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Reconstructions of annual discharge and equilibrium line altitude of glaciers at Qilian Shan, northwest China, from 1978 to 2002
Author(s) -
Sakai Akiko,
Fujita Koji,
Narama Chiyuki,
Kubota Jumpei,
Nakawo Masayoshi,
Yao Tandong
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.7700
Subject(s) - glacier , structural basin , altitude (triangle) , precipitation , geology , physical geography , accumulation zone , glacier mass balance , hydrology (agriculture) , climatology , geomorphology , geography , meteorology , cryosphere , ice stream , sea ice , geometry , mathematics , geotechnical engineering
Discharge was calculated from a mountainous area, including discharge from glaciers, in the Qilian Shan (Qilian Mountains) of northwest China. The studied Yingluoxia basin is 9983 km 2 in area, with glaciers making up 0·3% of the basin. The calculation method was based on the heat balance, requiring only daily temperature and precipitation. Calculated annual discharge from the basin corresponded well with the observed data. Calculated annual discharge from glaciers was 3·6% of the total discharge from the basin. The temporal trend of the calculated equilibrium line altitude (ELA) at the July 1st Glacier (western side of the Yingluoxia basin) was similar to that of the observed ELA. The calculated annual mass balance of glaciers within the Yingluoxia basin has a larger negative value than the other glaciers in China, as the ratio of accumulation area to the total glacier area in the Yingluoxia basin is much lower than in neighbouring basins to the west. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.