GLACIER AREA AND MASS CHANGES IN THE EASTERN PAMIR PLATEAU, CHINA SINCE THE EARLY 1960S AS DERIVED FROM REMOTE SENSING DATA

摘要

The assessment of glacier area and mass change is crucial for assessing water reserves stored in glaciers. By comparing both the first (1963) and second Chinese glacier inventories (2009), our results indicated that glaciers in the region have been retreating by 10.8±1.1%. Glaciers in the eastern Pamir Plateau have experienced spatially heterogeneous change: slight shrinkage of glaciers was found in Muztag Ata and Kongur Tagh. However, the glaciers in Muztag Ata and Kongur Tagh have seen an overall loss of–6.99 ± 0.80 km~3 in ice volume or–0.15±0.12 m water equivalent (w.e.) a~（–1）from 1971/76 to 2013/14 based on DEMs from ASTER, Cartosat-1, SRTM and topographic maps. In addition, the western tributary of Karayaylak Glacier surged in May 2015 was monitored with the changes of surface elevation and velocity by ASTER and Landsat images. The surge may be controlled by thermal condition.