Characteristics of climate and melt runoff in the KoxkarGlacier River Basin,south slope of the TianshanMountains,Northwest China

作者：Min Xu,HaiDong Han,ShiChang Kang,Hua Tao

摘要：Hydrology of the high glacierized region in the Tianshan Mountains is an important water resource for arid and semiarid areas of China,even Central Asia.The hydrological process is complex to understand,due to the high variability in cli mate and the lack of hydrometeorological data.Based on field observations,the present study analyzes the meteorological and hydrological characteristics of the Koxkar Glacier River Basin during 20082011;and the factors influencing climate impact on glacier hydrology are discussed.The results show that precipitation at the terminus of the glacier was 426.2 mm,471.8 mm,624.9 mm,and 532 mm in 2008,2009,2010,and 2011,respectively.Discharge increases starting in May,reaches its highest value in July and August,and then starts to decrease.The mean annual discharge was 118.23×10^6 m^3 during the four years observed,with 87.0%occurring in the ablation season(May September).During the study period,the runoff in August accounted for 29%of total streamflow,followed by July(22%)and June(14%).The runoff exhibited obviously high interannual variability from April to September,induced by drastic changes in climate factors.Discharge autocorrelations are very high for all the years.The climate factors show different influences on discharge.The highest correlation R between daily temperature and discharge was for a time lag of 23 days 2on the Koxkar Glacier(0.66-0.76).The daily depth of runoff to daily temperature and daily water vapor pressure had an R^2 value of 0.56 and 0.69,respective ly,which could be described by an exponential function.A closer relationship is found between runoff and either tempera ture or water vapor pressure on a monthly scale;the R^2 values are 0.65 and 0.78,respectively.The study helps us to under stand the mechanisms of the hydrological meteorological system of typical regional glaciers and to provide a reference for glacier-runoff simulations and water-resource management.

发文机构：State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science Division of Hydrology Water?Land Resources in Cold and Arid Regions Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources

关键词：MELTRUNOFFKoxkarGLACIERhydrometeorologicalobservationrelationship

分类号： P46[天文地球—大气科学及气象学]