Modern and Little Ice Age glaciers in “humid” and “arid” areas of the Tien Shan, Central Asia: two different patterns of fluctuation

Abstract

Patterns of retreat from maximum Little Ice Age (LIA) to present limits are studied at 20 glaciers in the relatively humid northwestern front ranges and arid inner areas of the Tien Shan, Central Asia. The depression of equilibrium-line altitudes has been calculated using several approaches. Data on changes of elevation ranges, glacier length and area are used to compare the patterns of glacier fluctuation. It is found that the large LIA glaciers in the warm and humid northwestern frontal ranges were 1.5–1.9 times larger in area than the modern glaciers; and the LIA glaciers in cold and arid inner parts of the Tien Shan were only 1.03–1.07 times larger. The changes in terminus-to-headwall elevation ranges are about 1.3–1.6 and 1.02–1.10, respectively. The largest LIA glaciers were 1.4–1.9 times longer than modern glaciers in “humid” ranges and only 1.02–1.12 times longer in “arid” areas. The maximum equilibrium-line depressions are approximately 100–200 m in “humid”areas and 20–50 m in “arid”areas. These results suggest that the glaciers in the “humid” areas are likely to be more variable than those in “arid” areas. The differences may be explained either by differences in the sensitivity of glaciers to climate change or by variability of climate signals from one area to another.