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Glacier volume calculation from ice-thickness data for mountain glaciers—A case study of glacier No. 4 of Sigong River over Mt. Bogda, eastern Tianshan, Central Asia

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Abstract

The determination of total glacial volume is important for the observation of climatic change and its consequences such as global sea-level rise. The tongue area of Glacier No. 4 of Sigong River over Mt. Bogda, eastern Tianshan was surveyed by ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and real time kinematic (RTK)-global positioning system (GPS) during the summer campaign 2009. In order to calculate the glacier volume, both co-kriging algorithm and estimation based on the theory of perfectly plastic material were employed. Results indicated that the ice-thickness distribution of the investigated glacier ranges from 0 to 105.0 m, with the mean thickness of 27.6 m in 2009. The corresponding ice volume was ∼0.076 km3 (∼0.068 km3 water equivalent). The bedrock topography shows more undulating than the glacier surface. The difference of the calculated ice volume in this study and the estimated value from the empirical formula is large. Therefore, it is urgent to validate the applicability of the existing empirical formula.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Tianshan Glaciological Station, Cold and Arid Region Environment and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Puyu Wang, Zhongqin Li, Wenbin Wang, Huilin Li & Feiteng Wang

  2. College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Zhongqin Li

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  1. Puyu Wang
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  2. Zhongqin Li
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  3. Wenbin Wang
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  4. Huilin Li
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Correspondence to Puyu Wang.

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Wang, P., Li, Z., Wang, W. et al. Glacier volume calculation from ice-thickness data for mountain glaciers—A case study of glacier No. 4 of Sigong River over Mt. Bogda, eastern Tianshan, Central Asia. J. Earth Sci. 25, 371–378 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-014-0427-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-014-0427-5

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