Glacier monitoring in Mongolia G. Davaa

Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, NAMEM, MEGDT,

Mongolia

Glaciers in the Altai Mts.

Objectives

1)Long term observation of representative glaciers to reveal

present condition of glaciers in Mongolia

Glaciers monitoring (mass balance, area, ice flow, thickness)

Climate monitoring

Hydrological monitoring

Reconstruction of past historical data

Collection of basic data for glacier model

2) To make an assessment for future changes of water

resources to take an adaptation measures

Modeling (climate, glacier, river flow and ecosystems)

Climate change and adaptation options (IWRM plans)

Indroduction

Potanin’s expeditions to northwestern Mongolia (1877-1879),

Rutkowski and Slowanski (1970): They made general,

descriptions of separate glaciers in the immediate vicinity of the

expedition’s routes.

First assessment on Mongolian glaciers made by Dashdeleg

et al. (1983) based on topographic map scaled as 1:100000 for

delineation of glaciers and estimated volume of glaciers using

Erasov’s equation.

Nikitin et al., 2001, Narozhny et al., 2006: There are long-

term mass balance records (WGMS) and also ice thickness of

glaciers was measured and estimated glacier volume dynamics

in the Russian Altai.

Permanent glacier monitoring has started in Mongolia, in

2003.

Detailed delineation of glaciers in the Turgen-Kharkhiraa

Mountain ranges made (Khrutsky and Golubeva, 2007) using

topographic map and Landsat images.

US–Mongolian expedition retraced and made analyses of field

data, repeated photographs from 1910 and 2010, topographic

maps from 1970, and satellite imagery from 1992 and 2010

were used to describe the changes in the glacial system. From

1910 to 2010, West Turgen Glacier receded by 600 m and

down-wasted by 70 m (Kamp et.al, 2013).

Kadota and Davaa (2007) reported glacier variations in

Mongolian Altai for 1950s-2000, which showed similar tendency

to those in Russian Altai in regard to types of glaciers, although

the magnitudes of the variations were different.

Glacier area estimated, using topographic map in 1940th and

LANDSAT data collected in 1990, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2015 by

Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, Mongolia.

Indroduction

Konya et al. (2010) reported meteorological and ablation

features on a glacier in Mongolian Altay.

Herren et al. (2013) reported results of ice core from the

Tsambagarav Mts. and reconstruction of past climate for 6000

years.

Besides newly introduced glacier monitoring system (mass

balance, glacier thickness, ice flow velocity, terminus line shift,

climate in mountainous region, river flow), long-term

meteorological and hydrological data of stations, located in

valleys of glacier mountains are used for reconstruction of

climate and river flow data of glacier mountains and rivers,

draining from there.

Glacier Mountains in Mongolia

Glacier massive

are distributed

in 42 Mountains

in the country.

2010 data: There are Large glacier massive > 100 sq.km area is 1; Big massive (50-100 sq.km) is 1, Bigger (20-50 sq.km) are 3, Moderately big (10-20 sq.km) are 3, Medium (5-10 sq.km) are 5, Moderately small (3-5 sq.km) are 8, Small (1-3 ам кsq.km) are 15, Very small < 1 sq.km are 6.

Glacier Mountains in the Mongolian Altai

There are distributed about 600 glaciers in these 42 mountain massive.

Have been established 5 glacier monitoring stations, distributed along

the extension of Mongolian Altai range.

R U S S I A N F E D E R A T I O N

C H I N A

M O N G O L I A

Munkh hairkhan Mts.

Turgen Mts.

Tsambagarav Mts.

Tavanbogd Mts.

Sutai Mts.

Current observations on glaciers: Tavanbogd Mts.

Observations 2003-2015 (IMHE, Mongolia and JAMSTEC, Japan) at

the Tavanbogd glacier

・stake measurement, daily in June-Sep.

－mass balance

－flow (surface velocities) in Sept.

・Radio-echo soundings, 2 times made.

－ice thickness at the stakes

・Precipitation measurement at BC in June-Sept.

・Meteorological observation near the glacier, 2007-2015

Campbell, 1 hour, 3560 m

Hobo, 2 hours, 3091m, 2014-2015

Observation at Tsambagarav ice cap glacier

Observations 2004-2015 by IMHE at the Tsambagarav

glacier (Flat top glacier)

・stake measurement on lower/middle and top of the

glacier in June-Sept.

・Radio-echo soundings, 2 times made

－ice thickness at the stakes

• Hydrological station at the Ulaan-Am stream-

•Meteorological data collection with AWS – 2004-2015

AANDERAA, Campbell-1, Campbell-2, 1 hour, 30 min.

3654 m and Campbell- 2015, 2804 m

Wind speed and direction Air temperature Humidity Solar radiation Rainfall

Observation at Munkhhairkhan corrie glacier

Observations 2006-2015 by IMHE at the

Munkhhairkhan glacier (Corrie glacier)

• Hydrological station at the Doloon nuur streams –

2008-2015

•Meteorological data collection- AWS-2008-2015,

Campbell till 2013, HOBO since 2014, 2 hours, 3584 m

Hydrological stations

Wind speed and direction Air temperature Humidity Solar radiation Rainfall

Monitoring program: IMHE, 2005-2006, stationary monitoring since 2013-2015

• Glacier mass balance (JJAS) • Meteorology (AWS), Campbell, 1 hour, at 2858 м • River hydrology (Turgen) below the glacier –newly established hydrogauge with WL

sensor • Permafrost (3 boreholes)

Observation at Turgen valley glacier

Monitoring program: IMHE, Stationary monitoring since 2015 • Glacier mass balance (June and Sept.) • Meteorology (AWS), Campbell, 1 hour, at 2858 м • River hydrology (Zuil at Tonkhil) since 2004

Observation at Sutai ice cap glacier

Permafrost monitoring in Mongolia

Permafrost monitoring network in Mongolia

There are over 100 permafrost monitoring boreholes, belonging to several institutions and established in different periods of time.

Institutions Number of boreholes

IG 23 +13

IRIMHE 30

JAMSTEC 10

SHAR 32

Source: Ya.Jambaljav, IG, 2014

PERMAFROST Decadal changes in permafrost temperatures and depth

of seasonal freezing/thawing are indicators of changes

of climate in high latitude and mountain regions.

Mts region Hentei Hangai Hovsgol

Borehole

No Baganuur Argalant Terkh Chuluut Sharga Tsagaan nuur

Elevation,

m asl 1350 1385 2075 1870 1864 1547

Land form Plain of

depression

Small valley

bottom

High flood

plain

Top of the

pingo

Wide valley

bottom

Lake

depression

Ground Sandstone Loam Gravelly sand Ice and clay Gravelly sand Silt and clay

Ice content Low Medium Medium High Medium High

Measured

years 1976 2006 1988 2006 1969 2006 1969 2006 1968 2006 1989 2006

MAPT at

10 m -0.50 -0.09 -0.40 -0.24 -1.96 -1.49 -1.12 -0.80 -2.35 -1.63 -3.91 -3.37

Trend of

MAPT, oC/year

0.013 0.013 0.009 0.009 0.015 0.015 0.011 0.011 0.019 0.019 0.032 0.032

0.01-0.02 0.02-0.03

Source: N.Sharkhuu, 2008, Proceedings of 9th International Conference on Permafrost, Fairbank, Alaska

Glacier monitoring results

Reconstructed air temperature time series allow to estimate that annual average air temperature

increased by 1.0, 1.3, 1.1 and JJA average temperature has increased by 1.7-1.8 оС for the

period of 1940-2011 at the Tavanbogd, Tsambagarav and Mukhhairkhan Mts., respectively, оС.

Glacier inventory, area estimated, using topographic map compiled in 1940th and LANDSAT

data collected in 1990, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2015 by Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and

Environment, Mongolia and glacier area has decreased by 29.9 % in last 70 years.

Ice thickness have been measured at selected glaciers in Mongolia and obtained equation as

glacier volume vrs. area was compared with the equation obtained by Nikitin S., and others,

2000, Narojny U., and Nikitin S., 2003, 2006 in Russian Altai and with the equation obtained

by Wang Zongtai ба Zhu Guocai, 2007 in China.

Water resources in glaciers in Mongolia has been re-estimated, it totals 19.4 cub. km in 2000.

Measured mass balance, flow velocity, terminus line and surface elevation changes and

featured changes in glaciers elements (Moulin, streams, moraine, crevasses, cave, bridge, ice

table).

Have been started climate modeling and simulation of past climate and glacier mass balance

and runoff modeling of rivers and streams draining from glaciers and climate change impact

assessment.

Conclusion

From the results of this study can be drawn following

conclusion:

Glaciers of Mongolian Altay have experienced a negative

mass balance in last decades and glacier area degreased and

small glaciers are disappearing.

The recent trends of abrubt warming in selected glaciers

under survey will be leading to negative state of mass balance.

Therefore, more comprehensive studies focused to climate

change impact assessment and adaptive measures in the frame

work of Integrated River basin management are highly

challenged.