,glacier, degree-day factor, glacier ablation, Indus Basin

 , ,"/> Variation of Degree-day Factors and Its Affecting Factors in the Upper Indus Basin

Arid Zone Research ›› 2020, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (1): 264-274.

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Variation of Degree-day Factors and Its Affecting Factors in the Upper Indus Basin

WU Jian-feng1, 2, ZHANG Yin-sheng1, 3, GAO Hai-feng1, 3, ZOU Xiao-juan1, 2, Muhammad Atif Wazir1, 3, 4   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
    2. Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
    3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    4. Pakistan Meteorological Department, Islamabad 44000

  • Received:2019-03-30 Revised:2019-05-05 Online:2020-01-15 Published:2020-01-15

Abstract:  Currently, the degree-day model based on the sum of daily mean temperature is widely used in glacier ablation research. The degree-day factors for ice ablation of the selected Sachen, Gharko and Barpu glaciers were calculated based on the data of mass balance and meteorology from 2014 to 2016, and their characteristics including the spatiotemporal variation and affecting factors were analyzed. The results showed that the average degree-day factors of the Sachen, Gharko and Barpu glaciers were 2.83, 3.74 and 3.91 mm?d-1?℃-1 respectively. The degree-day factors of the glaciers increased with the increase of elevation, and the increase rates of degree-day factors of the Sachen, Gharko and Barpu glaciers were 0.003 7, 0.007 4 and 0.004 1 mm?d-1?℃-1 respectively. The degree-day factor was not a constant, it changed with the time and was affected significantly by surface moraine, and it was holistically decreased with the increase of surface moraine thickness. The coverage of surface moraine thinner than 2 cm could promote the glacier ablation, and the degree-day factor in the glacier area covered by surface moraine was higher than that without surface moraine. Glacier aspect affected the degree-day factor to a certain extent, and the degree-day factor on the sunny slope was higher than that on the shady slope.

Key words:  ')">

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