Spatial Distribution and Variation in Debris Cover and Flow Velocities of Glaciers during 1989–2022 in Tomur Peak Region, Tianshan Mountains-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Spatial Distribution and Variation in Debris Cover and Flow Velocities of Glaciers during 1989–2022 in Tomur Peak Region, Tianshan Mountains

Published:2024-07-15 Issue:14 Volume:16 Page:2587
ISSN:2072-4292
Container-title:Remote Sensing
language:en
Short-container-title:Remote Sensing

Author:

Zhou Weiyong¹²,Xu Min¹³⁴^ORCID,Han Haidong¹³

Affiliation:

1. Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, China

2. Faculty of Geomatics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China

3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

4. National Cryosphere Desert Data Center, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, China

Abstract

In this study, we utilized a feature optimization method combining texture and topographical factors with the random forest (RF) approach to identify changes in the extent of the debris cover around the Tianshan Tomur Peak between 1989 and 2022. Based on Sentinel-1 image data, we extracted glacier flow velocities using an offset tracking method and conducted a long-term analysis of flow velocities in combination with existing datasets. The debris identification results for 2022 showed that the debris-covered area in the study region was 409.2 km2, constituting 22.8% of the total glacier area. Over 34 years, the area of debris cover expanded by 69.4 km2, reflecting a growth rate of 20.0%. Analysis revealed that glaciers in the Tomur Peak area have been decelerating at an overall rate of −4.0% per decade, with the complexity of the glacier bed environment and the instability of the glacier’s internal structure contributing to significant seasonal and interannual variability in the movement speeds of individual glaciers.

Funder

National Natural Science Foundation of China

China–Pakistan joint program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

project of State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science

Open Fund Project of the National Cryosphere Desert Data Center

Publisher

MDPI AG

Link

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/14/2587/pdf

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