Publication Date:
2017-07-29
Description:
Glaciers are significant fresh water storage systems in western China and contribute substantially to the summertime runoff of many large rivers in the Tibetan Plateau. Under the scenario of climate change, discussions of glacier variability and melting contributions in alpine basins are important for understanding the runoff composition and ensuring that water resources are adequately managed and protected in the downstream areas. Based on the multi-source spatial data and long-term ground observation of climatic and hydrologic data, using the remote sensing interpretation, degree-day model, and ice volume method, we presented a comprehensive study of the glacier changes in number, area, and termini and their impacts on summertime runoff and water resource in the Tuotuo River basin, located in the source region of the Yangtze River. The results indicated that climate change, especially rising temperature, accelerated the glacier melting and consequently led to hydrological change. From 1969 to 2009, the glacier retreat showed an absolutely dominant tendency with 13 reduced glaciers and lost glacier area of 45.05 km 2 , accompanied by limited growing glaciers in the study area. Meanwhile, it indicated that annual glacial runoff was averagely 0.38×10 8 m 3 , accounting for 4.96 % of the total summertime runoff, followed by the supply from precipitation and snowmelt. The reliability of this magnitude was assessed by the classic volume method, which also showed that the water resources from glacier melting in the Tuotuo River basin increased by approximate 17.11×10 8 m 3 , accounting for about 3.77 % of the total runoff over the whole period of 1969 - 2009. Findings from this study will serve as a reference for future research about glacier hydrology in regions where observational data are deficient. Also it can help the planning of future water management strategies in the source region of the Yangtze River.
Print ISSN:
0885-6087
Electronic ISSN:
1099-1085
Topics:
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying
,
Geography
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