April 2022. The surface mass balance showed a varied temporal period. July and August were the main ablation periods, while ablation decreased and ceased in September. The glacier neither melted nor accumulated much between October and December, but began to have rapid snow accumulation in January. The glacier surface temperature varied with the air temperature and showed significant inter-seasonal differences among monsoon, post-monsoon and winter seasons. The surface mass balance also exhibited a strong response to the air temperature changes, with an average decrease of 1°C the point mass balance increased by 0.11 m w.e. from monsoon to post-monsoon and 0.22 m w.e. from post-monsoon to winter. Moreover, we found snowfall caused a decrease in the glacier surface temperature by increasing the surface albedo.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0260305523000484/type/journal_articleBaishui River Glacier No.1glacier changeGNSSlaser rangerreal-time monitor
spellingShingle Chuya Wang
Yuande Yang
Shijin Wang
Songtao Ai
Yanjun Che
Junhao Wang
Leiyu Li
Fei Li
Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau
Annals of Glaciology
Baishui River Glacier No.1
glacier change
GNSS
laser ranger
real-time monitor
title Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau
title_full Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau
title_fullStr Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau
title_full_unstemmed Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau
title_short Seasonal glacier change revealed from the real-time monitoring platform on Baishui River Glacier No.1 in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau
title_sort seasonal glacier change revealed from the real time monitoring platform on baishui river glacier no 1 in yulong snow mountain southeastern qinghai tibet plateau
topic Baishui River Glacier No.1
glacier change
GNSS
laser ranger
real-time monitor
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0260305523000484/type/journal_article
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