Palaeoclimate Reconstruction of the Central Gangdise Mountains, Southern Tibetan Plateau, Based on Glacier Modelling

Palaeoglacier modelling is an important approach for reconstructing the palaeoclimate. The timing of glaciations in the central part of the Gangdise Mountains has been constrained previously, but the palaeoclimate remains unclear. In this paper, the palaeo-temperature and precipitation of the early...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zihan Jiang, Qian Zhang, Hanyue Xu, Ninglian Wang, Li Zhang, Domenico Capolongo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-08-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/8/1314
Description
Summary:Palaeoglacier modelling is an important approach for reconstructing the palaeoclimate. The timing of glaciations in the central part of the Gangdise Mountains has been constrained previously, but the palaeoclimate remains unclear. In this paper, the palaeo-temperature and precipitation of the early marine isotope stage (MIS) 2, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and the early Holocene were reconstructed using coupled mass balance and ice flow models. The results show that a series of temperature changes (Δ<i>T</i>) and precipitation factors (<i>F</i><sub>p</sub>) resulted in optimum palaeoglacial extents. The modelled palaeoglaciers during the early MIS 2, the LGM, and the early Holocene cover areas of ~18.1 km<sup>2</sup>, ~17.4 km<sup>2</sup>, and ~16.3 km<sup>2</sup>, respectively, with ice volumes of ~2.18 km<sup>3</sup>, ~1.99 km<sup>3</sup>, and ~1.95 km<sup>3</sup>, respectively. Previous studies on ice cores, pollen samples, and lake sediments were referenced to narrow the range of palaeo-temperatures and precipitations. The reconstructed temperatures during the early MIS 2, LGM, and early Holocene were constrained to 2.4–2.9 °C, 2.15–3.05 °C, and 0.95–1.5 °C lower than today, respectively. Their precipitation levels were 60–80%, 50–80%, and 100–150% of the present-day level, respectively.
ISSN:2073-445X