Abstract: The variation of glaciers in the Manas River Basin,Xinjiang,China was studied based on the multi-phase remote sensing images.The results revealed that,during the period of 1972-2013,the total glacier area in the study area was reduced by 159.02 km²,the reduction rate was as high as 24.61%,the most remarkable shrinkage of glaciers occurred in an elevation range of 3 800-4 200 m a.s.l.,the terminal altitude of the glaciers ascended obviously,and the glaciers in an altitude range of 3 200-3 300 m a.s.l.disappeared in recent 41 years.Glacier variation was quite different from different regions,the shrinkage rate of the main-source glaciers in the Mannas River Basin was the highest,than that on the left bank,and that on the right bank was the lowest.Glacier shrinkage occurred at all the slope aspects in the Manas River Basin,especially on the east slope.It was found that the glacier volume in the study area was reduced by 59.09-85.94 km³ in recent 41 years.Shrinkage rate of glaciers in the Manas River Basin was higher than that in other regions of the Tianshan Mountains.Air temperature increase was the main cause resulting in the shrinkage of glaciers in the study area.

Key words: glacier shrinkage, remote sensing monitoring, climate background, the Manas River Basin, Xinjiang