Advertisement

You are browsing the archive for china glacier retreat Archives - From a Glacier's Perspective.

October 26, 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 …

Read More >>


October 2, 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 …

Read More >>


July 18, 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 …

Read More >>


January 3, 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 …

Read More >>


December 6, 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. …

Read More >>


November 1, 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 …

Read More >>


October 24, 2017

Gangge’er Glacier, Retreat & Tributary Separation Qilian Mt. China

Gangge’er Glacier, Qilian Mt., China comparison in 1997 and 2017 Landsat Images.  Yellow arrows indicates 2017 terminus, red arrows the 1990 terminus, and purple arrows tributaries that have detached.  The snowline is  purple dots and Points 1-3 indicate bare rock areas amidst the glacier. The largest glacier in the Gangge’er Xiaoheli Shan range of the the Qilian Mountains in China, here referred to as Gangge’er Glacier, drains northwest into the …

Read More >>


December 16, 2016

Laigu Glacier, China Retreat Lake Expansion

Landsat image comparison of the Laigu Glacier in 1988 and 2015.  The red arrow indicates the 1988 terminus and the yellow arrow the 2015 terminus location.  The purple dots in 2015 indicate the snowline. Laigu (Lhagu) Glacier, China is in the Kangri Karpo Mountains of the Southeast Tibet Plateau and drains into the Salween River.  This is the largest glacier in its region at 32 km in length.  The glacier …

Read More >>


June 21, 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 …

Read More >>


June 7, 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 …

Read More >>