Tandong Yao^1,2*, Lonnie Thompson^1,3,Wei Yang¹,Wusheng Yu¹, Yang Gao¹, Xuejun Guo¹,

Xiaoxin Yang¹, Keqin Duan^1,2, Huabiao Zhao¹, Baiqing Xu¹, Jiancheng Pu², Anxin Lu^1,2, Yang Xiang¹,Dambaru B. Kattel¹ and Daniel Joswiak¹

 

The Tibetan Plateau and surroundings contain the largest number of glaciers outside the polar regions. These glaciers are at the headwaters of many prominent Asian rivers and are largely experiencing shrinkage, which affects the water discharge of large rivers such as the Indus. The resulting potential geohazards merit a comprehensive study of glacier status in the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings. Here we report on the glacier status over the past 30 years by investigating the glacial retreat of 82 glaciers, area reduction of 7,090 glaciers and mass-balance change of 15 glaciers. Systematic differences in glacier status are apparent from region to region, with the most intensive shrinkage in the Himalayas (excluding the Karakorum) characterized by the greatest reduction in glacial length and area and the most negative mass balance. The shrinkage generally decreases from the Himalayas to the continental interior and is the least in the eastern Pamir, characterized by the least glacial retreat, area reduction and positive mass balance. In addition to rising temperature, decreased precipitation in the Himalayas and increasing precipitation in the eastern Pamir accompanied by different atmospheric circulation patterns is probably driving these systematic differences.