Modeling Chinese cryospheric change by using GIS technology

Abstract

The Chinese Cryospheric Information System (CCIS) is an integrated geographic information system (GIS) for storing, managing and analyzing the cryospheric data within China. Three regions were selected as the case study areas of CCIS. They are the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, the regions along the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and the Urumqi River Basin of Tianshan Mountain. A draft geo-classification system that can express the logical hierarchy of cryospheric data was established. Based on this, CCIS stored large volumes of data, including maps of glacier, frozen ground and other environmental elements, digital elevation data, observation data of meteorological stations, hydrological gauges and permafrost boreholes and remote sensing data. CCIS is managed by ARC/INFO and can export data to other GIS environments easily, since data exchange interfaces were paid particular attention in the system. Based on CCIS, several GIS-based models about cryospheric processes and cryospheric response to global change have been developed. The models introduced are the following: a response model of high-altitude permafrost to global change, an evaluation model of engineering properties in permafrost regions along the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and a model of glacier mass balance estimation. The modeling results showed that the permafrost and glaciers in Chinese cryosphere will have significant changes under climatic warming.