%0 Journal Article
%T Changes in Glaciers and Glacial Lakes and the Identification of Dangerous Glacial Lakes in the Pumqu River Basin, Xizang (Tibet)
%A Tao Che
%A Lin Xiao
%A Yuei-An Liou
%J Advances in Meteorology
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/903709
%X Latest satellite images have been utilized to update the inventories of glaciers and glacial lakes in the Pumqu river basin, Xizang (Tibet), in the study. Compared to the inventories in 1970s, the areas of glaciers are reduced by 19.05% while the areas of glacial lakes are increased by 26.76%. The magnitudes of glacier retreat rate and glacial lake increase rate during the period of 2001每2013 are more significant than those for the period of the 1970s每2001. The accelerated changes in areas of the glaciers and glacial lakes, as well as the increasing temperature and rising variability of precipitation, have resulted in an increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Pumqu river basin. Integrated criteria were established to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes based on a bibliometric analysis method. It is found, in total, 19 glacial lakes were identified as dangerous. Such finding suggests that there is an immediate need to conduct field surveys not only to validate the findings, but also to acquire information for further use in order to assure the welfare of the humans. 1. Introduction A vast amount of studies has been conducted to increase our understanding on the changing cryosphere and its climate connection. Globally averaged temperature data show an increase of 0.85∼C over the period of 1880每2012, and the total increase between the average of the 1850每1900 period and the 2003每2012 period is 0.78∼C [1]. Due to rising temperatures, the areas of China＊s glaciers have decreased by 5每10% [2]. With the accelerated retreat of glaciers, glacial lakes have been expanding over recent decades [3, 4]; therefore, glacial lakes are also considered to be an indicator of climate change [5]. Some glacial lakes are located in valleys below glaciers and are dammed by unstable moraines formed during the Little Ice Age. Occasionally, a moraine breaks, releasing the lake＊s stored water and discharging large volumes of water with debris, which causes downstream flooding along the river channel. This phenomenon, generally known as a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), is one of the most serious disasters to occur in the Himalayan regions of China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan [6每10]. To assess GLOFs, remote sensing techniques are cheaper and faster than traditional field investigations and have thus been recommended for investigating glaciers and glacial lakes [11, 12]. Due to the more frequent GLOF events in the Himalayas over the past several decades, the risks to human life and property located downstream of dangerous glacial lakes have
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/amete/2014/903709/