fujita_2006.htm
Bulletin of Glaciological Research 23 (2006)
63-67
©Japanese Society of Snow and Ice
Topographical survey of July 1st Glacier in Qilian Mountains, China
Koji FUJITA1, Akiko SAKAI1, Yoshihiro MATSUDA1, Chiyuki NARAMA,1 Nozomu NAITO2,
Satoru YAMAGUCHI3, Kuniharu HIYAMA1, Jiancheng PU4, Tandong YAO5 and Masayoshi NAKAWO6
1 Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601,
Japan
2 Department of Environmental Information, Hiroshima Institute of Technology,
Hiroshima 731-5193, Japan
3 Nagaoka Institute of Snowand Ice Studies, National Research Institute
for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Nagaoka 940-0821, Japan
4 Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,
Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
5 Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.
O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
6 Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 602-0878, Japan
Abstract
In order to evaluate recent glacier shrinkage in the arid region of China, surveys using a global positioning system (GPS) and digital theodolite with laser distance meter were carried out on the July 1st glacier in the Qilian Mountains from 2002 to 2005. Benchmarks and stakes on around the glacier were installed in 2002. A new 2002 map was carefully superposed on a map created in 1975 using a salient moraine ridge and boundary of the accumulation area, since no ground control point was available in the old 1975 map. A retreat of the glacier termini has been detectable since 1956 with a notable retreat occurring between 2002 and 2003. Surface flowvelocities were obtained by repeated measurements of a stake network. The new map and benchmarks provide basic information for future survey studies.
