Scientists assess the accelerated changes of glaciers in the Yulong Snow Mountain

The Yulong Snow Mountain (YSM) is a region of temperate glaciers in the southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. As one of the most famous tourist attractions in Yunnan Province, the existence of the ice-and-snow landscapes of the YSM is culturally important to the Lijiang ancient town.

Recently, scientists from Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, together with their colleagues from other universities in China, systematically assessed the glacier changes of the YSM during the past several decades using ground-based and remotely sensed observations and referencing topographic maps.

They assessed glacier changes in the YSM and their impact on the local glacier tourism. Based on in situ data and remote-sensing images, scientists first evaluated the glacier changes in the study region, such as changes in the glacier front, glacier area and glacier mass balance.

Besides, they analyzed the reasons for this glacier change, along with the climate records from a local meteorological station, followed by the major impact factors of the initially rapid glacier retreat.

The findings of the present study help to understand the mechanism between accelerated ablation of temperate glaciers and climate change in southeast regions of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and provide references for local tourism administrations.

This study has been published in Regional Environmental Change in an article titled "Accelerated changes of glaciers in the Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau."