Variations in suspended and dissolved matter fluxes from glacial and non-glacial catchments during a melt season at Urumqi River, eastern Tianshan, central Asia

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

LI, Z.

Cold and Arid Regions Environment and Engineering Inst., CAS, Lanzhou, Chine

GAO, W.

Ministry of Education Key lab. for Coast and Island Development, Univ., Nanjing, Chine

College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal Univ., Lanzhou, Chine

ZHANG, M.

College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal Univ., Lanzhou, Chine

GAO, W.

College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal Univ., Lanzhou, Chine

Description :
The effects of climatic conditions on the delivery patterns of suspended solid and dissolved matter are evaluated by examining their correlation with air temperature, precipitation and runoff from glacial and non-glacial catchments at the headwaters of Urumqi River in eastern Tianshan, central Asia. The results show that the physical and chemical weathering fluxes associated with the glacial catchment are higher than those of the non-glacial catchment. Significant linear correlations are found between river fluxes and air temperature in both catchments. Furthermore, although the glacial catchment has a higher increasing rate of physical weathering flux in response to temperature increase than the non-glacial catchment, this is not the case for the chemical weathering flux, suggesting that glaciers play an important role in the effect of air temperature change on physical weathering flux.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2012, vol. 95, p. 42-49, nombre de pages : 8, Références bibliographiques : 46 ref.

Date :
2012

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena

Langue :
Anglais