Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (7): 1094-1106.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.07.07

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of temporal and spatial characteristics and driving forces of Kunlun glacial lakes

MENG Chengfeng1(),ZHONG Tao1,ZHENG Jianghua1,2(),WANG Nan1,LIU Zexuan1,REN Xiangyuan3   

  1. 1. College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang, China
    3. College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2023-03-27 Revised:2023-05-04 Online:2023-07-15 Published:2023-08-01

Abstract:

Investigating the variable features of Kunlun glacier lakes is crucial for the development of the local ecological environment. The area and number of glacial lakes in the Kunlun Mountains have changed over the past 20 years, and this paper used supervised classification based on the Google Earth Engine remote sensing cloud platform to study the changes. It also examined the driving factors of temperature, precipitation, and glacier area. The findings indicate: (1) There were 39.25% more glacial lakes in the Kunlun Mountains in 2020 than there were in 2000, and the area expanded by 81.35%, with a distribution pattern of more lakes in the west and fewer lakes in the east. (2) The Kunlun Mountain glacial lakes are primarily found at an altitude of 4600-5600 m, and the number and area of glacial lakes account for 71.58% and 70.51% of the total, respectively. These glacial lakes have a smaller area than 0.1 km2 and are more sensitive to climate change. (3) The temperature and precipitation in the Kunlun Mountains declined by 3.45%, 6.27%, and 21.15% from 2000 to 2020, respectively, as did the glacier area. The primary cause of the expansion of glacial lakes is the meltwater produced by glacier melting. The study’s findings may provide empirical justification for the preservation and use of water resources as well as for catastrophe warnings in dry regions.

Key words: remote sensing, glacial lake of Kunlun Mountains, GEE, climate change, driving force analysis