Multi-scale remote sensing-based glacier monitoring in the Aksu-Tarim Catchment in Xinjiang/China

阿克苏-塔里木流域冰川是塔里木河干旱区的淡水资源，对生态系统和农业具有重要意义。该地区受到气候变化的影响，对冰川产生了根本性的影响，从而影响了水的供应。在本项目中，基于遥感数据对整个阿克苏-塔里木流域三个不同时期（1990年、2000年和2008年）的冰川清查将揭示冰川覆盖的变化。本文将利用多时相高分辨率光学和雷达立体卫星影像，详细研究托穆尔峰南坡冰川对气候变化的反应。这包括自20世纪60年代以来的直接卫星测量时期，以及通过从太空探测冰碛来间接见证历史时期的冰川范围，描述了自小冰期结束以来天山山脉冰川的长期行为。综合方法还将关注基于体积变化、冰川表面速度和表面形态的冰川质量平衡。特别关注的是大量被碎片覆盖的冰川。最后，将现有模式应用于调查区域，以预测不同气候变化情景下冰川的未来行为，并估计冰-水含量的变化。可视化将把结果呈现给公众和决策者。

Glaciers in Aksu-Tarim Catchment are resources of fresh water and are of cardinal importance both for the ecosystem and the agriculture in the arid Tarim Basin in northwest China. The region is affected by a changing climate with fundamental consequences for the glaciers and hence the availability of water. Within this project a glacier inventory of the entire Aksu-Tarim Catchment for three different time periods (1990, 2000 and 2008) based on remote sensing data will shed light on the changes in ice cover. The reaction of the glaciers on the southern slope of Tomur Peak to climate change will be studied in detail using multi-temporal high resolution stereo satellite imagery, both optical and radar. This includes the period of direct satellite measurements since the 1960s and indirect witnesses of the glacier extent in historic times by the detection of moraines from space, describing the long-term behaviour of glaciers in the Tien Shan Mountains since the end of Little Ice Age. The integrated approach will also focus on glacier mass balance based on volume changes, glacier surface velocity, and surface morphology. A special focus is put onto the abundant debris-covered glaciers. Finally, existing models will be adapted to the investigation area to project the future behaviour of the glaciers under different climate change scenarios and the change in the ice-water content will be estimated. Visualisations will bring the results to both the public and decision makers.