Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing
<p>Under global climate change, glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau are experiencing severe retreat, which significantly impacts the regional water cycle and the occurrence of natural hazards. However, detailed insights into the spatiotemporal patterns of this retreat and its climatic drivers rema...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/5595/2024/tc-18-5595-2024.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846142594180972544 |
|---|---|
| author | F. Zhao F. Zhao W. Gong S. Bianchini Z. Yang |
| author_facet | F. Zhao F. Zhao W. Gong S. Bianchini Z. Yang |
| author_sort | F. Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Under global climate change, glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau are experiencing severe retreat, which significantly impacts the regional water cycle and the occurrence of natural hazards. However, detailed insights into the spatiotemporal patterns of this retreat and its climatic drivers remain insufficiently explored. In this study, an adaptive glacier extraction index (AGEI) is proposed based on the analysis of multispectral Landsat images integrated with the Google Earth Engine, and comprehensive and high-resolution mapping of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau is realized at 5-year intervals from 1988 to 2022. Subsequently, the ERA5-Land air temperature and precipitation data are downscaled to a finer 1 <span class="inline-formula">km</span> resolution. Finally, the impacts of the annual and seasonal changes in the downscaled meteorological factors on the glacier extent are quantified. Results demonstrate a rapid yet heterogeneous pattern of glacier retreat across the Tibetan Plateau between 1988 and 2022, with retreat rates ranging from 0.14 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.07 % to 0.51 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.09 % annually. A notable trend is observed: most glaciers experienced a decrease in extent from 1990 to 2000 followed by a slight increase from 2000 to 2010. From 2010, a majority of the glaciers exhibited either a static state or minimal retreat. The most pronounced impact of annual temperature on glacier retreat is observed in the southern Himalayas, with a value of <span class="inline-formula">−</span>9.34 <span class="inline-formula">×</span> 10<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span> <span class="inline-formula">km<sup>2</sup> °C<sup>−1</sup></span>, and the most restraining impact of precipitation on glacier retreat reaches 261 <span class="inline-formula">km<sup>2</sup> mm<sup>−1</sup></span>, which is observed in the Karakoram Range for the spring season. These insights are pivotal in comprehending the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of glacier retreats and in understanding the effects of climatic variations on the state of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fe7f2e5a992143fe85b24b5f8cf788a3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-fe7f2e5a992143fe85b24b5f8cf788a32024-12-03T08:01:15ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242024-12-01185595561210.5194/tc-18-5595-2024Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensingF. Zhao0F. Zhao1W. Gong2S. Bianchini3Z. Yang4Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, ChinaFaculty of Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaFaculty of Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, ChinaEarth Sciences Department, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, ItalyPowerChina Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited, Chengdu, 610072, China<p>Under global climate change, glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau are experiencing severe retreat, which significantly impacts the regional water cycle and the occurrence of natural hazards. However, detailed insights into the spatiotemporal patterns of this retreat and its climatic drivers remain insufficiently explored. In this study, an adaptive glacier extraction index (AGEI) is proposed based on the analysis of multispectral Landsat images integrated with the Google Earth Engine, and comprehensive and high-resolution mapping of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau is realized at 5-year intervals from 1988 to 2022. Subsequently, the ERA5-Land air temperature and precipitation data are downscaled to a finer 1 <span class="inline-formula">km</span> resolution. Finally, the impacts of the annual and seasonal changes in the downscaled meteorological factors on the glacier extent are quantified. Results demonstrate a rapid yet heterogeneous pattern of glacier retreat across the Tibetan Plateau between 1988 and 2022, with retreat rates ranging from 0.14 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.07 % to 0.51 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 0.09 % annually. A notable trend is observed: most glaciers experienced a decrease in extent from 1990 to 2000 followed by a slight increase from 2000 to 2010. From 2010, a majority of the glaciers exhibited either a static state or minimal retreat. The most pronounced impact of annual temperature on glacier retreat is observed in the southern Himalayas, with a value of <span class="inline-formula">−</span>9.34 <span class="inline-formula">×</span> 10<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span> <span class="inline-formula">km<sup>2</sup> °C<sup>−1</sup></span>, and the most restraining impact of precipitation on glacier retreat reaches 261 <span class="inline-formula">km<sup>2</sup> mm<sup>−1</sup></span>, which is observed in the Karakoram Range for the spring season. These insights are pivotal in comprehending the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of glacier retreats and in understanding the effects of climatic variations on the state of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau.</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/5595/2024/tc-18-5595-2024.pdf |
| spellingShingle | F. Zhao F. Zhao W. Gong S. Bianchini Z. Yang Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing The Cryosphere |
| title | Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing |
| title_full | Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing |
| title_fullStr | Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing |
| title_short | Linking glacier retreat with climate change on the Tibetan Plateau through satellite remote sensing |
| title_sort | linking glacier retreat with climate change on the tibetan plateau through satellite remote sensing |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/5595/2024/tc-18-5595-2024.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fzhao linkingglacierretreatwithclimatechangeonthetibetanplateauthroughsatelliteremotesensing AT fzhao linkingglacierretreatwithclimatechangeonthetibetanplateauthroughsatelliteremotesensing AT wgong linkingglacierretreatwithclimatechangeonthetibetanplateauthroughsatelliteremotesensing AT sbianchini linkingglacierretreatwithclimatechangeonthetibetanplateauthroughsatelliteremotesensing AT zyang linkingglacierretreatwithclimatechangeonthetibetanplateauthroughsatelliteremotesensing |