Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015
Global warming triggers shrinking and thinning of glaciers worldwide, with potentially severe implications for human society. However, regional differences in glacier retreat and its relationship with climatic characteristics have not been conclusively demonstrated. In this study, regional changes i...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:14c5535aa6b9499c80019c519bd24c7e 2023-05-15T13:57:56+02:00 Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 Yao-Jun Li Yong-Jian Ding Dong-Hui Shangguan Rong-Jun Wang 2019-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2020.03.003 https://doaj.org/article/14c5535aa6b9499c80019c519bd24c7e EN eng KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927820300058 https://doaj.org/toc/1674-9278 1674-9278 doi:10.1016/j.accre.2020.03.003 https://doaj.org/article/14c5535aa6b9499c80019c519bd24c7e Advances in Climate Change Research, Vol 10, Iss 4, Pp 203-213 (2019) Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Social sciences (General) H1-99 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2020.03.003 2022-12-31T06:17:28Z Global warming triggers shrinking and thinning of glaciers worldwide, with potentially severe implications for human society. However, regional differences in glacier retreat and its relationship with climatic characteristics have not been conclusively demonstrated. In this study, regional changes in global glaciers based on two primary features, area change and mass balance, were investigated on the basis of data collected from published research on glacier changes. Results show that during the period 1980–2015, the rate of global glacier area shrinkage was 0.18% per year and that of global glacier mass loss was 0.25 m w.e. per year. Retreat of glaciers located at low and middle latitudes was characterized by severe area shrinkage and mass loss. Correspondingly, in the Arctic, deglaciation was characterized by ice thinning due to a low area reduction but relatively high mass loss rate. However, glaciers in high southern latitudes were in a relatively stable status. High Mountain Asia exhibited the lowest rate of area shrinkage and mass loss among glaciers located at low and middle latitudes, and a slower rate of mass loss compared with the global average. Glaciers in the Tropical Andes exhibited the fastest rate of glacier area shrinkage (−1.6% per year), whereas Antarctic and Subantarctic glaciers showed the lowest rate (−0.11% per year). For mass balance, the most negative occurred at Southern Andes (−0.81 m w.e. per year), followed by Alaska (−0.74 m w.e. per year). Only the Antarctic and Subantarctic experienced small mass gain (0.04 m w.e. per year). High levels of correlation are found between the rates of glacier retreat and annual average temperature and annual total precipitation instead of their trends. The variability of the surface climate conditions in the glacier environment plays a key role in driving these regional differences in global glacier retreat. Keywords: Glacier retreat, Regional differences, Climate change Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Climate change glacier glaciers Global warming Alaska Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Antarctic The Antarctic Advances in Climate Change Research 10 4 203 213 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Social sciences (General) H1-99 |
spellingShingle |
Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Social sciences (General) H1-99 Yao-Jun Li Yong-Jian Ding Dong-Hui Shangguan Rong-Jun Wang Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
topic_facet |
Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Social sciences (General) H1-99 |
description |
Global warming triggers shrinking and thinning of glaciers worldwide, with potentially severe implications for human society. However, regional differences in glacier retreat and its relationship with climatic characteristics have not been conclusively demonstrated. In this study, regional changes in global glaciers based on two primary features, area change and mass balance, were investigated on the basis of data collected from published research on glacier changes. Results show that during the period 1980–2015, the rate of global glacier area shrinkage was 0.18% per year and that of global glacier mass loss was 0.25 m w.e. per year. Retreat of glaciers located at low and middle latitudes was characterized by severe area shrinkage and mass loss. Correspondingly, in the Arctic, deglaciation was characterized by ice thinning due to a low area reduction but relatively high mass loss rate. However, glaciers in high southern latitudes were in a relatively stable status. High Mountain Asia exhibited the lowest rate of area shrinkage and mass loss among glaciers located at low and middle latitudes, and a slower rate of mass loss compared with the global average. Glaciers in the Tropical Andes exhibited the fastest rate of glacier area shrinkage (−1.6% per year), whereas Antarctic and Subantarctic glaciers showed the lowest rate (−0.11% per year). For mass balance, the most negative occurred at Southern Andes (−0.81 m w.e. per year), followed by Alaska (−0.74 m w.e. per year). Only the Antarctic and Subantarctic experienced small mass gain (0.04 m w.e. per year). High levels of correlation are found between the rates of glacier retreat and annual average temperature and annual total precipitation instead of their trends. The variability of the surface climate conditions in the glacier environment plays a key role in driving these regional differences in global glacier retreat. Keywords: Glacier retreat, Regional differences, Climate change |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Yao-Jun Li Yong-Jian Ding Dong-Hui Shangguan Rong-Jun Wang |
author_facet |
Yao-Jun Li Yong-Jian Ding Dong-Hui Shangguan Rong-Jun Wang |
author_sort |
Yao-Jun Li |
title |
Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
title_short |
Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
title_full |
Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
title_fullStr |
Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
title_sort |
regional differences in global glacier retreat from 1980 to 2015 |
publisher |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2020.03.003 https://doaj.org/article/14c5535aa6b9499c80019c519bd24c7e |
geographic |
Arctic Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Climate change glacier glaciers Global warming Alaska |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Climate change glacier glaciers Global warming Alaska |
op_source |
Advances in Climate Change Research, Vol 10, Iss 4, Pp 203-213 (2019) |
op_relation |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927820300058 https://doaj.org/toc/1674-9278 1674-9278 doi:10.1016/j.accre.2020.03.003 https://doaj.org/article/14c5535aa6b9499c80019c519bd24c7e |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2020.03.003 |
container_title |
Advances in Climate Change Research |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
203 |
op_container_end_page |
213 |
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1766265866816585728 |