Urumqi Glacier Research Articles

Variation in Albedo and Its Relationship With Surface Dust at Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in Tien Shan, China

Surface albedo is an important driver of surface processes that promote glacier melting and is a key variable influencing glacier surface melt. Despite much focus in the literature on variation in albedo and its influence on snow surfaces, little attention has been paid to dust and its impact on bare-ice albedo with respect to glacier melting surfaces. In this paper, spatial changes in glacier albedo were investigated using three Landsat images taken during the ablation season in 2006; temporal variations in albedo were measured by an automatic weather station in the ablation zone between 26 June and 1 August 2007, at Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in Tien Shan. Ice and snow samples, and reflection spectra at 325–1050 nm were collected in August, 2007 at Urumqi Glacier No. 1. The data suggested that spatial changes in glacier albedo are not prominent after snowfall; however, once ice becomes exposed, glacier albedo varies remarkably and generally increases with elevation, especially around the equilibrium line. Temporal variations are characterized by a large range and high frequency, and most are induced by snowfall, changes in cloud conditions, and surface dust; snowfall and cloud increase glacier albedo. Furthermore, the response of snow albedo is more sensitive to cloud compared with the response of ice albedo. Over a bare ice surface, the albedo generally decreases as the concentration of surface dust increases. Organic matter is a primary factor in reducing the albedo over ice.

Runoff Changes from Urumqi Glacier No. 1 over the Past 60 Years, Eastern Tianshan, Central Asia

Glaciers are vital to water resources in the arid land of central Asia. Long-term runoff records in the glacierized area are particularly valuable in terms of evaluating glacier recession and water resource change on both a regional and global scale. The runoff records of streams draining basins with 46% current glacier cover, located at the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in the source area of the Urumqi River in eastern Tianshan, central Asia, were examined for the purpose of assessing climatic and glacial influences on temporal patterns of streamflow for the period 1959–2018. Results suggest that runoff from the catchment correlates well with temperature and associated precipitation data. During the period 1993–2018, it increased by 114.39 × 104 m3, which was 1.7 times the average runoff during the period 1959–1992. A simple water balance model is introduced to calculate the different components of the runoff, including precipitation runoff from glacier surface and from nonglacial areas, glacier mass balance and glacial runoff. Thus, the long-term change of each component and its response to climate change are revealed. We found that the period 1997–2018 is likely to be the “peak water” (tipping point) of the glacial runoff resulting from shrinkage of glacier area.

Comparison of remote sensing extraction methods for glacier firn line-considering Urumqi Glacier No.1 as the experimental area

In mid-latitude glaciers, the altitude of the snowline at the end of the ablating season can be used to indicate the equilibrium line, which can be used as an approximation for it. In this paper, Urumqi Glacier No.1 was selected as the experimental area while Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI images were used to analyze and compare the accuracy as well as applicability of the visual interpretation, Normalized Difference Snow Index, single-band threshold and albedo remote sensing inversion methods for the extraction of the firn lines. The results show that the visual interpretation and the albedo remote sensing inversion methods have strong adaptability, alonger with the high accuracy of the extracted firn line while it is followed by the Normalized Difference Snow Index and the single-band threshold methods. In the year with extremely negative mass balance, the altitude deviation of the firn line extracted by different methods is increased. Except for the years with extremely negative mass balance, the altitude of the firn line at the end of the ablating season has a good indication for the altitude of the balance line.

Potential feedback mediated by soil microbiome response to warming in a glacier forefield.

Mountain glaciers are retreating at an unprecedented rate due to global warming. Glacier retreat is widely believed to be driven by the physiochemical characteristics of glacier surfaces; however, the current knowledge of such biological drivers remains limited. An estimated 130Tg of organic carbon (OC) is stored in mountain glaciers globally. As a result of global warming, the accelerated microbial decomposition of OC may further accelerate the melting process of mountain glaciers by heat production with the release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and methane. Here, using short-term aerobic incubation data from the forefield of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, we assessed the potential climate feedback mediated by soil microbiomes at temperatures of 5°C (control), 6.2°C (RCP 2.6), 11°C (RCP 8.5), and 15°C (extreme temperature). We observed enhanced CO2 -C release and heat production under warming conditions, which led to an increase in near-surface (2m) atmospheric temperatures, ranging from 0.9°C to 3.4°C. Warming significantly changed the structures of the RNA-derived (active) and DNA-derived (total) soil microbiomes, and active microbes were more sensitive to increased temperatures than total microbes. Considering the positive effects of temperature and deglaciation age on the CO2 -C release rate, the alterations in the active microbial community structure had a negative impact on the increased CO2 -C release rate. Our results revealed that glacial melting could potentially be significantly accelerated by heat production from increased microbial decomposition of OC. This risk might be true for other high-altitude glaciers under emerging warming, thus improving the predictions of the effects of potential feedback on global warming.

Potential Effect of Black Carbon on Glacier Mass Balance during the Past 55 Years of Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Western Qilian Mountains

This study reconstructed the annual mass balance (MB) of Laohugou Glacier No. 12 in the western Qilian Mountains during 1961–2015. The annual MB was calculated based on a temperature-index and an accumulation model with inputs of daily air temperature and precipitation recorded by surrounding meteorological stations. The model was calibrated by in-situ MB measurements conducted on the glacier during 2010–2015. Change in constructed annual MB had three phases. During Phase I (1961-1984), glacier-wide MB values were slightly positive with an average MB of 24±276 mm w.e. (water equivalent). During Phase II (1984-1995), the MB values became slightly negative with an average MB of −50±276 mm w.e.. The most negative MB values were found during Phase III (1996–2015), with an average MB of −377±276 mm w.e. Climatic analysis showed that the warming led to accelerated glacier mass loss despite a persistent increase of precipitation during the analysis period. However, an increase of black carbon deposited on the glacier surface since the 1980s could have contributed to intensified glacier melt. From simulations and measurements of MB on the Urumqi Glacier No. 1, 26% of glacier melt caused by black carbon could be identified.

Long-range terrestrial laser scanning measurements of annual and intra-annual mass balances for Urumqi Glacier No. 1, eastern Tien Shan, China

Abstract. The direct glaciological method provides in situ observations of annual or seasonal surface mass balance, but can only be implemented through a succession of intensive in situ measurements of field networks of stakes and snow pits. This has contributed to glacier surface mass-balance measurements being sparse and often discontinuous in the Tien Shan. Nevertheless, long-term glacier mass-balance measurements are the basis for understanding climate–glacier interactions and projecting future water availability for glacierized catchments in the Tien Shan. Riegl VZ®-6000 long-range terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), typically using class 3B laser beams, is exceptionally well suited for repeated glacier mapping, and thus determination of annual and seasonal geodetic mass balance. This paper introduces the applied TLS for monitoring summer and annual surface elevation and geodetic mass changes of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 as well as delineating accurate glacier boundaries for 2 consecutive mass-balance years (2015–2017), and discusses the potential of such technology in glaciological applications. Three-dimensional changes of ice and firn–snow bodies and the corresponding densities were considered for the volume-to-mass conversion. The glacier showed pronounced thinning and mass loss for the four investigated periods; glacier-wide geodetic mass balance in the mass-balance year 2015–2016 was slightly more negative than in 2016–2017. Statistical comparison shows that agreement between the glaciological and geodetic mass balances can be considered satisfactory, indicating that the TLS system yields accurate results and has the potential to monitor remote and inaccessible glacier areas where no glaciological measurements are available as the vertical velocity component of the glacier is negligible. For wide applications of the TLS in glaciology, we should use stable scan positions and in-situ-measured densities of snow–firn to establish volume-to-mass conversion.

Seasonal controls of meltwater runoff chemistry and chemical weathering at Urumqi Glacier No.1 in central Asia

AbstractTemporal variation of runoff chemistry and its seasonal controls relating to chemical weathering processes and drainage system evolution were examined at Urumqi Glacier No.1 in Xinjiang, China, over a full melt season. The dominant ions in meltwater runoff are HCO3−, Ca2+, and SO42−; and Fe, Sr, and Al are dominant elements. Concentrations of major ions and some elements show periodic variations with seasons and negatively correlate with discharge, whereas other elements (e.g., Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) show a random change, providing insights into the hydrological and physicochemical controls. HCO3− and Ca2+ are primarily derived from calcite, SO42− and Fe mainly come from pyrite, and Sr and Al principally originate from silicate. Hydrochemical fluxes of solutes exhibit strong seasonality but are positively related to discharge, suggesting an increasing release of solutes during higher flow conditions. Solute yields, cation denudation rate, and chemical weathering intensity observed at Urumqi Glacier No.1 are higher than those at most basins worldwide. This suggests that chemical weathering in central Asia may be stronger than at other glacial basins with similar specific discharge. Concentrations of some elements (e.g., Fe, Al, As, Pb, and Zn) are close to or exceed the guidelines for drinking water standards in meltwater‐fed rivers. These rivers may face future challenges of water quality degradation, and relationships between changing flow and water quality conditions should be established soon, given that development of channelized flow is expected to be earlier over a melt season in a warming climate.

Isotopic evidence for the moisture origin and influencing factors at Urumqi Glacier No.1 in upstream Urumqi River Basin, eastern Tianshan Mountains

The stable isotope has been extensively applied as an effective tracer especially in precipitation. In glacierized area of arid northwest China, temperature is widely considered to be a major factor affecting isotopes in precipitation, while the influences of precipitation amount, relative humidity and other meteorological parameters are still not clear. Based on analyses on stable isotope values of water samples and NCEP/NCAR (National Centers of Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA) re-analysis data, the moisture source and characteristics of isotopes in the precipitation, meltwater and river water isotopes at Urumqi Glacier No.1 of the upstream Urumqi River Basin, eastern Tianshan Mountains from spring to autumn during four years (from 2008 to 2011) was studied. Results indicated that meltwater are the main source of water for the upper Urumqi River. Seasonal variation of δ18O in precipitation demonstrated that δ18O was more enriched in summer and depleted in spring and autumn. Temperature was positively correlated with isotopes, while precipitation amount and relative humidity was negatively correlated with isotopes. The water vapor was affected by westerly air mass and regional water vapor cycle. Meanwhile, back trajectory clustering analyses showed that the moisture mainly from Europe and central Asia. The moisture was more likely to be locally sourced with the ratio was 46.8%~52.1%.

Using a geochemical method of dissolved and insoluble fractions to characterize surface snow melting and major element elution

ABSTRACTA geochemical method to characterize post-depositional melting and elution is demonstrated using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure concentrations of dissolved and insoluble fractions of major crustal elements in snow samples collected from March 2006 to January 2010 at Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Tien Shan. Dust from these samples has compositional homogeneity, suggesting that dust has a stable dissolved fraction percentage (DFP, calculated as dissolved/(dissolved + insoluble)%). Calcium has the highest DFP (averaging 61.5 ± 19.4%), followed by Na (30.4 ± 19.6%), Mg (13.2 ± 9.8%), and K (7.9 ± 9.8%). Acid input can affect dissolution of Na and Ca. Taking DFP values of unmelted samples as the reference, the higher DFPs refer to strengthened dissolution from acid input, while the lower ones refer to elution. Based on the DFP difference between unmelted and eluted states, an elution sequence Ca > Na > Mg > K is obtained. Some details such as the beginning and the ending stages of elution can be found by DFP and acid input index, while using ion concentration is not capable of this. Our results reveal that acid input is an important mechanism for DFP changes, that the DFP index can provide an effective assessment of snow elution, and that this will aid in understanding low latitude ice cores.

Detailed comparison of glaciological and geodetic mass balances for Urumqi Glacier No.1, eastern Tien Shan, China, from 1981 to 2015

The mass balance of Urumqi Glacier No.1, eastern Tien Shan, has been monitored since 1959, using the direct glaciological method. This study presents a detailed comparison of the glaciological mass balance with a high-quality product of geodetic surveys in the overlapping period from 1981 to 2015. We analyzed the generic differences between glaciological and geodetic mass-balance measurements, including in-depth uncertainties assessments. The statistical comparison shows that the reduced discrepancy (δ = 0.53) between the geodetic mass balance (−0.53 ± 0.14 m w.e. a−1) and corrected annul glaciological mass balances (−0.46 ± 0.14 m w.e. a−1) falls within the 95% confidence interval and reveals that no statistical significant bias between the two datasets is detectable over the period. Thanks to the good agreement, calibration of the glaciological to the geodetic data series is currently not required. The more negative geodetic mass balance is probably relevant to the glacier surface characteristics. The uncertainty of our results measured with geodetic method was close to the majority of similar studies, but bigger than those derived from multi-temporal high-quality DEMs. Further studies should continue using a long-range terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) system to derive high-resolution and -precision digital elevation models (DEMs) of the glacier surface at the monthly time-scale, which will provide a powerful complement to the glaciological measurements.

Modelling glacier variation and its impact on water resource in the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in Central Asia

Climate warming is expected to accelerate glacier retreat and shift hydrological regime, which poses great threat to regional water resources in terms of amount, variability, and quality. This is especially true in arid regions with glaciers such as the Central Asia. However, few models manage to mimic both glacier runoff and surface changes with adequate performance. To narrow this gap, we integrated a spatially distributed hydrological model (FLEXG) and a glacier retreat model (∆h-parameterization), and tested the new model in the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 catchment, which is best monitored in China. The model inputs include climate forcing, topographic map and initial ice thickness. Here we validated the model with runoff observation at downstream and glacier measurements, i.e. three historical glacier area maps (1980, 1994 and 2002), annual glacier mass balance (GMB) and equilibrium line altitude (ELA). Results show that the FLEXG-∆h model performed well in estimating runoff (with Kling-Gupta efficiency 0.75 for hydrograph) and reproducing historical glacier area variation. Additionally the model generated reasonably spatial distribution of glacier thickness, which is important to examine glacier evolution at the Urumqi Glacier No. 1. Subsequently we ran the model forced by 12 combinations of two climate scenarios and six bias correction methods to assess the impact of climate change on glacier thinning, retreat, and its influence on water resource. The impact assessment shows that glacier area will lose up to a half (54%) of their 1980 extent in 2050, and up to 80% in 2100; while ice volume will decrease up to 79% in 2050, and 92% in 2100. The tipping point (peak water) of glacier melt supply was projected to occur around 2020 and then runoff would decrease significantly. These results alert us that there is a need for immediate mitigation measures to adapt to fast glacier change to assure long-term water security in this region.

Combined use of volume-area and volume-length scaling relationships in glacio-hydrological simulation

Abstract Glacier changes are driven by glacier melt, which in turn affects streamflow. This paper describes an accounting scheme for glacier area change distribution across elevation profiles for application in the glacier module of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. In addition to volume-area scaling relationship in the module, the paper introduced volume-length scaling relations to estimate changing glacier terminus and update glacier area changes between equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and the terminus. The improved scheme was used in the nested Urumqi Glacier No. 1 catchment and Urumqi River Basin in Tienshan Mountains, China. Comparison of the simulated and observed data suggested that the new scheme accurately reproduced the length and area changes of Glacier No. 1. The contributions of glacier melt and ice melt to runoff were estimated at 71% and 38% for Glacier No. 1 Hydrological Station and 11.1% and 5.8% for Yingxiongqiao Hydrological Station, respectively. This helped to better interpret long-term monitored glacio-hydrological processes of Glacier No. 1 and the variation of glacier melt contribution to streamflow at the catchment scale.

Multi-decadal variations in glacier flow velocity and the influencing factors of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China

Urumqi Glacier No. 1 is a representative glacier in the inland areas of Central Asia and is the only Chinese reference glacier in the World Glacier Monitoring Service. In this study, we explored multi-decadal variations in the flow velocity of the glacier and the influencing factors based on continuous field observations and path coefficient analysis. Results show that the glacier flow velocity decreased from 5.5 m/a in 1980/1981 to 3.3 m/a in 2010/2011. The annual variation in the direction of glacier flow velocity in the western branch and eastern branch was less than 1°–3°, and the change of glacier flow velocity in the western branch was more dramatic than that in the eastern branch. Glacier flow velocity was influenced by glacier morphology (including glacier area, glacier length, and ice thickness), glacier mass balance and local climate conditions (air temperature and precipitation), the glacier morphology being the leading factor. The long-term flow velocity data set of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 contributes to a better understanding of glacier dynamics within the context of climatic warming.

Long-term change in ice velocity of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Tian Shan, China

Glacier flow velocity of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 has been continuously measured at the end of every summer since 1980. The observation results show that the average surface velocity was 5.5ma−1, 4.6ma−1, 3.8ma−1, and 3.3ma−1 in 1980/1981, 1990/1991, 2000/2001, and 2010/2011, respectively. The annual average velocity was reduced by 1.3%a−1 from 1980/1981 to 2011/2012. The climate change is the essential cause for long term velocity change because continuous mass loss or gain will result in ice thickness decrease or increase. A suddenly sharp change in the mass balance could lead to a short change in velocity. Long term change in the velocity can be analyzed by glacial dynamic model. Using the simplified equations, analysis of the surface velocity along the centerline shows that influence of the ice thickness change is most important and could be modeled well. The velocity is very sensitive to the surface slope change but the validity of its effect modeling is relatively low due to the large spatial variability of surface slope. Under the combination effect of decrease in both ice thickness and surface slope, the velocity of the West Branch has a relative large decrease. The calculated decrease in surface velocity along the centerline is 3.8ma−1 from 1981 to 2012, relatively close to the value of 3.6ma−1 from observation. Increase in surface slope of the East Branch has an offsetting effect on ice thickness decrease. To further analysis, besides more data, a better model is needed to describe physical and dynamic processes.

Spatial and temporal variations of the surface albedo and other factors influencing Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in Tien Shan, China

ABSTRACTGlacier albedo controls the surface energy budget, the variability of which affects the glacier surface melt rate and, in turn, impacts the mass balance of the glacier. During 2013 and 2014, spatial and temporal variations of albedo were investigated using 18 Landsat images of Urumqi Glacier No. 1. Factors influencing these spatiotemporal profiles were analyzed. An established retrieval process, including geolocation, radiometric calibration, atmospheric, topographic, and anisotropic correction and narrow- to broadband conversion, was applied for the first time to Landsat-8 images. Differences between Landsat image derived albedo values and albedo values measured using a handheld spectroradiometer ranged from −0.024 to 0.049. Spatial and temporal variations of surface albedo were significant, especially in the ablation area. The variability of the values of ice albedo ranged from 0.06 to 0.44 due to topographic effects and light-absorbing impurities. The results suggest that this retrieval method can be used to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of surface albedo from Landsat-8 images on mountain glaciers. Moreover, as constant albedo values for ice and snow cannot be assumed, the distribution of albedo was not completely dependent on altitude under conditions of more intense ablation, and by reason of light-absorbing impurities during the melt season.

Using an ultra-long-range terrestrial laser scanner to monitor the net mass balance of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, eastern Tien Shan, China, at the monthly scale

ABSTRACTWe describe the use of a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) to monitor the net mass balance of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, eastern Tien Shan. We used an ultra-long-range Riegl VZ®-6000 TLS, which is specially designed for surveying snow- and ice-covered terrain, to create repeated high spatiotemporal resolution DEMs, focusing on the monthly-scale (25 April–28 May 2015) net mass balance. According to the TLS-derived DEMs, the area of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 was 1.558 km2on 25 April 2015 and the average surface elevation change was 0.225 m. By comparing the results from the use of TLS with the conventional glaciological mass-balance method, the correlation coefficient (R2) between glaciological elevation changes of individual stakes and the TLS-derived geodetic elevation change of corresponding points was 0.85. Considering the uncertainty of both methods, this is a promising result. Using the in situ measured snow densities (snow pits) of the glacier surface, the geodetic net mass balance was 0.074 m w.e., which is slightly positive. The mean uncertainty in the TLS-derived monthly net mass balance was 0.018 m w.e., showing that the TLS surveying system presented accurate and relevant results and is therefore suitable to monitor mass-balance evolution of mountain glaciers.

The importance of aspect for modelling the hydrological response in a glacier catchment in Central Asia

AbstractUnderstanding how explicit consideration of topographic information influences hydrological model performance and upscaling in glacier dominated catchments remains underexplored. In this study, the Urumqi glacier no. 1 catchment in northwest China, with 52% of the area covered by glaciers, was selected as study site. A conceptual glacier‐hydrological model was developed and tested to systematically, simultaneously, and robustly reproduce the hydrograph, separate the discharge into contributions from glacier and nonglacier parts of the catchment, and establish estimates of the annual glacier mass balance, the annual equilibrium line altitude, and the daily catchment snow water equivalent. This was done by extending and adapting a recently proposed landscape‐based semidistributed conceptual hydrological model (FLEX‐Topo) to represent glacier and snowmelt processes. The adapted model, FLEXG, allows to explicitly account for the influence of topography, that is, elevation and aspect, on the distribution of temperature and precipitation and thus on melt dynamics. It is shown that the model can not only reproduce long‐term runoff observations but also variations in glacier and snow cover. Furthermore, FLEXG was successfully transferred and up‐scaled to a larger catchment exclusively by adjusting the areal proportions of elevation and aspect without the need for further calibration. This underlines the value of topographic information to meaningfully represent the dominant hydrological processes in the region and is further exacerbated by comparing the model to a model formulation that does not account for differences in aspect (FLEXG,nA) and which, in spite of satisfactorily reproducing the observed hydrograph, does not capture the influence of spatial variability of snow and ice, which as a consequence reduces model transferability. This highlights the importance of accounting for topography and landscape heterogeneity in conceptual hydrological models in mountainous and snow‐, and glacier‐dominated regions.

The active-layer ice temperature increases more obviously on a cold glacier than a temperate glacier during the past 30 years

On the basis of the historical documents and measured active-layer ice temperatures (ALITs) on Baishui Glacier No. 1 (BG1), Yulong Snow Mountains, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau and Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1), the eastern Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia, this paper revealed and compared their inter-decadal response of the ALIT in the past 30 years. The results showed that the daily mean ALIT increased by 0.24°C at the range of 0.50~9.80 m on BG1 (4,670 m a.s.l.) from July 11, 1982 to July 10, 2009. The rapid increase of the ALIT is found similarly on UG1 (3,840 m a.s.l.), and its increase magnitude for the last 21 years from 1986 to 2006 is nearly 0.83° at 1~20 m depth, obviously higher than BG1 during the period 1982~2009. Empirical experiments also proved that the ALIT is higher on a temperate glacier than a cold (continental) glacier and a temperate glacier retreated faster evidently than a cold glacier, but the ALIT increases more significantly on a cold glacier than a temperate glacier with regional climatic warming.

The active-layer ice temperature increases more obviously on a cold glacier than a temperate glacier during the past 30 years

On the basis of the historical documents and measured active-layer ice temperatures (ALITs) on Baishui Glacier No. 1 (BG1), Yulong Snow Mountains, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau and Urumqi Glacier No. 1 (UG1), the eastern Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia, this paper revealed and compared their inter-decadal response of the ALIT in the past 30 years. The results showed that the daily mean ALIT increased by 0.24°C at the range of 0.50~9.80 m on BG1 (4,670 m a.s.l.) from July 11, 1982 to July 10, 2009. The rapid increase of the ALIT is found similarly on UG1 (3,840 m a.s.l.), and its increase magnitude for the last 21 years from 1986 to 2006 is nearly 0.83° at 1~20 m depth, obviously higher than BG1 during the period 1982~2009. Empirical experiments also proved that the ALIT is higher on a temperate glacier than a cold (continental) glacier and a temperate glacier retreated faster evidently than a cold glacier, but the ALIT increases more significantly on a cold glacier than a temperate glacier with regional climatic warming.

Individual particles of cryoconite deposited on the mountain glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau: Insights into chemical composition and sources

Cryoconite deposited on mountain glacier surfaces is significant for understanding regional atmospheric environments, which could influence the albedo and energy balance of the glacier basins, and maintain the glacial microbiology system. Field observations were conducted on the glaciers of western China, including Laohugou Glacier No.12 (LHG), Tanggula Dongkemadi Glacier (TGL), Zhadang Glacier (ZD), and Baishui Glacier No.1 in the Yulong Mountains (YL), as well as Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Tianshan Mountains (TS) for comparison with locations in the Tibetan Plateau, in addition to laboratory TEM-EDX analysis of the individual cryoconite particles filtered on lacey carbon (LC) and calcium-coated carbon (Ca-C) TEM grids. This work provided information on the morphology and chemical composition, as well as a unique record of the particle’s physical state, of cryoconite deposition on the Tibetan Plateau. The result showed that there is a large difference in the cryoconite particle composition between various locations on the Tibetan Plateau. In total, mineral dust particles were dominant (>50%) in the cryoconite at all locations. However, more anthropogenic particles (e.g., black carbon (BC) and fly ash) were found in YL (38%) and ZD (22%) in the Ca-C grids in the southern locations. In TGL, many NaCl and MCS particles (>10%), as well as few BC and biological particles (<5%), were found in cryoconite in addition to mineral dust. In TS, the cryoconite is composed primarily of mineral dust, as well as BC (<5%). Compared with other sites, the LHG cryoconite shows a more complex composition of atmospheric deposition with sufficient NaCl, BC, fly ash and biological particles (6% in LC grid). The higher ratio of anthropogenic particles in the southern Tibetan Plateau is likely caused by atmospheric pollutant transport from the south Asia to the Tibetan Plateau. Cryoconite in the northern locations (e.g., TGL, LHG, and TS) with higher dust and salt particle ratio are influenced by large deserts in central Asia. Therefore, the transport and deposition of cryoconite is of great significance for understanding regional atmospheric environment and circulation. Large amounts of biological, NaCl and MCS particles were observed in the cryoconite, implying that in addition to dust and BC, many types of light absorbing impurities (LAI) together could influence the glacier albedo change and induce ice melting in the mountain glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau. Moreover, a high BC concentration in the south (e.g., YL and ZD) could significantly change the albedo of snow and ice, at a greater rate than dust, causing significant melting of the glaciers under global warming.