sakai_2006b.htm
Bulletin of Glaciological Research 23 (2006)
33-39
©Japanese Society of Snow and Ice
Hydrological observations at July 1st Glacier in northwest China from ,2002
to 2004
Akiko SAKAI1, Yoshihiro MATSUDA1, Koji FUJITA1, Kequin DUAN2, Jianchen PU2,
Satoru YAMAGUCHI3, Masayoshi NAKAWO4 and Tandong YAO5
1 Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, HyARC, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
2 Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, 260 Donggang West
Road, Lanzhou 730000, China
3 Nagaoka Institute of Snow and Ice Studies, National Research Institute
for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Nagaoka 940-0821, Japan
4 Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 335 Takashima-cho, Kamigyo-ku,
Kyoto 602-0878, Japan
5 Institute of Tibet Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 10085,
Beijing, China
Abstract
Hydrological observation was carried out at the July 1st Glacier in the Qilian mountains, northwest China, during the glacier melting season from 2002 to 2004. Water discharge was measured using two methods, current meter and salt water. The results of these methods showed a good correspondence. A logger for water level was settled at the glacier terminus in 2002, and at the foot of the end-moraine in 2003 and 2004. Then, variations in discharge were evaluated based on the relationship between discharge and water level. Total observed runo# depth from the basin was 834 mm in 2002. The average value of water budget components, such as precipitation, glacier mass balance, evaporation at the glacier and glacier-free area, were evaluated in 2002 from observation and meteorological data. The results indicated that the discharge from the glacier area was 6 times larger than that of the glacier-free area mainly due to glacier shrinkage.
