The water retention curve(WRC)has been widely used to quantify moisture transport characteristics of maritime snowpack.However,there is a notable deficiency in experimental studies focused on the WRC of dry-cold snowp...The water retention curve(WRC)has been widely used to quantify moisture transport characteristics of maritime snowpack.However,there is a notable deficiency in experimental studies focused on the WRC of dry-cold snowpack in continental climate conditions.This study selected dry-cold snowpack samples with five densities to measure the variations in volumetric water content using the pressure plate method.The Van Genuchten(VG)and Brooks-Corey(BC)models were then used to fit the snowpack WRCs,aiming to investigate their applicability to dry-cold snowpack and explore the relationship between the model parameters and snowpack characteristics.The results indicated that:(1)Compared to the particle size and the ratio of snowpack density to particle size,the snowpack density shows a higher correlation with the shape parameters of VG model and BC model;(2)There is a nonlinear relationship between the snowpack density and the shape parameters of VG model and BC model;(3)Both the BC and VG models provide a high level of accuracy in fitting the experimental data,with the BC model showing slightly better precision.However,after regression correction,the VG model outperforms the BC model.The findings provide support for in-depth studies of moisture movement characteristics in different types of snow,and have significantly practical value for improving the accuracy of early warning systems for hazards such as avalanches and floods.展开更多
Chemical records from alpine ice cores provide an invaluable source of paleoclimatic and environ- mental information. Not only the atmospheric chemical composition but also depositional and post-depositional processes...Chemical records from alpine ice cores provide an invaluable source of paleoclimatic and environ- mental information. Not only the atmospheric chemical composition but also depositional and post-depositional processes are recorded within snow/tim strata. To interpret the environmental and climatic significance of ice core records, we studied the variability of glacier snowpack chemistry by investigating homogeneous snowpacks from October 2003 to September 2006 on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in eastern Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia. Principle Component Analysis of ionic species in dry and wet seasons revealed the impact of meltwater in redistributing ions in the snowpacks. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd principle components for dry seasons differ significantly, reflecting complex associations between depositional or/and post-depositional processes. The variability trend of ionic concentrations during the wet seasons was found to fit a Gauss Function with significant parameters. The elution factor revealed that more than half of ions are leached out during the wet seasons. Differences with respect to ion snowpack mo- bility were found. Of the ions studied SO42- was the most mobile and Mg2＋ the least mobile. A threshold relationship between air temperatures and the elution process was investigated over the study period. The results indicate that the strong melt/ablation processes and iconic redistribution occur at a threshold air temperature of 0℃. The study found that surface melt on the snowpacks is the main factor causing the alteration of the snowpack chemistry. Rainfall also has an impact on the chemistry but plays a less significant role than the surface melt.展开更多
To investigate the seasonal variability and potential environmental significance of trace elements in mountain glaciers, the surface snow and snow pit samples were collected at Urumqi Glacier No. 1 （43°06′N, 86...To investigate the seasonal variability and potential environmental significance of trace elements in mountain glaciers, the surface snow and snow pit samples were collected at Urumqi Glacier No. 1 （43°06′N, 86°49′E, 4 130 m a.s.l.）, eastern Tianshan （天山）, from September 2002 to September 2003, and analyzed for Li, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, and Ba. The samples were acidified （leached） in a manner intended to reasonably approximate the extent to which the natural hydrologic and weathering cycles would liberate elements from mineral grains （dusts） in the ice and snow into the environment. The mean concentrations of Li, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, and Ba are 0.2, 1.1, 0.8, 14.8, 0.1, 0.7, and 3.2 ng/g in surface snow but 1.0, 2.2, 1.8, 92.4, 0.8, 2.9, and 16.2 ng/g in snow pits, respectively. Input varies seasonally： in general, concentrations in the winter are higher than those in the summer. The trace elements are somewhat enriched （relative to expected abundances in material taken di- rectly from the earth＇s crust） and similar to what is observed in both pre-industrial and modern atmospheric dusts, although some anthropogenic components from nearby industrial cities may be present. Concentration vertical profiles can be redistributed in the post-depositional process, which may cause loss of trace elements in the summer.展开更多
The northern US Rocky Mountains are experiencing rapid warming. Combined analysis of Ground Temperature (GT) measurements at two high-fidelity boreholes with Surface Air Temperature (SAT) measurements near Helena Mont...The northern US Rocky Mountains are experiencing rapid warming. Combined analysis of Ground Temperature (GT) measurements at two high-fidelity boreholes with Surface Air Temperature (SAT) measurements near Helena Montana spanning the past 40 years indicate the northern US Rockies have warmed on average 0.12°C - 0.32°C/decade since 1975, at least a factor of ~5 higher than the predicted 500-year-average. Warming appears to be accelerating, with warming rates since 2013 4 - 7 times higher than the 40 year average. Though uncertainty exists, the most significant GT warming appears to occur at higher elevation. Warming estimates are consistent with modelling predictions, snowpack observations, and stream temperature studies, all suggesting rapid surface temperature change in this region during the past ~40 years. The analysis indicates GT warming measured at remote borehole sites is slightly lower than regional SAT measurements collected near urban environments. We associate the discrepancy between GT/SAT measurements to both anthropogenic effects (urban development) that increase warming at the nearest SAT measurement station and a 14-year period of anomalously low snowfall that reduces surface insulation and GT warming. Using a derived average forty-year surface warming rate of 0.22°C/ decade and regional temperature-elevation trends, we calculate that the elevation of the winter freeze line during the three coldest months of the year (December, January, and February) in the northern US Rocky Mountains is retreating upward, on average, 33 m/decade. This implies a 21% reduction in freeze-line area since 1974. If this trend continues, we estimate that within the next 40 years (by 2060), the total area where ground freeze occurs during the three coldest months of the year will be ~60% of 1974 values. Since GT measurements indicate accelerated warming, this may be an underestimate. The analysis has important implications for the snowpack-water budget for Montana and the northern US Rocky Mountains.展开更多
Winter snowpack is an important source of moisture that influences the development ofbiological soil crusts(BSCs)in desert ecosystems.Cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic organismsin BSCs.However,the responses o...Winter snowpack is an important source of moisture that influences the development ofbiological soil crusts(BSCs)in desert ecosystems.Cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic organismsin BSCs.However,the responses of the cyanobacterial community in BSCs to snowpack,snow depth andmelting snow are still unknown.In this study,we investigated the cyanobacterial community compositionand diversity in BSCs under different snow treatments(doubled snow,ambient snow and removed snow)and three snow stages(stage 1,snowpack;stage 2,melting snow;and stage 3,melted snow)in theGurbantunggut Desert in China.In stages 1 and 2,Cyanobacteria were the dominant phylum in the bacterialcommunity in the removed snow treatment,whereas Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were abundant inthe bacterial communities in the ambient snow and doubled snow treatments.The relative abundances ofProteobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased with increasing snow depth.The relative abundances ofCyanobacteria and other bacterial taxa were affected mainly by soil temperature and irradiance.In stages 2and 3,the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria increased quickly due to the suitable soil moisture andirradiance conditions.Oscillatoriales,Chroococcales,Nostocales,Synechococcales and unclassifiedCyanobacteria were detected in all the snow treatments,and the most dominant taxa were Oscillatorialesand Chroococcales.Various cyanobacterial taxa showed different responses to snowpack.Soil moisture andirradiance were the two critical factors shaping the cyanobacterial community structure.The snowpackdepth and duration altered the soil surface irradiance,soil moisture and other soil properties,whichconsequently were selected for different cyanobacterial communities.Thus,local microenvironmentalfiltering(niche selection)caused by snow conditions may be a dominant process driving shifts in thecyanobacterial community in BSCs.展开更多
The freeze-thaw process is crucial for forming soil macropore structure to promote movement of water and salt downward by preferential flow in seasonally frozen regions.However,the freeze-thaw process of soil is hinde...The freeze-thaw process is crucial for forming soil macropore structure to promote movement of water and salt downward by preferential flow in seasonally frozen regions.However,the freeze-thaw process of soil is hindered by the snowpack,and the effects of the snowpack on the soil macropore structure and its implications on the formation of preferential flow are not well understood.This study collected soil samples from Da’an City,Northeast China,on July 15 and 16,2022,and conducted an indoor soil column snowpack-freeze-thaw tracing experiment on October 10 to 30,2022,to reveal the impact of snowpack and freeze-thaw cycles(FTC)on the forma-tion of preferential flow.The experiments were carried out with three levels of initial moisture content(IMC)of the soil column,the times of freeze-thaw cycles(T-FTC),and the snowpack thickness(SPT).Results show that increases in both IMC and SPT decreased the max infiltration depth(MID)of preferential flow.Greater T-FTC increased the MID and non-uniformity of the wet front trace and promoted the creation of preferential flow.The T-FTC and IMC both increased the overall variability of preferential flow,but this vari-ability decreased with greater SPT.The length index(LI)had the most significant impact on the preferential flow index(PFI)with an entropy weight of 0.2340,while the height difference of the multifractal spectrum(Δf(α))had the most negligible impact with a weight of 0.0753.Finally,results of redundancy analysis(RDA)and structural equation model(SEM)show that multifractal characteristic in-dicators have a much stronger ability to reflect the degree of preferential flow than developmental characteristic indicators.The T-FTC was the most important factor driving the formation of preferential flow in snowpack-freeze-thaw cycles.Therefore,conducting re-search on preferential flow in cold and arid regions is greatly significant for the utilization of regional water resources and the improve-ment of soil ecological environments.展开更多
Snowpack in the Northern Hemisphere is gradually disappearing due to rising global temperatures.Snowmelt water is a critical water resource for vegetation in the arid areas of the Northeast Tibetan Plateau.We used a r...Snowpack in the Northern Hemisphere is gradually disappearing due to rising global temperatures.Snowmelt water is a critical water resource for vegetation in the arid areas of the Northeast Tibetan Plateau.We used a random forest model to analyze the main factors influencing tree growth and using structural equation modelling to examine the pathways through which snowpack affected vegetation growth.The results show that soil moisture,controlled by snowmelt water,dominates the radial growth of Qinghai spruce(Picea crassifolia Kom.).At the same time,snow melt on vegetation is affected by both elevation and land cover.Atmospheric circulation patterns regulated by North Atlantic sea surface temperatures determine spring snowpack variability in this area.In future scenarios based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6)simulations,snowpack will continue to decrease,presenting significant constraints to the growth of vegetation.展开更多
Rain-on-snow(ROS)events involve rainfall on snow surfaces,and the occurrence of ROS events can exacerbate water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability in the arid region of Northwest China(ARNC).In this study,using dail...Rain-on-snow(ROS)events involve rainfall on snow surfaces,and the occurrence of ROS events can exacerbate water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability in the arid region of Northwest China(ARNC).In this study,using daily snow depth data and daily meteorological data from 68 meteorological stations provided by the China Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Information Centre,we investigated the spatiotemporal variability of ROS events in the ARNC from 1978 to 2015 and examined the factors affecting these events and possible changes of future ROS events in the ARNC.The results showed that ROS events in the ARNC mainly occurred from October to May of the following year and were largely distributed in the Qilian Mountains,Tianshan Mountains,Ili River Valley,Tacheng Prefecture,and Altay Prefecture,with the Ili River Valley,Tacheng City,and Altay Mountains exhibiting the most occurrences.Based on the intensity of ROS events,the areas with the highest risk of flooding resulting from ROS events in the ARNC were the Tianshan Mountains,Ili River Valley,Tacheng City,and Altay Mountains.The number and intensity of ROS events in the ARNC largely increased from 1978 to 2015,mainly influenced by air temperature and the number of rainfall days.However,due to the snowpack abundance in areas experiencing frequent ROS events in the ARNC,snowpack changes exerted slight impact on ROS events,which is a temporary phenomenon.Furthermore,elevation imposed lesser impact on ROS events in the ARNC than other factors.In the ARNC,the start time of rainfall and the end time of snowpack gradually advanced from the spring of the current year to the winter of the previous year,while the end time of rainfall and the start time of snowpack gradually delayed from autumn to winter.This may lead to more ROS events in winter in the future.These results could provide a sound basis for managing water resources and mitigating related disasters caused by ROS events in the ARNC.展开更多
In recent decades,the rapid climate warming in polar and alpine regions has been accompanied by an expan-sion of shrub vegetation.However,little is known about how changes in shrub distribution will change as the dist...In recent decades,the rapid climate warming in polar and alpine regions has been accompanied by an expan-sion of shrub vegetation.However,little is known about how changes in shrub distribution will change as the distribution of tree species and snow cover changes as temperatures rise.In this work,we analyzed the main environmental factors influencing the distribution and structure of Juniperus sibir-ica,the most common shrub species in the Southern Ural Mountains.Using mapping and digital elevation models,we demonstrated that J.sibirica forms a well-defined vegeta-tion belt mainly between 1100 and 1400 m a.s.l.Within this zone,the abundance and cover of J.sibirica are influenced by factors such as rockiness,slope steepness,water regime and tree(Picea obovata)cover.An analysis of data spanning the past 9 years revealed an upward shift in the distribution of J.sibirica with a decrease in its area.The primary limit-ing factors for the distribution of J.sibirica were the removal of snow cover by strong winter winds and competition with trees.As a consequence of climatic changes,the tree line and forest limit have shifted upward,further restricting the distribution of J.sibirica to higher elevations where com-petition for light with trees is reduced and snow cover is sufficiently deep.展开更多
基金supported by the Open Project of Key Laboratory,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(No.XJYS0907-2023-23)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC Grant 42371146,42401167)+3 种基金the Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition Program(2022xjkk0602)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association,CAS(2022444)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB0720203)The International Partnership Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(131965KYSB20210018)。
文摘The water retention curve(WRC)has been widely used to quantify moisture transport characteristics of maritime snowpack.However,there is a notable deficiency in experimental studies focused on the WRC of dry-cold snowpack in continental climate conditions.This study selected dry-cold snowpack samples with five densities to measure the variations in volumetric water content using the pressure plate method.The Van Genuchten(VG)and Brooks-Corey(BC)models were then used to fit the snowpack WRCs,aiming to investigate their applicability to dry-cold snowpack and explore the relationship between the model parameters and snowpack characteristics.The results indicated that:(1)Compared to the particle size and the ratio of snowpack density to particle size,the snowpack density shows a higher correlation with the shape parameters of VG model and BC model;(2)There is a nonlinear relationship between the snowpack density and the shape parameters of VG model and BC model;(3)Both the BC and VG models provide a high level of accuracy in fitting the experimental data,with the BC model showing slightly better precision.However,after regression correction,the VG model outperforms the BC model.The findings provide support for in-depth studies of moisture movement characteristics in different types of snow,and have significantly practical value for improving the accuracy of early warning systems for hazards such as avalanches and floods.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41261017)
文摘Chemical records from alpine ice cores provide an invaluable source of paleoclimatic and environ- mental information. Not only the atmospheric chemical composition but also depositional and post-depositional processes are recorded within snow/tim strata. To interpret the environmental and climatic significance of ice core records, we studied the variability of glacier snowpack chemistry by investigating homogeneous snowpacks from October 2003 to September 2006 on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in eastern Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia. Principle Component Analysis of ionic species in dry and wet seasons revealed the impact of meltwater in redistributing ions in the snowpacks. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd principle components for dry seasons differ significantly, reflecting complex associations between depositional or/and post-depositional processes. The variability trend of ionic concentrations during the wet seasons was found to fit a Gauss Function with significant parameters. The elution factor revealed that more than half of ions are leached out during the wet seasons. Differences with respect to ion snowpack mo- bility were found. Of the ions studied SO42- was the most mobile and Mg2＋ the least mobile. A threshold relationship between air temperatures and the elution process was investigated over the study period. The results indicate that the strong melt/ablation processes and iconic redistribution occur at a threshold air temperature of 0℃. The study found that surface melt on the snowpacks is the main factor causing the alteration of the snowpack chemistry. Rainfall also has an impact on the chemistry but plays a less significant role than the surface melt.
基金supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-EW-311)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 1141001040 and J0930003/J0109)+1 种基金the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences Founding (No. SKLCS-ZZ-2010-04)the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University from Ministry of Education of China (No. NCET-10-0019)
文摘To investigate the seasonal variability and potential environmental significance of trace elements in mountain glaciers, the surface snow and snow pit samples were collected at Urumqi Glacier No. 1 （43°06′N, 86°49′E, 4 130 m a.s.l.）, eastern Tianshan （天山）, from September 2002 to September 2003, and analyzed for Li, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, and Ba. The samples were acidified （leached） in a manner intended to reasonably approximate the extent to which the natural hydrologic and weathering cycles would liberate elements from mineral grains （dusts） in the ice and snow into the environment. The mean concentrations of Li, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, and Ba are 0.2, 1.1, 0.8, 14.8, 0.1, 0.7, and 3.2 ng/g in surface snow but 1.0, 2.2, 1.8, 92.4, 0.8, 2.9, and 16.2 ng/g in snow pits, respectively. Input varies seasonally： in general, concentrations in the winter are higher than those in the summer. The trace elements are somewhat enriched （relative to expected abundances in material taken di- rectly from the earth＇s crust） and similar to what is observed in both pre-industrial and modern atmospheric dusts, although some anthropogenic components from nearby industrial cities may be present. Concentration vertical profiles can be redistributed in the post-depositional process, which may cause loss of trace elements in the summer.
文摘The northern US Rocky Mountains are experiencing rapid warming. Combined analysis of Ground Temperature (GT) measurements at two high-fidelity boreholes with Surface Air Temperature (SAT) measurements near Helena Montana spanning the past 40 years indicate the northern US Rockies have warmed on average 0.12°C - 0.32°C/decade since 1975, at least a factor of ~5 higher than the predicted 500-year-average. Warming appears to be accelerating, with warming rates since 2013 4 - 7 times higher than the 40 year average. Though uncertainty exists, the most significant GT warming appears to occur at higher elevation. Warming estimates are consistent with modelling predictions, snowpack observations, and stream temperature studies, all suggesting rapid surface temperature change in this region during the past ~40 years. The analysis indicates GT warming measured at remote borehole sites is slightly lower than regional SAT measurements collected near urban environments. We associate the discrepancy between GT/SAT measurements to both anthropogenic effects (urban development) that increase warming at the nearest SAT measurement station and a 14-year period of anomalously low snowfall that reduces surface insulation and GT warming. Using a derived average forty-year surface warming rate of 0.22°C/ decade and regional temperature-elevation trends, we calculate that the elevation of the winter freeze line during the three coldest months of the year (December, January, and February) in the northern US Rocky Mountains is retreating upward, on average, 33 m/decade. This implies a 21% reduction in freeze-line area since 1974. If this trend continues, we estimate that within the next 40 years (by 2060), the total area where ground freeze occurs during the three coldest months of the year will be ~60% of 1974 values. Since GT measurements indicate accelerated warming, this may be an underestimate. The analysis has important implications for the snowpack-water budget for Montana and the northern US Rocky Mountains.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U2003014,41977099,419901134)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA2005020402)+1 种基金the 13th Fiveyear Informatization Plan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XXH13503-03-106)the China Biodiversity Observation Networks(Sino BON).
文摘Winter snowpack is an important source of moisture that influences the development ofbiological soil crusts(BSCs)in desert ecosystems.Cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic organismsin BSCs.However,the responses of the cyanobacterial community in BSCs to snowpack,snow depth andmelting snow are still unknown.In this study,we investigated the cyanobacterial community compositionand diversity in BSCs under different snow treatments(doubled snow,ambient snow and removed snow)and three snow stages(stage 1,snowpack;stage 2,melting snow;and stage 3,melted snow)in theGurbantunggut Desert in China.In stages 1 and 2,Cyanobacteria were the dominant phylum in the bacterialcommunity in the removed snow treatment,whereas Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were abundant inthe bacterial communities in the ambient snow and doubled snow treatments.The relative abundances ofProteobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased with increasing snow depth.The relative abundances ofCyanobacteria and other bacterial taxa were affected mainly by soil temperature and irradiance.In stages 2and 3,the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria increased quickly due to the suitable soil moisture andirradiance conditions.Oscillatoriales,Chroococcales,Nostocales,Synechococcales and unclassifiedCyanobacteria were detected in all the snow treatments,and the most dominant taxa were Oscillatorialesand Chroococcales.Various cyanobacterial taxa showed different responses to snowpack.Soil moisture andirradiance were the two critical factors shaping the cyanobacterial community structure.The snowpackdepth and duration altered the soil surface irradiance,soil moisture and other soil properties,whichconsequently were selected for different cyanobacterial communities.Thus,local microenvironmentalfiltering(niche selection)caused by snow conditions may be a dominant process driving shifts in thecyanobacterial community in BSCs.
基金Under the auspices of the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42272299)The Key Projects of Jilin Provincial Department of Science and Technology(No.20240203004NC)+1 种基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFD1500500)Graduate Innovation Fund of Jilin University(No.2024CX111)。
文摘The freeze-thaw process is crucial for forming soil macropore structure to promote movement of water and salt downward by preferential flow in seasonally frozen regions.However,the freeze-thaw process of soil is hindered by the snowpack,and the effects of the snowpack on the soil macropore structure and its implications on the formation of preferential flow are not well understood.This study collected soil samples from Da’an City,Northeast China,on July 15 and 16,2022,and conducted an indoor soil column snowpack-freeze-thaw tracing experiment on October 10 to 30,2022,to reveal the impact of snowpack and freeze-thaw cycles(FTC)on the forma-tion of preferential flow.The experiments were carried out with three levels of initial moisture content(IMC)of the soil column,the times of freeze-thaw cycles(T-FTC),and the snowpack thickness(SPT).Results show that increases in both IMC and SPT decreased the max infiltration depth(MID)of preferential flow.Greater T-FTC increased the MID and non-uniformity of the wet front trace and promoted the creation of preferential flow.The T-FTC and IMC both increased the overall variability of preferential flow,but this vari-ability decreased with greater SPT.The length index(LI)had the most significant impact on the preferential flow index(PFI)with an entropy weight of 0.2340,while the height difference of the multifractal spectrum(Δf(α))had the most negligible impact with a weight of 0.0753.Finally,results of redundancy analysis(RDA)and structural equation model(SEM)show that multifractal characteristic in-dicators have a much stronger ability to reflect the degree of preferential flow than developmental characteristic indicators.The T-FTC was the most important factor driving the formation of preferential flow in snowpack-freeze-thaw cycles.Therefore,conducting re-search on preferential flow in cold and arid regions is greatly significant for the utilization of regional water resources and the improve-ment of soil ecological environments.
基金supported by Excellent Research Group Program for Tibetan Plateau Earth System(continuation grant NSFC project No.41988101)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32061123008)+2 种基金Yunnan Talent Support Plan(C619300A136)the Scientific Research and Innovation Project of Postgraduate Students in the Academic Degree of Yunnan University(KC-23235358)Science and Technology Development Fund of the Institute of Desert Meteorology,China Meteorological Administration,Urumqi(KJFZ202402).
文摘Snowpack in the Northern Hemisphere is gradually disappearing due to rising global temperatures.Snowmelt water is a critical water resource for vegetation in the arid areas of the Northeast Tibetan Plateau.We used a random forest model to analyze the main factors influencing tree growth and using structural equation modelling to examine the pathways through which snowpack affected vegetation growth.The results show that soil moisture,controlled by snowmelt water,dominates the radial growth of Qinghai spruce(Picea crassifolia Kom.).At the same time,snow melt on vegetation is affected by both elevation and land cover.Atmospheric circulation patterns regulated by North Atlantic sea surface temperatures determine spring snowpack variability in this area.In future scenarios based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6)simulations,snowpack will continue to decrease,presenting significant constraints to the growth of vegetation.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42171145,42171147)the Gansu Provincial Science and Technology Program(22ZD6FA005)the Key Talent Program of Gansu Province.
文摘Rain-on-snow(ROS)events involve rainfall on snow surfaces,and the occurrence of ROS events can exacerbate water scarcity and ecosystem vulnerability in the arid region of Northwest China(ARNC).In this study,using daily snow depth data and daily meteorological data from 68 meteorological stations provided by the China Meteorological Administration National Meteorological Information Centre,we investigated the spatiotemporal variability of ROS events in the ARNC from 1978 to 2015 and examined the factors affecting these events and possible changes of future ROS events in the ARNC.The results showed that ROS events in the ARNC mainly occurred from October to May of the following year and were largely distributed in the Qilian Mountains,Tianshan Mountains,Ili River Valley,Tacheng Prefecture,and Altay Prefecture,with the Ili River Valley,Tacheng City,and Altay Mountains exhibiting the most occurrences.Based on the intensity of ROS events,the areas with the highest risk of flooding resulting from ROS events in the ARNC were the Tianshan Mountains,Ili River Valley,Tacheng City,and Altay Mountains.The number and intensity of ROS events in the ARNC largely increased from 1978 to 2015,mainly influenced by air temperature and the number of rainfall days.However,due to the snowpack abundance in areas experiencing frequent ROS events in the ARNC,snowpack changes exerted slight impact on ROS events,which is a temporary phenomenon.Furthermore,elevation imposed lesser impact on ROS events in the ARNC than other factors.In the ARNC,the start time of rainfall and the end time of snowpack gradually advanced from the spring of the current year to the winter of the previous year,while the end time of rainfall and the start time of snowpack gradually delayed from autumn to winter.This may lead to more ROS events in winter in the future.These results could provide a sound basis for managing water resources and mitigating related disasters caused by ROS events in the ARNC.
文摘In recent decades,the rapid climate warming in polar and alpine regions has been accompanied by an expan-sion of shrub vegetation.However,little is known about how changes in shrub distribution will change as the distribution of tree species and snow cover changes as temperatures rise.In this work,we analyzed the main environmental factors influencing the distribution and structure of Juniperus sibir-ica,the most common shrub species in the Southern Ural Mountains.Using mapping and digital elevation models,we demonstrated that J.sibirica forms a well-defined vegeta-tion belt mainly between 1100 and 1400 m a.s.l.Within this zone,the abundance and cover of J.sibirica are influenced by factors such as rockiness,slope steepness,water regime and tree(Picea obovata)cover.An analysis of data spanning the past 9 years revealed an upward shift in the distribution of J.sibirica with a decrease in its area.The primary limit-ing factors for the distribution of J.sibirica were the removal of snow cover by strong winter winds and competition with trees.As a consequence of climatic changes,the tree line and forest limit have shifted upward,further restricting the distribution of J.sibirica to higher elevations where com-petition for light with trees is reduced and snow cover is sufficiently deep.
