Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China
We analyzed a 2-year time series of meteorological data (January 2011–December 2012) from three automatic weather stations on Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China. Air temperature, humidity and incoming radiation were significantly correlated between the three sites, while wind s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214301700082X/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811155849244049408 |
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| author | JIZU CHEN XIANG QIN SHICHANG KANG WENTAO DU WEIJUN SUN YUSHUO LIU |
| author_facet | JIZU CHEN XIANG QIN SHICHANG KANG WENTAO DU WEIJUN SUN YUSHUO LIU |
| author_sort | JIZU CHEN |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We analyzed a 2-year time series of meteorological data (January 2011–December 2012) from three automatic weather stations on Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China. Air temperature, humidity and incoming radiation were significantly correlated between the three sites, while wind speed and direction were not. In this work, we focus on the effects of clouds on other meteorological parameters and on glacier melt. On an average, ~18% of top-of-atmosphere shortwave radiation was attenuated by the clear-sky atmosphere, and clouds attenuated a further 12%. Most of the time the monthly average increases in net longwave radiation caused by clouds were larger than decreases in net shortwave radiation but there was a tendency to lose energy during the daytime when melting was most intense. Air temperature and wind speed related to turbulent heat flux were found to suppress glacier melt during cloudy periods, while increased water vapor pressure during cloudy days could enhance glacier melt by reducing energy loss by latent heat. From these results, we have increased the physical understanding of the significance of cloud effects on continental glaciers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:40:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3bc1852368134cffb971549dbd41ce6e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:40:31Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3bc1852368134cffb971549dbd41ce6e2023-03-09T12:40:30ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522018-02-0164899910.1017/jog.2017.82Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, ChinaJIZU CHEN0XIANG QIN1SHICHANG KANG2WENTAO DU3WEIJUN SUN4YUSHUO LIU5Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China University of CAS, Beijing 100049, ChinaQilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, ChinaQilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China University of CAS, Beijing 100049, China CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaQilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China University of CAS, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Population, Resources and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250000, ChinaQilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, ChinaWe analyzed a 2-year time series of meteorological data (January 2011–December 2012) from three automatic weather stations on Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China. Air temperature, humidity and incoming radiation were significantly correlated between the three sites, while wind speed and direction were not. In this work, we focus on the effects of clouds on other meteorological parameters and on glacier melt. On an average, ~18% of top-of-atmosphere shortwave radiation was attenuated by the clear-sky atmosphere, and clouds attenuated a further 12%. Most of the time the monthly average increases in net longwave radiation caused by clouds were larger than decreases in net shortwave radiation but there was a tendency to lose energy during the daytime when melting was most intense. Air temperature and wind speed related to turbulent heat flux were found to suppress glacier melt during cloudy periods, while increased water vapor pressure during cloudy days could enhance glacier melt by reducing energy loss by latent heat. From these results, we have increased the physical understanding of the significance of cloud effects on continental glaciers.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214301700082X/type/journal_articlecloud effectcloud forcingglacierlongwave-equivalent cloudinesssurface radiation |
| spellingShingle | JIZU CHEN XIANG QIN SHICHANG KANG WENTAO DU WEIJUN SUN YUSHUO LIU Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China Journal of Glaciology cloud effect cloud forcing glacier longwave-equivalent cloudiness surface radiation |
| title | Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China |
| title_full | Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China |
| title_fullStr | Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China |
| title_short | Effects of clouds on surface melting of Laohugou glacier No. 12, western Qilian Mountains, China |
| title_sort | effects of clouds on surface melting of laohugou glacier no 12 western qilian mountains china |
| topic | cloud effect cloud forcing glacier longwave-equivalent cloudiness surface radiation |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S002214301700082X/type/journal_article |
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