Tianshan

 

Dynamic Response of Glaciers in the Eastern Tianshan to Climate Change

The project aimed to contribute to the understanding of the interactions between atmosphere and cryosphere in the region of eastern Tianshan, autonomous province Xinjiang in NW-China. Tianshan is one of the largest mountain ranges in central Asia and in the eastern Chinese part alone there are glacires with a total area of 9,225 km2. They form water ressources that are fundamental to the ecosystem and vital for the survival of the local population.

The project investigated the short- and long-term changes of glaciers in this region due to climate change. In addition to changes in the individual components of the energy and mass balance of the glacier surface, the influence of glacier dyanmis on its area and volume in the course of climate change were integrated. With this model combination it was possible to assess the developement of glaciers over the last decades as well as their future developement, especially with regard to the contribution of glacial meltwater to the overall discharge of rivers.

Funding The project was funded by the PPP China project of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The duration of the project was January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015.
Team

Germany

  • Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider
  • Dr. Eva Huintjes

China

  • Dr. Zhongqin Li - Director, Tianshan Glaciological Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Professor, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAREERI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
  • Dr. Huilin Li - Tianshan Glaciological Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAREERI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
  • Dr. Puyu Wang - Tianshan Glaciological Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (CAREERI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)