Rapid expansion of glacial lakes caused by climate and glacier retreat in the Central Himalayas

Glacial lake outburst floods are among the most serious natural hazards in the Himalayas. Such floods are of high scientific and political importance because they exert trans‐boundary impacts on bordering countries. The preparation of an updated inventory of glacial lakes and the analysis of their evolution are an important first step in assessment of hazards from glacial lake outbursts. Here, we report the spatiotemporal developments of the glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin, a trans‐boundary basin in the Central Himalayas, from 1976 to 2010 based on multi‐temporal Landsat images. Studied glacial lakes are classified as glacier‐fed lakes and non‐glacier‐fed lakes according to their hydrologic connection to glacial watersheds. A total of 119 glacial lakes larger than 0.01 km² with an overall surface area of 20.22 km² (±10.8%) were mapped in 2010, with glacier‐fed lakes being predominant in both number (69, 58.0%) and area (16.22 km², 80.2%). We found that lakes connected to glacial watersheds (glacier‐fed lakes) significantly expanded (122.1%) from 1976 to 2010, whereas lakes not connected to glacial watersheds (non‐glacier‐fed lakes) remained stable (+2.8%) during the same period. This contrast can be attributed to the impact of glaciers. Retreating glaciers not only supply meltwater to lakes but also leave space for them to expand. Compared with other regions of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), the lake area per glacier area in the Poiqu River basin was the highest. This observation might be attributed to the different climate regimes and glacier status along the HKH. The results presented in this study confirm the significant role of glacier retreat on the evolution of glacial lakes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water isotopes and hydrograph separation in different glacial catchments in the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Snow and glaciers are known to be important sources for freshwater; nevertheless, our understanding of the hydrological functioning of glacial catchments remains limited when compared with lower altitude catchments. In this study, a temperate glacial region located in the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau is selected to analyse the characteristics of δ¹⁸O and δD in different water sources and the contribution of glacier–snow meltwater to streamflow. The results indicate that the δ¹⁸O of river water ranges from ?16.2‰ to ?10.2‰ with a mean of ?14.1‰ and that the δD values range from ?117.0‰ to ?68.0‰ with a mean of ?103.1‰. These values are more negative than those of glacier–snow meltwater but less negative than those of precipitation. The d ‐excess values are found to decrease from meltwater to river to lake/reservoir water as a result of evaporation. On the basis of hydrograph separation, glacier–snow meltwater accounts for 51.5% of river water in the Baishui catchment in the melting season. In the Yanggong catchment, snow meltwater contributes 47.9% to river water in the premonsoon period, and glacier meltwater contributes only 6.8% in the monsoon period. The uncertainty in hydrograph separation is sensitive to the variation of tracer concentrations of streamflow components. The input of meltwater to a water system varies with local climate and glacier changes. The results confirm that hydrograph separation using water isotopes is valuable for evaluating the recharge sources of rivers, especially in ungauged glacial regions. This study provides insights into the hydrological processes of glacial catchments on the Tibetan Plateau, which is important for water resource management.     

1990—2020年中国冰湖变化特征及影响因素

本文基于505 景 Landsat 卫星影像,通过自动化冰湖边界提取与人工目视解译相结合的方法调查了 2000 和 2020年中国境内冰湖的分布与变化,并结合 1990 年冰湖编目数据,分析中国冰湖变化特征及影响因素。 研究表明,19902020 年中国冰湖面积增加(180.1±0.1) km²,增加了 17.9%。 其中,冰川补给湖面积扩张最显著,为 22.9%,而非冰川补给湖的面积仅扩张 4.9%。 1990 2020 年冰湖面积在较高海拔带呈现增长快速的趋势,其中,在海拔 5500 m 以上冰湖面积扩张最大,达 30.5%。 在区域尺度,非冰川补给湖的变化主要受降水量和蒸发量变化的影响,其中蒸发量变化对非冰川补给湖更为显著;气温升高与冰川普遍退缩则是导致冰川补给湖普遍快速扩张的主要原因。     

冰川融水对山地冰冻圈冰湖水文效应的影响

冰川融水通过热量、水、物质传输对山地冰冻圈冰湖水文效应产生影响,引起广泛关注.本文从山地冰冻圈冰湖的水量、物理化学性质、生物等方面系统总结冰川融水对冰湖水文效应的影响.冰川融水被冰湖滞留能在一定程度上延缓区域冰川水资源的亏损,但也直接导致了潜在危险性冰湖数量和危险程度增大.冰川融水对冰湖物理性质的影响主要表现在降低湖水温度、影响透明度/浊度、改变湖水密度、造成湖水热力分层现象等方面,对冰湖化学性质的影响主要表现在增加湖水中的氮素、溶解有机物、持久性有机污染物、各类离子和重金属等,进而影响冰湖生物的分布、组成、结构和功能.深入系统地开展冰川融水及其变化对冰湖水文效应研究,对冰川水文与水资源、山地冰冻圈生态环境研究具有重要意义.     

藏南冰前湖枪勇错近百年沉积速率变化及冰川进退反演

青藏高原上分布着大量的大陆性冰川,其对区域及全球气候变化响应极其敏感.工业革命以来,随着全球升温速率加快(特别是北半球),青藏高原部分地区的冰川在近百年显著退缩.冰前湖沉积物是最直接的冰川变化记录载体之一,但其沉积速率如何响应冰川及气候变化,能否反演冰川进退过程却知之甚少.本文依据~(210)Pb和~(137)Cs限定藏南冰前湖枪勇错QY5沉积岩芯的年龄,计算出不同深度沉积物的沉积速率,且与前人(QY-3)的沉积速率进行对比,揭示了近百年来枪勇错流域冰川变化历史及其与气温之间的关系.结果表明,枪勇错QY5近百年来的平均沉积速率为0.21 cm/a,比湖心(QY-3)快2倍左右,但两者的变化基本同步,高沉积速率对应温度上升期,是冰川退缩的直接响应:(1)1900—1960年,枪勇错沉积速率整体增加且变幅较大,与1890—1950年之间西藏温度波动式升高相对应,反映枪勇冰川总体处于退缩状态;(2)1960—1985年,沉积速率低且变幅较小,同期气温下降,枪勇冰川退缩程度相对较低且保持平稳;(3)1985年以来,枪勇错沉积速率呈上升趋势,是全球增暖下冰川显著退缩的直接响应.在短时间尺度内冰前湖沉积速率所揭示的枪勇冰川变化主要受控于温度,降水量对冰川变化的影响较小,但冰川对温度变化的响应滞后5～10 a.由于全球变暖和冰川对温度响应的滞后,在未来几十年高原冰川的融化速率可能会加快,亚洲水塔将面临着新的挑战.     

When to conduct an isotopic survey for lake water balance evaluation in highly seasonal climates

One‐time or short‐term lake water isotopic surveys are often employed to evaluate regional lake water balance. However, it can be difficult to determine the optimal time‐window for sampling to obtain a representative long‐term perspective of lake water balance in settings influenced by seasonal variations in precipitation, evaporative loss, glacial/snow meltwater, and larger seasonal shifts in isotopic composition of precipitation. This is especially true for areas of the Tibetan Plateau that are influenced by the summer Indian monsoon. Although high‐frequency sampling is always preferred as the most rigorous approach to characterize the water budget of lakes or watersheds, this may be impractical in remote regions and over large spatial scales. To assess the potential sensitivity of isotope balance characterization to seasonal variability, we used a weekly lake water isotope data set acquired over a period of 3 years on the Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the potential inaccuracies that might have arisen from using isotopic data collected during narrower time‐windows. For this assessment, we use weekly isotopic data collected during the study and assume that these sampling events were stand‐alone one‐time surveys. We then demonstrate the sensitivity of the isotope balance method in this setting, particularly for the rainy season that significantly underestimated the evaporation/inflow. In contrast, isotopic composition of the lake water was found to be more representative of long‐term conditions when sampled in October on the Tibetan Plateau. To broaden our evaluation of seasonality effects over a range of climatic zones, published high‐frequency isotopic data were also compiled, and a similar assessment was carried out for selected regions of the world. The synthesized data and model outputs, which confirm pronounced variations in lake water isotopic composition and evaporation/inflow across a range of seasonal climates, were used to determine optimal sampling windows for these specific regions.     

Heterogeneous change patterns of water level for inland lakes in High Mountain Asia derived from multi‐mission satellite altimetry

High‐altitude inland lakes in High Mountain Asia (HMA) are key indicators to climate change and variability as a result of mostly closed watersheds and minimal disturbance by human activities. However, examination of the spatial and temporal pattern of lake changes, especially for water‐level variations, is usually limited by poor accessibility of most lakes. Recently, satellite altimeters have demonstrated their potential to monitor water level changes of terrestrial water bodies including lakes and rivers. By combining multiple satellite altimetry data provided by the Laboratoire d'Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (LEGOS) and Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument on the NASA Ice, Cloud and land Elevation satellite (ICESat), this study examined water level changes of typical lakes in HMA at a longer timescale (in the 1990s and 2000s) compared with earlier studies on Tibetan lakes. Cross‐evaluation of the radar altimetry data from LEGOS and laser altimetry data from ICESat/GLAS shows that they were in good agreement in depicting inter‐annual, seasonal and abrupt changes of lake level. The long‐term altimetry measurements reveal that water‐level changes of the 18 lakes showed remarkable spatial and temporal patterns that were characterized by different trends, onsets of rapid rises and magnitudes of inter‐annual variations for different lakes. During the study period, lakes in the central and northern HMA (15 lakes) showed a general growth tendency, while lakes in South Tibet (three lakes) showed significant shrinking tendency. Lakes in Central Tibet experienced rapid and stable water‐level rises around mid‐1990s followed by slowing growth rates after 2006. In contrast, the water‐level rises of lakes in the northern and north‐eastern Tibetan Plateau were characterized by abrupt increases in specific years rather than gradual growth. Meteorological data based on station observations indicate that the annual changes of water level showed strongly correlated with precipitation and evaporation but may not evidently related to the glacier melting induced by global warming. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isotopic variation in the lake water balance at the Yamdruk‐tso basin,southern Tibetan Plateau

The use of stable isotopes is a practical tool in the study of the lake water budget. This is an one way to study the hydrological cycle in the large numbers of inland lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, in which the isotope record of the sediment is believed to reflect the climatic and environmental changes. The monitoring of stable isotopes of the precipitation, river and lake waters during 2004 in the inland Yamdruk‐tso basin, southern Tibetan Plateau, reveals the lake water δ¹⁸O is over 10‰ higher than the local precipitation. This high difference indicates strong isotope enrichment due to lake water evaporation. The simulation results based on the isotope technique show that the present lake water δ¹⁸O level corresponds to an average relative humidity of around 54–58% during evaporation, which is very close to the instrumental observation. The simulation results also show that the inland lakes on the Tibetan Plateau have a strong adjustability to the isotope shift of input water δ¹⁸O. On average, the isotope component in the inland lake water is to a large extent controlled by the local relative humidity, and can also be impacted by a shift of the local precipitation isotope component. This is probably responsible for the large consistence in the isotope component in the extensive inland lakes on the Tibetan Plateau. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

全球变化下青藏高原湖泊在地表水循环中的作用

青藏高原是地球上最重要的高海拔地区之一,对全球变化具有敏感响应.青藏高原作为"亚洲水塔",其地表水资源及其变化对高原本身及周边地区的经济社会发展具有重要的影响.然而,在气候变暖的情况下,构成高原地表水资源的各个组分,如冰川、湖泊、河流、降水等水体的相变及其转化却鲜为人知.湖泊是青藏高原地表水体相变和水循环的关键环节.湖泊面积、水位和水量对西风和印度季风的降水变化非常敏感,但湖泊面积和水量变化在不同区域和时段的响应也不尽相同.湖泊水温对气候变暖具有明显响应,湖泊水温和水下温跃层深度的变化能够对水—气的热量交换具有明显影响,从而影响了区域蒸发和降水等水循环过程.由于湖泊水量增加,高原中部色林错地区湖泊盐度自1970s以来普遍下降.根据60多个湖泊实地监测建立的遥感反演模型研究发现,2000—2019年湖泊透明度普遍升高.对不同补给类型的大湖水量平衡监测发现,影响湖泊变化的气象和水文要素具有较大差异.在目前的暖湿气候条件下,青藏高原的湖泊将会持续扩张.为了深入认识湖泊变化在青藏高原区域水循环和气候变化中的作用,需要全面了解湖泊水量赋存及连续的时间序列变化,需要深入了解湖泊理化参数变化及对湖泊大气之间热量交换的影响,需要更多来自大湖流域的综合连续观测数据.     

Quantitative comparison of river inflows to a rapidly expanding lake in central Tibetan Plateau

The recent rapid expansion of inland lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are a good indicator of the consequences of climate change. Quantifying the hydrological cycle of the lake basin is fundamentally important to understand the causes of lake growth. However, the hydrological processes of the TP interior are very complex and difficult to investigate because of the lack of observations. This is especially true for estimating the lake changes when run‐off inflows are affected by small lakes located in the flow routes within drainage areas. We used an integrated hydrological model, in combination with glacier melt and lake retention models, to analyse the run‐off inflows to Lake Siling Co, the largest endorheic lake in Tibet. It includes four subdrainage basins: Zhajiazangbu, Zhagenzangbu, Alizangbu, and Boquzangbu. Lake Siling Co was characterized by considerable increases during warm season from 1981 to 2012, due to the increased run‐off from Zhajiazangbu accounting for about 51–62% of the total run‐off inflows. Moreover, the dramatic increases exhibited during cold seasons were related to the increased retention water released from the small lakes within Zhagenzangbu and Alizangbu. Of the studied subdrainage basins, Boquzangbu contributed the least during both warm and cold seasons. On average, the annual amount of evaporation from lakes within the drainage area was about 2 times greater than that of glacier melt run‐off. Our results suggest that the retention effects of lakes on river inflows should receive more attention, because understanding these effects is potentially crucial to improved understanding of lake variations in the TP.     

帕隆藏布流域冰湖变化及危险性评估

冰湖作为区域气候变化的灵敏指示器和主要冰川灾害的启动器,认识其空间分布及变化特征对探讨冰湖对气候变化的响应规律及冰湖溃决危险性评估具有重要意义.基于1968-1980年地形图数据和1994-2016年Landsat TM/OLI遥感影像资料,综合利用RS、GIS技术和数理统计方法分析帕隆藏布流域面积≥ 0.01 km²冰湖时空分布及其动态变化,并对潜在危险性冰湖进行判别和评估.结果表明：2016年帕隆藏布流域共有冰湖351个,面积50.48 km²,且面积和数量分别以面积>1 km²和面积<0.1 km²的冰湖为主,这些冰湖主要分布于海拔2800~5400 m之间.近50年来帕隆藏布流域冰湖总体呈数量增多、面积增加态势;海拔<3000 m的冰湖相对稳定,而海拔>4500 m的冰湖数量和面积增加则相对迅速.近50年间帕隆藏布流域冰川面积减少591.34 km²,气候变暖导致的冰川末端退缩和冰川融水增加为冰湖形成和扩张提供了发育空间和物质来源.切毛措、光谢错等9个冰湖为潜在危险性冰湖,预计未来一段时间内帕隆藏布流域冰湖溃决可能处于活跃阶段,其形成和暴发也将更加频繁.     

Projected glacier meltwater and river run‐off changes in the Upper Reach of the Shule River Basin,north‐eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau

Glacier meltwater change in the north‐eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau is greatly important for the projection of the impact of future climate change on local water resource management. Although the glaciated area is only approximately 4% of the Upper Reach of the Shule River Basin (URSRB), the average glacier meltwater contribution to river run‐off was approximately 23.6% during the periods 1971/1972 to 2012/2013. A new glacier melting module coupled with the macroscale hydrologic Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC‐CAS) was adopted to simulate and project changes in the glacier meltwater and river run‐off of the URSRB forced by downscaled output of the BCC‐CSM1.1(m), CANESM2, GFDL‐CM3, and IPSL‐CM5A‐MR models. Comparisons between the observed and simulated river run‐offs and glacier area changes during the periods 2000/2001, 2004/2006, 2008/2009, and 2012/2013 suggest that the simulation is reasonable. Due to increases in precipitation, the annual total run‐off is projected to increase by approximately 2.58–2.73 × 10⁸ m³ in the 2050s and 0.28–1.87 × 10⁸ m³ in the 2100s compared with run‐off in the 2010s based on the RCP2.6 (low greenhouse gas emission) and RCP4.5 (moderate greenhouse gas emission) scenarios, respectively. The contribution of glacier meltwater to river run‐off will more likely decrease to approximately 10% and less than 5% during the 2050s and 2100s, respectively.     

Modeling the runoff and glacier mass balance in a small watershed on the Central Tibetan Plateau,China, from 1955 to 2008

The glaciers on Tibetan Plateau play an important role in the catchment hydrology of this region. However, our knowledge with respect to water circulation in this remote area is scarce. In this study, the HBV light model, which adopts the degree‐day model for glacial melting, was employed to simulate the total runoff, the glacier runoff and glacier mass balance (GMB) of the Dongkemadi River Basin (DRB) at the headwater of the Yangtze River on the Tibetan Plateau, China. Firstly, the daily temperature and precipitation of the DRB from 1955 to 2008 were obtained by statistical methods, based on daily meteorological data observed in the DRB (2005–2008) and recorded by four national meteorological stations near the DRB (1955–2008). Secondly, we used 4‐year daily air temperature, precipitation, runoff depth and monthly evaporation, which were observed in the DRB, as input to obtain a set of proper parameters. Then, the annual runoff, the glacier runoff and GMB (1955–2008) were calculated using the HBV model driven by interpolated meteorological data. The calculated GMB fits well with the observed results. At last, using the temperature and precipitation predicted by climate models, we predicted the changes of runoff depth and GMB of the DRB in the next 40 years. Under all climate‐change scenarios, annual glacier runoff shows a significant increase due to intensified ice melting. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From precipitation to runoff: stable isotopic fractionation effect of glacier melting on a catchment scale

Stable isotope variability and fractionation associated with transformation of precipitation/accumulation to firn to glacial river water is critical in a variety of climatic, hydrological and paleoenvironmental studies. This paper documents the modification of stable isotopes in water from precipitation to glacier runoff in an alpine catchment located in the central Tibetan Plateau. Isotopic changes are observed by sampling firnpack profiles, glacier surface snow/ice, meltwater on the glacier surface and catchment river water at different times during a melt season. Results show the isotopic fractionation effects associated with glacier melt processes. The slope of the δD‐δ¹⁸O regression line and the deuterium excess values decreased from the initial precipitation to the melt‐impacted firnpack (slope from 9.3 to 8.5 and average d‐excess from 13.4‰ to 7.4‰). The slope of the δD‐δ¹⁸O line further decreased to 7.6 for the glacier runoff water. The glacier surface snow/ice from different locations, which produces the main runoff, had the same δD‐δ¹⁸O line slope but lower deuterium excess (by 3.9‰) compared to values observed in the firnpack profile during the melt season. The δD‐δ¹⁸O regression line for the river water exhibited a lower slope compared to the surface snow/ice samples, although they were closely located on the δD‐δ¹⁸O plot. Isotope values for the river and glacier surface meltwater showed little scatter around the δD‐δ¹⁸O regression line, although the samples were from different glaciers and were collected on different days. Results indicate a high consistency of isotopic fractionation in the δD‐δ¹⁸O relationships, as well as a general consistency and temporal covariation of meltwater isotope values at the catchment scale. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subglacial Meltwater Recharge in the Dongkemadi River Basin,Yangtze River Source Region

Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau play an important role in the local hydrological cycle. However, there are only few studies on groundwater in the alpine basins in the Tibetan Plateau which considered the effects of glaciers. Glaciers are extensively distributed in the Dongkemadi River Basin, which is a representative alpine basin in the Yangtze River source region. This study focuses on building a numerical groundwater flow model with glaciations using HydroGeoSphere (HGS) to simulate subglacial meltwater recharge to groundwater in the Dongkemadi River Basin in response to future climate changes. Effects of hydraulic conductivity, precipitation, and temperature on subglacial meltwater recharge to groundwater were discussed. Glacier changes in the future 50 years were predicted under different climate change scenarios. Results show that: (1) the average thickness of the glacier will change significantly; (2) the simulated rate of annual mean subglacial meltwater recharge to groundwater is 4.58 mm, which accounts for 6.33% of total groundwater recharge; and (3) hydraulic conductivity has the largest influence on subglacial meltwater recharge to groundwater, followed by temperature and precipitation. Results of this study are also important to sustainable water resource usage in the Yangtze River source region.     

青藏高原色林错流域区冰川消融对湖泊水量变化的影响

青藏高原大部分湖泊近年来持续扩张,湖泊水位和水量明显增加.冰川消融是流域水量平衡和水循环的重要影响因素,直接导致湖泊水量变化.由于缺乏大范围的冰川质量平衡观测结果,青藏高原冰川消融对湖泊水量变化的影响仍存在较大争议.本文选择青藏高原内流区的色林错流域区(水系编号5Z2)作为研究对象,利用SRTM DEM和TanDEM-X双站InSAR数据,精确估算该流域三个主要冰川区(普若岗日、格拉丹东和西念青唐古拉)2000—2012年的冰川质量平衡,依次为:-0.020±0.030、-0.128±0.049、-0.143±0.032m·w.e.·a^-1.并据此采用面积加权法准确推估出5Z2流域的冰川质量变化为:-0.166±0.021Gt·a^-1.综合ICESat和Cryosat-2卫星测高数据,计算该流域2003—2012年湖泊水量变化速率(3.006±0.202Gt·a^-1),并定量评估冰川质量变化对5Z2流域湖泊水量增加的贡献为:5.52%±1.07%,因此在青藏高原色林错流域区,冰川消融不是导致21世纪初期湖泊水位上升的主要因素.     

Characteristics of water stable isotopes and hydrograph separation in Baishui catchment during the wet season in Mt.Yulong region,south western China

Glaciers are of crucial importance for the livelihood of the local populations, which depend on their meltwater for water and energy supplies. For this reason, seasonal variations of oxygen‐18 of glacial stream water and their sources within a small glacial catchment in south western China were investigated during the wet season. The results showed significant difference of oxygen‐18 existed among meltwater, rainwater, ground water and stream water, and significantly seasonal variation of precipitation occurred during the observed period. The streamflow of Baishui catchment was separated into components of ice‐snowmelt and precipitation using oxygen‐18. As shown by the result of the two‐component mixing model, on average, 53.4% of the runoff came from ice‐snowmelt during the wet season, whereas the remaining 46.6% were contributed by precipitation in the catchment. According to monthly hydrograph, the contribution of snow and glacier meltwater varied from 40.7% to 62.2%, and that of precipitation varied from 37.8% to 59.3% in wet season. Uncertainties for this separation were mainly caused by the variation of tracer concentrations. The roles of glacier and snow meltwater should be noticed in water resource management in those glacial regions in south western China. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contemporary processes of environmental information in the atmosphere-glacier-runoff system in an area of typical monsoon temperate glacier

Sampling was carried out at Baishui No. 1, the largest glacier on Mt. Yulong, China, during the summers of 1999 and 2000, to investigate the spatial variations of oxygen isotopes in the atmosphere-glacier-river system. The results confirm that there is an inverse relation between the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation and air temperature/precipitation amount. This suggests that a strong “precipitation amount effect” exists in this typical monsoon temperate-glacier region. There are marked differences of the δ¹⁸O values of winter-accumulated snow, glacial meltwater, summer precipitation and the glacier-fed river water. Spatial and temporal variations of isotopic composition are controlled by climatic conditions. Isotopic fractionation and differentiation occur during phase changes, snow-to-ice and ice-to-meltwater transformations, and runoff processes. Variations of stable isotopes in glacier runoff can indicate variations of sources of supply, as well as different discharge-related processes. Ionic changes occur as a result of meltwater contact with glacier bed materials.

     

青藏高原内陆湖泊变化的遥感制图

青藏高原上的内陆湖泊群是气候变化的敏感指示器,获取近几十年来湖泊变化的动态信息对研究区域气候及环境变化具有重要的意义.本文讨论了多时相遥感湖泊变化研究中的几个关键问题--湖泊变化季节性因素、湖泊变化信息的提取以及大区域湖泊变化的分析方法,并利用Landsat长时间序列遥感数据,制作青藏高原1970s,1990s,200...     

Luminescence dating of shoreline sediments indicates a late deglacial lake-level rise of Selin Co on the central Tibetan Plateau

The palaeo-shorelines around the lakes on the Tibetan Plateau can be used to reconstruct water level variations, which serve as sensitive indicators of hydroclimate change. Extensive studies have been carried out to constrain the Holocene lake level fluctuations by dating shorelines with a variety of methods (e.g., luminescence, ¹⁴C, ¹⁰Be and U–Th series). In comparison, the timing of the lake level variations during the last glacial and subsequent deglaciation periods has been rarely studied. The driving factors of such changes, therefore, remain elusive. In this study, we performed a detailed luminescence dating investigation on six samples taken from a nearshore sedimentary outcrop in the south of Selin Co basin. The post-IR IRSL signals measured at 225 °C (pIRIR₂₂₅) on sand-sized K-feldspar grains demonstrated a generally good behavior and yielded reliable chronologies, while the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signals of quartz showed systematical age underestimation, which was attributed to anomalous fading. Six pIRIR₂₂₅ ages ranging from 15 to 10 ka suggested that the lake level of Selin Co during the last deglaciation reached up to 40–45 m high above the modern lake level. In view of the regional precipitation and temperature proxy records, we consider that the glacier meltwater supply has likely been the primary contributor to the lake highstands during the last deglaciation.