You are browsing the archive for Tibet glacier retreat Archives - AGU Blogosphere.
22 May 2021
Mena Kang West Glacier retreat and lake expansion, Tibet, China
Mena Kang West Glacier in 2002, 2020 and 2021 Landsat images. Red arrow is the 2000 terminus location, yellow arrow the 2021 terminus location and pink dots the snowline. “Mena Kang West” Glacier is an unnamed glacier that is to the west of Mena Kang (6140 m) at 28 N, 91.6 W in Tibet, China. The glacier drains into the Nyamjang Chu, which flows south in Arunachal Pradesh, …
1 October 2020
Jiemayangzong Glacier, Tibet Retreat, Separation and Lake Expansion 1991-2020
Jiemayangzong Glacier in 1991 and 2020 Landsat images. The red arrow is the 1991 terminus location, yellow arrow is the 2020 terminus location and purple dots mark the snowline. Point A indicates a tributary that has disconnected, while bedrock expanded at Point B. Jiemayangzong Glacier drains east from 6200 m peaks along the Nepal-China border. The glacier ends in a lake- Jiemayangzong Tso. Ren et al (2016) identify this as …
9 January 2019
Drogpa Nagtsang Glacier, China Mass Balance Loss, Separation, Slow Down
Drogpa Nagtsang Glacier change in Landsat image from 1989 and 2018. Yellow arrow indicates 2018 terminus location, red arrow 1989 terminus location, red dot the lowest elevation of clean glacier ice. Points A-E are the same locations for comparison. Drogpa Nagtsang Glacier, China is a glacier that is 30 km west of Mount Everest that terminates in an expanding proglacial lake. The glacier begins on the Nepal border at 6400 …
26 October 2018
Lapche Glacier, China Supraglacial Ponds Transitioning to Lake
Lapche Glacier (Tibet 1), China in 1992 and 2018 Landsat images. The expansion of supraglacial ponds is evident between Point 2 and 3. A tributary that detaches between 1992 and 2018 is indicated by red arrow. The end of the clean ice and start of debris cover ice is just below Point 1 in 1992 and well above this Point in 2018. Lapche Glacier (Tibet 1), China flows east from …
2 October 2018
High Glacier Snow Line Post-Monsoon 2018 on Bhutan-China Border
Angge Glacier (A) and Bailang Glacier (B) in China and Chubda Glacier (C) in Bhutan in Post Monsoon 1995 and 2018 Landsat images indicating the snowline purple dots is exceptionally high in 2018. Red arrow is the 1995 terminus location and yellow arrows the 2018 terminus location. Point 1-3 are glacier passes from China into Bhutan. The end of the monsoon season leads to finally some clear satellite images of …
21 September 2018
Duiya Glacier, China Retreat Drives Lake Expansion
Duiya Glacier, China in 1990 and 2017 Landsat images. Red arrow indicates 1990 terminus, yellow arrow the 2017 terminus, pink arrow the terminus area of Duosangpuxi purple dots the snowline Duiya Glacier, China is in the Pumqu Basin northwest of Mount Everest. The glacier terminates in an expanding lake. King et al (2018) report the proglacial lake is dammed by a full moraine loop, and the glacier loses mass via calving as …
18 July 2018
Mount Tanggula Glaciers, China Thin and Separate
Changes in outlet glaciers of Tanggula Shan in Landsat images from 1993 and 2015. The Tanggula Shan is in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the headwaters of the Yangtze River and host approximately 1000 square kilometers of glaciers. Ke et al (2017) examined glaciers in the Dongkemadi Region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau revealed glacier thinning of 0.56 m/year from 2003-2008. The area loss of −0.31 km2/ year from 1976-2013, a 13% change …
24 May 2018
Suhai Hu Ice Cap, China Outlet Glacier Retreat
Suhai Hu, Quilian Mountains Ice Cap in 1999 and 2016 Landsat image indicating five different outlet glacier termini that all ended in proglacial lakes in 1999 and all retreated significantly by 2016. Here we examine an unnamed icecap that I refer to as the “Suhai Hu” Ice Cap and five of its largest outlet glaciers in the Qilian Mountains in northwest China, with Landsat imagery from 1999-2016. The northern outlet …
3 January 2018
Tajuco Glacier Lake, China Expands with Glacier Retreat
Tajuco Glacier terminating in Tajuco Lake retreat in 1994 and 2017 Landsat comparison. Red arrow is 1997 terminus location, yellow arrow is the 2017 terminus location and the purple dots are the snowline in 2017. Tajuco Glacier Lake is a moraine dammed glacier lake in the Tingri district of China. It drains into the Amur River which flows south into Nepal. Shijin et al (2015) reported on the expansion of …
6 December 2017
Zhongni Glacier Retreat, China and Hydropower
Zhongni Glacier changes from in Landsat images from 1994 to 2015. The red arrow is the 1994 terminus, yellow arrow the 2015 terminus, purple dots the snowline and purple arrows lakes adjacent to the margin of the western glacier in 1994. Zhongni Glacier is 15 km northwest of Gangotri Glacier just across the border into China. The glacier drains in to the Langgen Zangbo, which becomes the Sutlej River in India. …
1 November 2017
Chaxiqudong Glacier, Tibet Retreat From Lake & Tributary Separation
Chaxiqudong Glacier (C) at right and Paqu Glacier (P) at left in Landsat images from 1992 and 2017. The red arrow indicates the terminus in 1992 and the yellow dots the 2017 margin. Purple arrow indicates a glacier that disappeared and orange arrow separation of Paqu Glacier. Both glaciers no longer reach the lake. Chaxiqudong Glacier and Paqu Glacier are located in a sub-range north of the Nepal-China border. Chaxiqudong …
27 October 2017
Yanong Glacier, Tibet Retreat Lake Expansion 1992-2017
Yanong Glacier and North Yanong glacier in Landsat images form 1992 and 2017. Red arrows indicate 1992 terminus and yellow arrows the 2017 terminus. Yanong Glacier and North Yanong Glacier drain northwest from the western flank of Cho Oyu on the Nepal-China border and are in the Tama Khosi watershed. The glacier terminates in an expanding proglacial lake like a number of neighboring glaciers Drogpa Nagtsang, Rongbuk Glacier and Lumding Glacier. King …
17 October 2017
Chako Glacier, Tibet Retreats From Proglacial Lake
Chako Glacier, Tibet in Landsat images from 1991, 2001 and 2017. Red arrow indicates 1991 terminus, yellow arrow 2017 terminus, purple tributary glacier connection and orange arrow nearby icecap. Chako Glacier flows north from Chako Peak on the Nepal-Tibet, China border, in the Lugula Himal. Glacier runoff eventually reaches the Yarlung Tsangpo and then the Brahmaputra River. Gardelle et al, (2013) identified this glacier as part of their West Nepal region, which experienced …
15 June 2017
West Ganglung Glacier, Tibet Glacier Loses 20% of Length
Landsat image comparison from 1991, 2001 and 2016 of West Ganglung Glacier, red arrow is the 1991 terminus, yellow arrow the 2016 terminus, green arrow the eastern glacier proglacial terminus lake and purple arrow expanding zone between a former tributary and West Ganglung Glacier West Ganglung Glacier is on the China-India border 6 km west of Ganglun Grangri Peak meltwater enters the Sultej River and then Mapam Tso. the glacier terminates …
21 June 2016
Chutanjima Glacier Retreat & High Snowline, Tibet, China 1991-2015
A comparison of three Tibet glaciers in 1988, 1991 and 2015 Landsat images. Red arrows are the 1988 terminus position, yellow arrow the 2015 terminus location and purple dots the snowline in late October 2015. U=unnamed, CH=Chutanjima Glacier and MO=Mogunong Glacier: which did not retreat significantly and lacks a red arrow. A recent European Space Agency Sentinel-2A image of southern Tibet, China and Sikkim illustrated three very similar glaciers extending …
7 June 2016
Bailang Glacier and Angge Glacier Retreat, China 1995-2015
Comparison of 1995 and 2015 Landsat image illustrating 1995 (red arrows) and 2015 terminus locations (yellow arrows) of Bailang Glacier (B) and Angge Glacier (A). Purple arrows indicate areas upglacier of expanding bedrock due to glacier thinning. Head of Chubda Glacier (C), Bhutan indicated. Bailang Glacier and Angge Glacier, China are adjacent to the Chubda Glacier, Bhutan. Despite being in a different nation on a different side of the Himalaya, the …
3 March 2016
Jiongla Glacier, China Rapid Retreat 1988-2015
Jiongla Glacier retreat right and Jiangyegong Glacier left retreat from 1988 to 2015 in Landsat images. The red arrow is the 1988 terminus and the yellow arrow the 2015 terminus. Jiongla Glacier retreated 3200 m and Jiangyegong Glacier 800 m. Jiongla Glacier is at the northern boundary of the Brahmaputra River Basin at the east end of the Nyainqentanglha Shan. The glacier drains the western slopes of Koma Kangri Peak …
1 March 2016
Thong Wuk Glacier Terminus Tongue Collapse, China
Thong Wuk Glacier comparison in 1988 and 2015 Landsat image. Red arrow is the 1988 terminus location, yellow arrow the 2015 terminus location and orange arrow indicates expanding lake of Yanglang Glacier. There are two glaciers that drain the north side of Sepu Kangri Peak in the Eastern Nyainqêntanglha Mountains of Tibet in China. Thong Wuk to the east and Yanglang Galcier to the west. Most of the peaks in …
2 November 2015
Glacier Retreat expands Gelhaipuco Lake
Fig. H. Gelhaipuco Glacier (G) and Qangzonkco Glacier (Q) change from 1991 to 2015, red arrow indicates 1991 terminus, yellow arrow 2015 terminus and purple arrow indicates areas of thinning. Gelhaipuco is a glacier moraine dammed lake at the headwaters of the Natangqu River in the Pumqu Basin, Tibet, China. In 1964 the lake had an outburst flood that resulted in severe damage and economic losses in the Chinese Tibet …
29 October 2015
Zhizhai Glacier Retreat, Lake Expansion, China
Fig. H. Zhizhai Glacier change from 1991 to 2015, red arrow indicates 1991 terminus, yellow arrow 2015 terminus and purple arrow indicates areas of thinning. Green arrow indicates another lake growing with glacier retreat. Located between Longbashaba Glacier and Jimi Glacier, this glacier extends 4.75 km north from the Nepal-China border in the southeast region of the Pumqu River basin. The moraine dammed glacier lake, Zhuxico Lake, poses some risk …
