An inventory of active rock glaciers in the northern Tien Shan of China compiled using satellite SAR interferometry ...

• Main Authors: Wang, Xiaowen, Liu, Lin, Zhao, Lin, Wu, Tonghua, Li, Zhongqin, Liu, Guoxiang
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2017
• Subjects: Identification; LATITUDE; LONGITUDE; ALTITUDE; Rock glacier area; Rock glacier length; Aspect ratio; Slope; Aspect; Rock glacier surface velocity; Rock glacier surface velocity, uncertainty; Potential incoming solar radiation; Temperature, air, annual mean; Permafrost zonation index; Satellite remote sensing; Satellite SAR interferometry; permafrost
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.874616; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.874616

Rock glaciers are widespread in the Tien Shan. However, rock glaciers in the Chinese part of the Tien Shan have not been systematically investigated for more than two decades. In this study, we propose a new method that combines SAR interferometry and optical images from Google Earth to map active rock glaciers (ARGs) in the Northern Tien Shan (NTS) of China. We compiled an inventory that includes 261 ARGs and quantitative information about their locations, geomorphic parameters, and down-slope velocities. Our inventory shows that most of the ARGs are moraine-derived (69 %) and facing northeast (56 %). The altitude distribution of ARGs in the western NTS is significantly different from those located in the eastern part. The down-slope velocities of the ARGs vary significantly in space, with a maximum of about 114 cm/yr and a mean of about 37 cm/yr. Using the ARG locations as a proxy for the extent of alpine permafrost, our inventory suggests that the lowest altitudinal limit for the presence of permafrost in ... : #-9999 denotes the Null value, representing that the rock glacier has the mean coherence lower than 0.3 or the mean velocity smaller than 5 cm/a. ...