Analyses of recent observations of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Chinese Tianshan Mountains

Abstract

As a reference glacier in the World Glacier Monitoring Service, Urumqi Glacier No. 1 is the best-observed glacier in China and provides the longest glaciological and climatological monitoring record. A topographic survey was carried out in 2012 using the real-time kinematic global positioning system. Glacier thickness was surveyed using ground penetrating radar in the same year. In addition, glacier terminus change and mass balance were surveyed every year until 2014. The glacier area was totally 1.59 km2, and the east and west branches occupied 1.02 and 0.57 km2 in 2012, respectively. The glacier area had decreased by 0.31 km2 from 1962 to 2012. Average ice thickness was 44.50 m in 2012 and had thinned by 0.34 m a−1 over 1981–2012. The shrinkage of this glacier is mainly due to climate warming, especially summer temperature rise. Topographic characteristics resulted in a difference in terminus retreat, thickness decrease, and area shrinkage between the east and west branches of this glacier. The analysis suggests that this glacier will possibly continue to shrink in future, at least in a coming decade, since it needs a response time to previous warming.