Paleoglacial footprint and fluvial terraces of the Shaluli Shan, SE Tibetan Plateau
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide mapping of glacial and fluvial geomorphology in the Shaluli Shan region on the eastern margin of the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau.
Abstract: This study provides mapping of glacial and fluvial geomorphology in the Shaluli Shan region on the eastern margin of the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Based on TanDEM-X 12 m elevation data and Goo ...
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01 Dec 2013
TL;DR: This paper found that the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent, due to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns.
Abstract: Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
1,599 citations
13 Dec 2018
TL;DR: In this paper, a series of climate simulations were designed to explore the sensitivity of East Asian climate to the latitude of the Himalaya-Tibetan plateau (TP) during the Cenozoic.
Abstract: Previous climate modeling studies suggest that the surface uplift of the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau (TP) is a crucial parameter for the onset and intensification of the East Asian monsoon during the Cenozoic. Most of these studies have only considered the Himalaya–TP in its present location between ∼26°N and ∼40°N despite numerous recent geophysical studies that reconstruct the Himalaya–TP 10° or more of latitude to the south during the early Paleogene. We have designed a series of climate simulations to explore the sensitivity of East Asian climate to the latitude of the Himalaya–TP. Our simulations suggest that the East Asian climate strongly depends on the latitude of the Himalaya–TP. Surface uplift of a proto-Himalaya–TP in the subtropics intensifies aridity throughout inland Asia north of ∼40°N and enhances precipitation over East Asia. In contrast, the rise of a proto-Himalaya–TP in the tropics only slightly intensifies aridity in inland Asia north of ∼40°N, and slightly increases precipitation in East Asia. Importantly, this climate sensitivity to the latitudinal position of the Himalaya–TP is non-linear, particularly for precipitation across East Asia. The simulated precipitation patterns across East Asia are significantly different between our scenarios in which a proto-plateau is situated between ∼11°N and ∼25°N and between ∼20°N and ∼33°N, but they are similar when the plateau translates northward from between ∼20°N and ∼33°N to its modern position. Our simulations, when interpreted in the context of climate proxy data from Central Asia, support geophysically-based paleogeographic reconstructions in which the southern margin of a modern-elevation proto-Himalaya–TP was located at ∼20°N or further north in the Eocene.
20 citations
18 Dec 2014
Abstract: HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. A review of climatic controls on δ18O in precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau: Observations and simulations Tandong Yao, Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Jing Gao, Wusheng Yu, Xiaoxin Yang, Camille Risi, Christophe Sturm, Martin Werner, Huabiao Zhao, You He, et al.
11 citations
TL;DR: In this article , a 1:25000 scale geomorphological map covering 553 km2 of the Aran Valley, Upper Garonne Basin (Central Pyrenees) is presented.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Geomorphological mapping in mountain regions is key for a better understanding of past and present environmental dynamics. Here, we present a 1:25000 scale geomorphological map covering 553 km2 of the Aran Valley, Upper Garonne Basin (Central Pyrenees). The map identifies 44 different geomorphological units classified under glacial, periglacial, nival, karst, slope, alluvial, and fluvial categories. The area includes geomorphic evidence of past Quaternary glaciations reconstructed based on the distribution of moraines from the valley floor to the highest cirques. Following deglaciation of the valley, the landscape was mainly reshaped by periglacial, slope, alluvial and fluvial processes. In addition to paleoenvironmental reconstruction, the map can also be used to promote geoheritage and geoconservation, as well as for planning. As such, it is of relevance for areas exposed to natural hazards, since present-day slope failures and debris flows frequently impact the villages and infrastructures across the valley floor.
3 citations
References
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TL;DR: In particular, tectonically driven increases in chemical weathering may have resulted in a decrease of atmospheric C02 concentration over the past 40 Myr as discussed by the authors. But this was not shown to be the case for the uplift of the Tibetan plateau and positive feedbacks initiated by this event.
Abstract: Global cooling in the Cenozoic, which led to the growth of large continental ice sheets in both hemispheres, may have been caused by the uplift of the Tibetan plateau and the positive feedbacks initiated by this event. In particular, tectonically driven increases in chemical weathering may have resulted in a decrease of atmospheric C02 concentration over the past 40 Myr.
1,924 citations
"Paleoglacial footprint and fluvial ..." refers background in this paper
...It started uplifting during the early Cenozoic as the Central Asian and Indian plates collided, with profound consequences for landscape evolution and global and regional climate change (Clark et al., 2005; Raymo & Ruddiman, 1992; Wang et al., 2008, 2012; Yao et al., 2012b)....
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...Moreover, landscapes are sensitive to changes in exogenic (climatic) and endogenic (tectonic) forcing and their responses can be complex (Cordier et al., 2017; Molnar & England, 1990; Raymo & Ruddiman, 1992)....
[...]
TL;DR: This paper found that the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent, due to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns.
Abstract: Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
1,738 citations
01 Dec 2013
TL;DR: This paper found that the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent, due to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns.
Abstract: Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
1,599 citations
"Paleoglacial footprint and fluvial ..." refers background in this paper
...It started uplifting during the early Cenozoic as the Central Asian and Indian plates collided, with profound consequences for landscape evolution and global and regional climate change (Clark et al., 2005; Raymo & Ruddiman, 1992; Wang et al., 2008, 2012; Yao et al., 2012b)....
[...]
...To add further complexity, strong regional gradients in the response of glaciers to increases in temperature and concomitant changes in precipitation have been observed on the Tibetan Plateau (Farinotti et al., 2020; Hewitt, 2005; Yao et al., 2012a)....
[...]
...The Tibetan Plateau is a unique topographic feature with an average elevation of more than 4000 metres above sea level and an extent of 5 million km2 (Fielding et al., 1994; Yao et al., 2012b)....
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...Due to its dimension (Figure 1), the Tibetan Plateau exerts a regional dominance on atmospheric circulation patterns (Yao et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2018), reflected in the extents of glaciers and their trajectories of change (Yao et al., 2012a)....
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TL;DR: The high altitude of most mountain ranges have commonly been ascribed to late Cenozoic uplift, without reference to when crustal thickening and other tectonic processes occurred as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The high altitudes of most mountain ranges have commonly been ascribed to late Cenozoic uplift, without reference to when crustal thickening and other tectonic processes occurred. Deep incision and recent denudation of these mountain ranges, abundant late Cenozoic coarse sediment near them, and palaeobotanical evidence for warmer climates, where high mountain climates today are relatively cold, have traditionally been interpreted as evidence for recent uplift. An alternative cause of these phenomena is late Cenozoic global climate change: towards lower temperatures, increased alpine glaciation, a stormier climate, and perturbations to humidity, vegetative cover and precipitation.
1,393 citations
"Paleoglacial footprint and fluvial ..." refers background in this paper
...Moreover, landscapes are sensitive to changes in exogenic (climatic) and endogenic (tectonic) forcing and their responses can be complex (Cordier et al., 2017; Molnar & England, 1990; Raymo & Ruddiman, 1992)....
[...]
TL;DR: In the late 1990s widespread evidence of glacier expansion was found in the central Karakoram, in contrast to a worldwide decline of mountain glaciers as mentioned in this paper, and the expansions were almost exclusively in glacier basins from the highest parts of the range and developed quickly after decades of decline.
Abstract: In the late 1990s widespread evidence of glacier expansion was found in the central Karakoram, in contrast to a worldwide decline of mountain glaciers. The expansions were almost exclusively in glacier basins from the highest parts of the range and developed quickly after decades of decline. Exceptional numbers of glacier surges were also reported. Unfortunately, there has been no on-going measurement of climatic or glaciological variables at these elevations. The present article examines possible explanations for this seemingly anomalous behavior, using evidence from short-term monitoring programs, low-altitude weather stations, and the distinctive environmental characteristics of the region. The latter involve interactions between regional air mass climatology, its seasonality, topoclimate or ‘verticality’ effects on glaciers with extreme altitudinal range, climatic sensitivities of heavy versus thin supraglacial debris, and complex temperature distributions in ice masses with ice falls through...
672 citations
"Paleoglacial footprint and fluvial ..." refers background in this paper
...To add further complexity, strong regional gradients in the response of glaciers to increases in temperature and concomitant changes in precipitation have been observed on the Tibetan Plateau (Farinotti et al., 2020; Hewitt, 2005; Yao et al., 2012a)....
[...]