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Changes in Glaciers and Glacial Lakes in the Bosula Mountain Range, Southeast Tibet, over the past Two Decades

Authors :
Jia Li
Yunyang Gu
Lixin Wu
Lei Guo
Haodong Xu
Zelang Miao
Source :
Remote Sensing, Vol 14, Iss 15, p 3792 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

Glaciers and glacial lakes in the Bosula Mountain Range need special attention, because their instability may cause disastrous consequences to the downstream settlements and the Sichuan-Tibet Road. The latter is a pivotal traffic line in the Southeast Tibetan Plateau. In order to investigate the state of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Bosula Mountain Range, we estimated the changes in glacier/glacial lake boundaries, glacier surface elevation, and glacier flow velocity between 2000 and 2021 based on multisource remote sensing data. Our results showed that, from the period 2000–2013 to the period 2013–2021, the average shrinking rate of glacier area increased from 0.99 km2/a to 1.74 km2/a, and the average expanding rate of glacial lake area increased from 0.04 km2/a to 0.06 km2/a. From the period 1990–2011 to the period 2015–2019, the average thinning rate of glaciers increased from 0.83 m/a to 1.58 m/a. These results indicate the Bosula Mountain Range is one of the fastest melting glacierized regions in the High Mountain Asia, and the factors that account for this may include quick temperature rise, abundant summer rainfall, and thin debris cover. In spite of strong ice melting, the observed changes in glacier boundaries, surface elevation, and flow velocity show no sign of surge activity, and the frequency of glacier lake outburst has not increased since 1989. Currently, three proglacial lakes that expanded quickly during 2000–2021 are now prominent hazards. They are directly threatened by accidental ice calving and ice avalanche, and their outburst could cause considerable damage to the downstream settlements and the Sichuan-Tibet Road.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20724292
Volume :
14
Issue :
15
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Remote Sensing
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.721d72132f7c44c5964c50161a7254d0
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14153792