Features of climate change and their effects on glacier snow melting in Xinjiang, China

Abstract

The features of climate change and their effects on glacier snow melting in the past 50years (1961–2010) in Xinjiang were studied. Regional climate data for 49 meteorological stations in the Tianshan Mountains and the northern and southern areas of Xinjiang were collected with the aid of techniques such as climatological statistical diagnosis, regional climate models, remote sensing, and geographic information system. The annual average temperature displayed a rising trend across the Tianshan mountainous area and both areas of Xinjiang. The trend was particularly apparent in winter and autumn with the rate of increase in the annual average minimum temperature being significantly higher than that of the maximum temperature. Rainfall also tended to increase in all three areas over the 50-year period, with the magnitude of change being highest in the mountainous area followed by northern Xinjiang and then southern Xinjiang. As a result of the rising temperatures, there was a negative material balance among the region's glaciers, of which the year 1982/1983 was the key year for the development of Tianshan mountain glacier snow. After this date, glacial ablation intensified with an annual change increase in average temperature of 1°C, leading to a glacier material balance change of about 300mm. To establish rainfall and temperature sequences for three regional climate change scenarios in the 2011–2050 period, we adopted the delta method using actual measurements during the 1961–2000 period against corrected data from rainfall and temperature simulations. All three scenarios indicated that temperatures will continue to increase, that the increase in rainfall may decrease in mountainous regions but will increase in the basin, and that the speed of glacial ablation in Xinjiang will continue to accelerate.