Monitoring dynamics of Kyagar Glacier surge and repeated draining of Ice-dammed lake using multi-source remote sensing

Yongpeng Gao; Jinliang Wang; Shiyin Liu; Xiaojun Yao; Miaomiao Qi; Pengbin Liang; Fuming Xie; Jianxin Mu; Xinggang Ma

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172467

Monitoring dynamics of Kyagar Glacier surge and repeated draining of Ice-dammed lake using multi-source remote sensing

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jun 10:928:172467. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172467. Epub 2024 Apr 13.

Authors

Yongpeng Gao¹, Jinliang Wang², Shiyin Liu³, Xiaojun Yao⁴, Miaomiao Qi⁵, Pengbin Liang⁶, Fuming Xie⁵, Jianxin Mu⁷, Xinggang Ma⁸

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing for Universities in Yunnan, Kunming 650500, China; Center for Geospatial Information Engineering and Technology of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
² Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing for Universities in Yunnan, Kunming 650500, China; Center for Geospatial Information Engineering and Technology of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650500, China. Electronic address: jlwang@ynnu.edu.cn.
³ Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of China-Laos-Bangladesh-Myanmar Natural Resources Remote Sensing Monitoring, Kunming 650091, China. Electronic address: shiyin.liu@ynu.edu.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Gansu Province, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
⁵ Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
⁶ School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Qinghai University of Science and Technology, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Plateau Climate Change and Corresponding Ecological and Environmental Effects, Xining 810008, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering/Tian Shan Glaciological Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China.
⁸ National Field Science Observation and Research Station of Yulong Snow Mountain Cryosphere and Sustainable Development, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.

PMID: 38615766
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172467

Abstract

Glacier surges, a primary factor contributing to various glacial hazards, has long captivated the attention of the global glaciological community. This study delves into the dynamics of Kyagar Glacier surging and the associated drainage features of its Ice-dammed lake, employing high temporal resolution optical imagery. Our findings indicate that the surge on Kyagar Glacier began in late spring and early summer of 2014 and concluded during the summer of 2016. This surge resulted in the transfer of 0.321 ± 0.012 km³ of glacier mass from the reservoir zone to the receiving zone, leading to the formation of an ice-dammed lake at the glacier's terminus. The lake experienced five outbursts between 2015 and 2019, with the largest discharge occurring in 2017. And the maximum water depth during this period was 112 ± 11 m, resulting in a water storage volume of (158.37 ± 28.32) × 10⁶ m³. On the other hand, our analysis of the relationship between glacier surface velocity and albedo, coupled with an examination of subglacial dynamics, revealed that increased precipitation during the active phase of the Kyagar Glacier results in accumulation of mass in the upper glacier. This accumulation induces changes in basal shear stress, triggering the glacier's transition into an unstable state. Consequently, glacier deformation rates escalate, surface crevasses proliferate, potentially providing conduits for surface meltwater to infiltrate the glacier bed. This, in turn, leaded to elevated basal water pressure, initiating glacier sliding. Furthermore, we postulated that the repetitive drainage of Kyagar Ice-dammed lake was primarily influenced by the opening and closing of subglacial drainage pathways and variations in inflow volumes. Future endeavors necessitate rigorous field observations to enhance glacier surge simulations, deepening our comprehension of glacier surge mechanisms and mitigating the impact of associated glacial hazards.

Keywords: Glacier lake outburst floods; Glacier surge; Kyagar Glacier; Remote sensing.