The Cryosphere of Central Asian Endorheic Basins

The Cryosphere of Central Asian Endorheic Basins PDF Author: Vladimir Aizen
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789401786508
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The central Asian cryosphere is a part of our planet's climate and hydrological system, one that is especially at risk from climate change and global warming. The seasonal snow cover and glaciers' disappearance may affect the livelihood of millions of people in Central Asia. Water is both a crucial limiting resource and a central unifying element in many coupled human-natural systems, particularly in central Asian arid endorheic basins. Approximately 18% of the Earth’s land drains to endorheic basins. The largest of these basins are in the interior of Asia. Endorheic basins are located mainly inland, surrounded by mountains, and fed by water from seasonal snow and glaciers. The diminishing glaciers and snow cover significantly affect endorheic basins’ hydrology and contribute to progressive land degradation. The disappearance of small glaciers from river basins has already led to a decline in river discharge, strongly affecting downstream agriculture and forcing people to move from their villages to densely populated settlements or rapidly growing urban areas, where the demand for water has exceeded the supply. Water for human consumption, agriculture, and industry in densely populated areas is especially essential in the World's arid and semi-arid regions. At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, central Asia oases began suffering from serious multi-year droughts in low river reaches, while spring flash floods and mudflows at upper and middle river reaches become more frequent. Understanding the component parts of cryosphere-hydrologic-ecological systems and linking them into a coherent picture is focus of the presented manuscript. In this primer, authors introduce the unique alpine cryosphere of central Asia and the role it plays in regional and global climate and hydrological system. After giving an overview, authors fully explain each component of the cryosphere and how it works in a natural system of seasonal snow-glaciers-permafrost-river runoff formation. Authors describe how snow and glaciers interact with atmosphere, endorheic basins hydrology and the feedback effect of changed cryosphere on regional and even global climate, water resources and environment. Authors used modern surface observational, remote sensed, ice-cores and paleo-geomorphological data to explain the glacial and inter-glacial periods, the cryosphere's interaction with past and contemporary climate and consider the changing cryosphere's future impact on climate, water resources and ecology in central Asia.

The Cryosphere of Central Asian Endorheic Basins

The Cryosphere of Central Asian Endorheic Basins PDF Author: Vladimir Aizen
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789401786508
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
The central Asian cryosphere is a part of our planet's climate and hydrological system, one that is especially at risk from climate change and global warming. The seasonal snow cover and glaciers' disappearance may affect the livelihood of millions of people in Central Asia. Water is both a crucial limiting resource and a central unifying element in many coupled human-natural systems, particularly in central Asian arid endorheic basins. Approximately 18% of the Earth’s land drains to endorheic basins. The largest of these basins are in the interior of Asia. Endorheic basins are located mainly inland, surrounded by mountains, and fed by water from seasonal snow and glaciers. The diminishing glaciers and snow cover significantly affect endorheic basins’ hydrology and contribute to progressive land degradation. The disappearance of small glaciers from river basins has already led to a decline in river discharge, strongly affecting downstream agriculture and forcing people to move from their villages to densely populated settlements or rapidly growing urban areas, where the demand for water has exceeded the supply. Water for human consumption, agriculture, and industry in densely populated areas is especially essential in the World's arid and semi-arid regions. At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, central Asia oases began suffering from serious multi-year droughts in low river reaches, while spring flash floods and mudflows at upper and middle river reaches become more frequent. Understanding the component parts of cryosphere-hydrologic-ecological systems and linking them into a coherent picture is focus of the presented manuscript. In this primer, authors introduce the unique alpine cryosphere of central Asia and the role it plays in regional and global climate and hydrological system. After giving an overview, authors fully explain each component of the cryosphere and how it works in a natural system of seasonal snow-glaciers-permafrost-river runoff formation. Authors describe how snow and glaciers interact with atmosphere, endorheic basins hydrology and the feedback effect of changed cryosphere on regional and even global climate, water resources and environment. Authors used modern surface observational, remote sensed, ice-cores and paleo-geomorphological data to explain the glacial and inter-glacial periods, the cryosphere's interaction with past and contemporary climate and consider the changing cryosphere's future impact on climate, water resources and ecology in central Asia.

Chapter 8 The Status and Role of the Alpine Cryosphere in Central Asia

Chapter 8 The Status and Role of the Alpine Cryosphere in Central Asia PDF Author: Tobias Bolch
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781138348882
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 1

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Book Description
The alpine cryosphere including snow, glaciers and permafrost are critical to water management in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) and larger Central Asia (CA) under changing climate: as they store large amounts of water in its solid forms. Most cryospheric components in the Aral Sea Basin are close to melting point, and hence very vulnerable to a slight increase in air temperature with significant consequences to long-term water availability and to water resources variability and extremes. Current knowledge about different components of cryosphere and their connection to climate in the Basin and in the entire Central Asia, varies. While it is advanced in the topics of snow and glaciers, knowledge on permafrost it rather limited. Observed trends in runoff point in the direction of increasing water availability in July and August at least until mid-century and increasing possibility for water storage in reservoirs and aquifers. However, eventually this will change as glaciers waste away. Future runoff may change considerably after mid-century and start to decline if not compensated by increasing precipitation. Cryosphere monitoring systems are the basis for sound estimates of water availability and water-related hazards associated with snow, glaciers and permafrost. They require a well-distributed observational network for all cryospheric variables. Such systems need to be re-established in the Basin after the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. This process is slowly emerging in the region. Collaboration between local operational hydro-meteorological services and academic sector, and with international research networks may improving the observing capabilities in high mountain regions of CA Asia in general and the ASB specifically.

Chapter 8 The Status and Role of the Alpine Cryosphere in Central Asia

Chapter 8 The Status and Role of the Alpine Cryosphere in Central Asia PDF Author: Martin Hoelzle
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 23

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Book Description
The alpine cryosphere including snow, glaciers and permafrost are critical to water management in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) and larger Central Asia (CA) under changing climate: as they store large amounts of water in its solid forms. Most cryospheric components in the Aral Sea Basin are close to melting point, and hence very vulnerable to a slight increase in air temperature with significant consequences to long-term water availability and to water resources variability and extremes. Current knowledge about different components of cryosphere and their connection to climate in the Basin and in the entire Central Asia, varies. While it is advanced in the topics of snow and glaciers, knowledge on permafrost it rather limited. Observed trends in runoff point in the direction of increasing water availability in July and August at least until mid-century and increasing possibility for water storage in reservoirs and aquifers. However, eventually this will change as glaciers waste away. Future runoff may change considerably after mid-century and start to decline if not compensated by increasing precipitation. Cryosphere monitoring systems are the basis for sound estimates of water availability and water-related hazards associated with snow, glaciers and permafrost. They require a well-distributed observational network for all cryospheric variables. Such systems need to be re-established in the Basin after the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. This process is slowly emerging in the region. Collaboration between local operational hydro-meteorological services and academic sector, and with international research networks may improving the observing capabilities in high mountain regions of CA Asia in general and the ASB specifically.

Landscape Dynamics of Drylands across Greater Central Asia: People, Societies and Ecosystems

Landscape Dynamics of Drylands across Greater Central Asia: People, Societies and Ecosystems PDF Author: Garik Gutman
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030307425
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
This volume is a compilation of studies on interactions of changes in land cover, land use and climate with people, societies and ecosystems in drylands of Greater Central Asia. It explores the effects of collapse of socialist governance and management systems on land use in various parts of Central Asia, including former Soviet Union republics, Mongolia and northern drylands of China. Often, regional land-atmosphere feedbacks may have large global importance. Remote sensing is a primary tool in studying vast dryland territories where in situ observations are sporadic. State-of-the-art methods of satellite remote sensing combined with GIS and models are used to tackle science questions and provide an outlook of current changes at land surface and potential scenarios for the future. In 10 chapters, contributing authors cover topics such as water resources, effects of institutional changes on urban centers and agriculture, landscape dynamics, and the primary drivers of environmental changes in dryland environment. Satellite observations that have accumulated during the last five decades provide a rich time series of the dynamic land surface, enabling systematic analysis of changes in land cover and land use from space. The book is a truly international effort by a team of scientists from the U.S., Europe and Central Asia. It is directed at the broad science community including graduate students, academics and other professionals at all levels within natural and social sciences. In particular, it will appeal to geographers, environmental and social scientists, economists, agricultural scientists, and remote sensing specialists.

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment PDF Author: Philippus Wester
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319922882
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 627

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Book Description
This open access volume is the first comprehensive assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. It comprises important scientific research on the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable mountain development and will serve as a basis for evidence-based decision-making to safeguard the environment and advance people’s well-being. The compiled content is based on the collective knowledge of over 300 leading researchers, experts and policymakers, brought together by the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) under the coordination of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). This assessment was conducted between 2013 and 2017 as the first of a series of monitoring and assessment reports, under the guidance of the HIMAP Steering Committee: Eklabya Sharma (ICIMOD), Atiq Raman (Bangladesh), Yuba Raj Khatiwada (Nepal), Linxiu Zhang (China), Surendra Pratap Singh (India), Tandong Yao (China) and David Molden (ICIMOD and Chair of the HIMAP SC). This First HKH Assessment Report consists of 16 chapters, which comprehensively assess the current state of knowledge of the HKH region, increase the understanding of various drivers of change and their impacts, address critical data gaps and develop a set of evidence-based and actionable policy solutions and recommendations. These are linked to nine mountain priorities for the mountains and people of the HKH consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. This book is a must-read for policy makers, academics and students interested in this important region and an essentially important resource for contributors to global assessments such as the IPCC reports.

Diagnosis and Estimation of Cryosphere Changes in Central Asia

Diagnosis and Estimation of Cryosphere Changes in Central Asia PDF Author: Hang Zhou
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 634

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Book Description
This study aimed at quantifying the cryosphere changes in central Asia (CA) for the past ~20 to 40 years as consequences of regional climate changes using remote sensing and in-situ observation data. A comprehensive climate dataset for CA was compiled from several sources. A gridded monthly climate dataset for 1951-2010 was created. CA experienced a climate regime change of increasing air temperature in 1976/1977. Stronger increase of air temperature happened in lower elevation and higher northern latitude. High elevation areas in Tien Shan and Pamir experienced a much smaller increase of temperature than other regions. Changes of precipitation vary across CA, with Pamir experienced increase of precipitation, mainly in winter, while decreases of precipitation occurred in the alpine regions of Tien Shan, especially in summer. A series of long-term snow cover datasets at different temporal scales (daily / 8-day) and processing levels (original / gap-filled / adjusted) were developed from AVHRR and MODIS data. Statistics describing seasonal snow cover extent and timing in 1986-2008 have been calculated from AVHRR snow product. Long-term mean snow cover distribution, and effects of determining factors (elevation, latitude, and relative location to major mountains) were quantified. Trends of change of duration, onset date, and melt date of snow cover were analyzed using Theil-Sen regression. Decrease of snow duration was observed in mountains of Altai, Tien Shan and Pamir, and vast areas surrounding the Aral Sea, associated mainly with earlier melt date and significant increase of spring air temperature. Databases of glacier extent and surface elevation were developed for two representative massifs, the Fedchenko Glacier Massif (FGM) and the Inylchek Glacier Massif (IGM). Both massifs experienced continuous glacier area loss in the period of 1975/1976 to 2000 and 2000 to 2007, with larger glaciers tend to experience less area loss, and stronger area loss rate in the latter period. The magnitude of glacier surface elevation lowering in the ablation zone in the IGM was much stronger than in the FGM, which can be attributed to the more favorable climate conditions for glaciers in the FGM.

The Deserts of Central Asia

The Deserts of Central Asia PDF Author: Mikhail Platonovich Petrov
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Deserts
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description


Collaborative Research to Address Changes in the Climate, Hydrology and Cryosphere of High Mountain Asia

Collaborative Research to Address Changes in the Climate, Hydrology and Cryosphere of High Mountain Asia PDF Author: Anthony Arendt
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889663566
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 433

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Book Description


Snow Leopards

Snow Leopards PDF Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0323984584
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 704

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Book Description
Snow Leopards, Second Edition provides a foundational, comprehensive overview of the biology, ecology and conservation of this iconic species. This updated edition incorporates all the recent information from range-wide surveys and conservation projects, the results of technical and advances particularly in genetics, camera trapping and satellite tracking, and evaluates emerging threats. New chapters synthesize the novel scientific methods and statistical analyses used to develop density and population estimates and how they inform conservation and management estimates. Sections cover historical information, the main biogeographic patterns, evolutionary trends, conservational efforts, and cultural significance. Status and distribution are fully updated for all 12 countries where snow leopards occur. Other sections describe established and emerging threats, including human-wildlife conflict, illegal trade, infrastructure development, and climate change along with conservation solutions used to address these threats. The book concludes with a final section on global snow leopard initiatives and future potentials. ? Offers a complete and thorough update on snow leopard ecology, conservation, research techniques and population trends, among other topic ? Presents the results of the latest scientific research and conservation measures ? Edited by recognized experts with contributions from 240 of the world’s leading experts throughout the snow leopard’s range

The Aral Sea Basin

The Aral Sea Basin PDF Author: Philip Micklin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642611826
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
The Aral Sea Basin, which is located in the central Asian part of the former Soviet Union, is undergoing dramatically rapid and intense environmental change. Pervasive human misuse and overuse of its water, land, and other critical natural resources have led to severe degradation of key ecological systems. This book analyses the environmental, human and economic problems that have arisen and presents recommendations for future research needs. Primary focus is on the drying of the Aral Sea, but related issues of diminished river flow, land and water pollution, and degradation, ecosystem deterioration, and adverse effects on humans are also examined.