Variations in Firn Line Altitude and Firn Zone Area on Qiyi Glacier, Qilian Mountains, Over the Period of 1990 to 2011

Abstract

Firn line altitude is an indicator of equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and plays an important role in predicting climate behavior and global change. Landsat 30-m resolution data from clear sky at the end of 21 summer melt seasons (July and August, 1990–2011) were used to obtain the firn lines and extract the glacier boundary at Qiyi Glacier in the Qilian Mountains of China. High-resolution Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer 30-m resolution Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) was employed to obtain the firn line altitudes. The firn line altitudes on the Qiyi Glacier increased from 4540 m a.s.l. to 5000 m a.s.l. during the study period, a rise of 460 m. Changes in firn line altitudes had good positive correlations with air temperature data and were in good agreement with measured and simulated ELA changes. The calculated firn zone area decreased (increased) with the increase (decrease) of firn line altitude. Linear regression was used to fit the variational trend, indicating that the firn zone area decreased by ∼1.19 km2, with a change rate 0.057 km2 a-1, during the study period. The firn zone area ratio decreased from 76.2% to 18.1% during the same time.