Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.

Different glacier status with atmospheric circulations in Tibetan Plateau and surroundings

article i nfo No glacial lake census exists for the Third Pole region, which includes the Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakoram- Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, comprehensive information is lacking about the distribution of and changes in glacial lakes caused by current global warming conditions. In this study, the first glacial lake in- ventories for the Third Pole were conducted for ~1990, 2000, and 2010 using Landsat TM/ETM+ data. Glacial lake spatial distributions, corresponding areas and temporal changes were examined. The significant results are as follows. (1) There were 4602, 4981, and 5701 glacial lakes (N0.003 km 2 ) covering areas of 553.9 ± 90, 581.2 ± 97, and 682.4 ± 110 km 2 in ~1990, 2000, and 2010, respectively; these lakes are primarily located in the Brahmaputra (39%),Indus (28%), and AmuDarya (10%) basins. (2) Small lakes (b0.2 km 2 ) are more sensitive to climate changes. (3) Lakes closer to glaciers and at higher altitudes, particularly thoseconnected to glacier ter- mini, have undergone larger area changes. (4) Glacier-fed lakes are dominant in both quantity and area (N70%) and exhibit faster expansion trends overall compared to non-glacier-fed lakes. We conclude that glacier meltwa- ter may play a dominant role in the areal expansion of most glacial lakes in the Third Pole. In addition, the pat- terns of the glacier-fed lakes correspond well with warming temperature trends and negative glacier mass balance patterns. This paper presents an important database of glacial lakes and provides a basis for long-term monitoring and evaluation of outburst flood disasters primarily caused by glacial lakes in the Third Pole.

An inventory of glacial lakes in the Third Pole region and their changes in response to global warming

Hotspots of snow cover changes in global mountain regions over 2000???2018

This study evaluated the spatial distribution, seasonal/annual variability, and transport characteristics of water vapor over CA–AC during the period 1979–2012, based on ERA-Interim reanalysis data. (1) Located in a low-moisture area of the mid- to low latitudes, CA–AC has a richer water vapor in the south and west, and the plain area than that in the north and east, and the mountainous regions. A decreasing trend of annual average precipitable water-vapor content (PWC) was detected during 1979–2012, which could be attributed to the decrease of PWC in winter. There is no obvious interannual and interdecadal variation of annual CA–AC PWC but the seasonal mean PWC have interannual variability at different time scales.(2) Water vapor in CA–AC is derived primarily from the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian seas in spring, autumn, and winter, but from the Atlantic Ocean and high latitudes of the European continent in summer. (3) Most of Central Asia is characterized by water vapor divergence in spring and summer and by water vapor convergence in winter. Water vapor converges throughout the year in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia and in northern Xinjiang in the arid region of China. Perennial water vapor divergence, however, occurs in southern Xinjiang and in the Badain Jaran and Tengger deserts. (4) Water vapor transport for the five studied countries of Central Asia is mainly via input along the western and southern boundaries and output along the southern and eastern boundaries. In the arid region of China, water vapor transport is mainly via input along the western and northern boundaries and output along the eastern boundary. (5) Water vapor flux was positive in Central Asia but negative in the arid region of China during 1979–2012. The net water vapor flux of CA–AC was found to decrease in spring, increase in winter, and remain largely constant in autumn and summer. (6) Westerly Wind Index can act as an indicative role for water vapor transport in CA–AC. In years with larger Westerly Wind Index, the zonal circulation will be strong enough to bring more water vapor reaching the middle and east part of CA and the AC. More water vapor will be transported to the western part of CA with smaller Westerly Wind Index, while water vapor influx decreases remarkably over the AC because of the intensified longitudinal water vapor transport.

Spatial distribution, temporal variation, and transport characteristics of atmospheric water vapor over Central Asia and the arid region of China

. MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cryosphere products have been available since 2000 – following the 1999 launch of the Terra MODIS and the 2002 launch of the Aqua MODIS – and include global snow-cover extent (SCE) (swath, daily, and 8 d composites) at 500 m and ∼5  km spatial resolutions. These products are used extensively in hydrological modeling and climate studies. Reprocessing of the complete snow-cover data record, from Collection 5 (C5) to Collection 6 (C6) and Collection 6.1 (C6.1), has provided improvements in the MODIS product suite. Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Collection 1 (C1) snow-cover products at a 375 m spatial resolution have been available since 2011 and are currently being reprocessed for Collection 2 (C2). Both the MODIS C6.1 and the VIIRS C2 products will be available for download from the National Snow and Ice Data Center beginning in early 2020 with the complete time series available in 2020. To address the need for a cloud-reduced or cloud-free daily SCE product for both MODIS and VIIRS, a daily cloud-gap-filled (CGF) snow-cover algorithm was developed for MODIS C6.1 and VIIRS C2 processing. MOD10A1F (Terra) and MYD10A1F (Aqua) are daily, 500 m resolution CGF SCE map products from MODIS. VNP10A1F is the daily, 375 m resolution CGF SCE map product from VIIRS. These CGF products include quality-assurance data such as cloud-persistence statistics showing the age of the observation in each pixel. The objective of this paper is to introduce the new MODIS and VIIRS standard CGF daily SCE products and to provide a preliminary evaluation of uncertainties in the gap-filling methodology so that the products can be used as the basis for a moderate-resolution Earth science data record (ESDR) of SCE. Time series of the MODIS and VIIRS CGF products have been developed and evaluated at selected study sites in the US and southern Canada. Observed differences, although small, are largely attributed to cloud masking and differences in the time of day of image acquisition. A nearly 3-month
time-series comparison of Terra MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS CGF snow-cover maps
for a large study area covering all or parts of 11 states in the western US and part of southwestern Canada reveals excellent correspondence between the Terra MODIS and S-NPP VIIRS products, with a mean difference of 11 070 km 2 , which is ∼0.45  % of the study area. According to our preliminary validation of the Terra and Aqua MODIS CGF SCE products in the western US study area, we found higher accuracy of the Terra product compared with the Aqua product. The MODIS CGF SCE data record beginning in 2000 has been extended into the VIIRS era, which should last at least through the early 2030s.

/pdf/evaluation-of-modis-and-viirs-cloud-gap-filled-snow-cover-1j51lsv0pk.pdf

Evaluation of MODIS and VIIRS cloud-gap-filled snow-cover products for production of an Earth science data record

The change in snow cover under climate change is poorly understood in Tianshan Mountains. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics and trends of snow-covered area (SCA) and snow-covered days (SCD) in the Tianshan Mountains by using the cloud-removed MODIS fractional snow cover datasets from 2001–2015. The possible linkage between the snow cover and temperature and precipitation changes over the Tianshan Mountains is also investigated. The results are as follows: (1) The distribution of snow cover over the Tianshan Mountains exhibits a large spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The areas with SCD greater than 120 days are distributed in the principal mountains with elevations of above 3000 m. (2) In total, 26.39% (5.09% with a significant decline) and 34.26% (2.81% with a significant increase) of the study area show declining and increasing trend in SCD, respectively. The SCD mainly decreases in Central and Eastern Tianshan (decreased by 11.88% and 8.03%, respectively), while it increases in Northern and Western Tianshan (increased by 9.36% and 7.47%). (3) The snow cover variations are linked to the temperature and precipitation changes. Temperature tends to be the major factor effecting the snow cover changes in the Tianshan Mountains during 2001–2015.

Spatiotemporal Variation of Snow Cover in Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia, Based on Cloud-Free MODIS Fractional Snow Cover Product, 2001–2015

Spatiotemporal variation of snowline altitude at the end of melting season across High Mountain Asia, using MODIS snow cover product

. The snowline altitude at the end of melting season (SLA-EMS) can be used as an indicator of the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and therefore for the annual mass balance of glaciers in certain conditions. High Mountain Asia (HMA) hosts the largest glacier and perennial snow cover concentration outside the polar regions, but the spatiotemporal pattern of SLA-EMS under climate change is poorly understood in there. Here, we develop a method for estimating SLA-EMS over large-scale area by using the cloud-removed MODIS fractional snow cover data, and investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics and trends of SLA-EMS during 2001–2016 over the HMA. The possible linkage between the SLA-EMS and temperature and precipitation changes over the HMA is also investigated. The results are as follows: (1) There are good linear regression relationships (R = −0.66) between the extracted grid (30 km) SLA-EMS and glaciers annual mass balance over the HMA. (2) Generally, the SLA-EMS in the HMA decreases with increase of latitude. And due to the mass elevation effect, it decreases from the high altitude region of Himalayas and inner Tibet to surrounding low mountainous area. (3) The SLA-EMS of HMA generally shows a rising trend in the recent years (2001–2016). In total, 75.3 % (24.2 % with a significant increase) and 16.1 % (less than 1 % with a significant decrease) of the study area show increasing and decreasing trends in SLA-EMS, respectively. The SLA-EMS significant increases in Tien Shan, Inner Tibet, south and east Tibet, east Himalaya and Hengduan Shan. (4) Temperature (especially the summer temperature) trends to be the dominant climatic factor affecting the variations of SLA-EMS over the HMA. Under the background of the generally losing glaciers mass in HMA, if the SLA-EMS continues to rise as a result of global warming, it will accelerate the negative mass balances of the glaciers. This study is an important step towards reconstruction the time series of glacier annual mass balance using SLA-EMS datasets at the scale of HMA to better document the relationships between climate and glaciers.

/pdf/investigating-spatiotemporal-patterns-of-snowline-altitude-1t2rwx9t54.pdf

Investigating spatiotemporal patterns of snowline altitude at the end of melting season in High Mountain Asia, using cloud-free MODIS snow cover product, 2001–2016

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Spatiotemporal Variation of Snow Cover in Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia, Based on Cloud-Free MODIS Fractional Snow Cover Product, 2001–2015

Spatiotemporal variation of snowline altitude at the end of melting season across High Mountain Asia, using MODIS snow cover product

Investigating spatiotemporal patterns of snowline altitude at the end of melting season in High Mountain Asia, using cloud-free MODIS snow cover product, 2001–2016