Recently, Chinese glaciologists surveyed and analyzed of glaciers in China, they found that the glaciers is shrinking over 5%, the square of glaciers decreased of 3248 km2 in the nearly 40years.
At the same time, glaciologists pointed out that the reserve of ice has reduced about 389 Km3, over 7%, the average of ice’s thickness cut down 6.5 meters. Since the 1990s, the rate of glacier retreat sharply increased and the glaciers on the march or stability was turning into retreat. With the accelerated melting of glaciers, for those rivers which was supplied by glaciers, while the increase in the run-off in the short term, but ultimately it lead to drying up of rivers, water shortages.
Since last year, China has launched the second national survey on the glaciers resources and changes, aimed to find out the change of the glaciers resources in China in the context of the global warming. The first investigation of glaciers was completed in 1999, and published the achievements at home and abroad, which was known as "ice cataloging project".
The monitoring and research achievements show that resulting from a rise in sea land 14% caused by the shrinkage of glaciers in the last century. Among them, the shrinkage of glaciers in Middle-Asian area is the main reason, taken up 50% in contribution of the global sea level rise. The shrinkage of glaciers also can lead to various geological hazards, for example, glacier flood can bring about flood catastrophe in a large-scale area and debris flow in a special region.
It is known that the glacier is the most natural potential fresh water resources, one-tenth of the Earth's land area is covered by glaciers, four-fifths of the world's fresh water resources are stored in the glaciers. Although the 98% glaciers of fresh water are stored in of Antarctica and Greenland, in other regions, there are still many glaciers, especially in the middle of Asia, where is very dry, and so the melting water of glaciers originated from the mountains and plateau is very important for feeding rivers in the area.
At the same time, glaciologists pointed out that the reserve of ice has reduced about 389 Km3, over 7%, the average of ice’s thickness cut down 6.5 meters. Since the 1990s, the rate of glacier retreat sharply increased and the glaciers on the march or stability was turning into retreat. With the accelerated melting of glaciers, for those rivers which was supplied by glaciers, while the increase in the run-off in the short term, but ultimately it lead to drying up of rivers, water shortages.
Since last year, China has launched the second national survey on the glaciers resources and changes, aimed to find out the change of the glaciers resources in China in the context of the global warming. The first investigation of glaciers was completed in 1999, and published the achievements at home and abroad, which was known as "ice cataloging project".
The monitoring and research achievements show that resulting from a rise in sea land 14% caused by the shrinkage of glaciers in the last century. Among them, the shrinkage of glaciers in Middle-Asian area is the main reason, taken up 50% in contribution of the global sea level rise. The shrinkage of glaciers also can lead to various geological hazards, for example, glacier flood can bring about flood catastrophe in a large-scale area and debris flow in a special region.
It is known that the glacier is the most natural potential fresh water resources, one-tenth of the Earth's land area is covered by glaciers, four-fifths of the world's fresh water resources are stored in the glaciers. Although the 98% glaciers of fresh water are stored in of Antarctica and Greenland, in other regions, there are still many glaciers, especially in the middle of Asia, where is very dry, and so the melting water of glaciers originated from the mountains and plateau is very important for feeding rivers in the area.
Editor:sxya
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