Ma et al. (2025) Assessment of artificial lakes' impact on glacier conservation: Evidence obtained from stable isotope

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-01
• Authors: Xinggang Ma, Shuxin Fan, Tao Pu, Lei Zhou, Kun Xu, Zhibo Lu, Shijin Wang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.103004

Research Groups

• Yulong Snow Mountain Cryosphere and Sustainable Development Field Science Observation and Research Station, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
• College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
• Midui Glacier-Guangxie Lake Disaster Field Science Observation and Research Station of Tibet Autonomous Region, Nyingchi, China
• Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, China

Short Summary

This study quantifies the contribution of artificial lake evaporation to snowfall in the Yulong Snow Mountain glacial region using stable isotopes and atmospheric trajectory models, revealing that these lakes significantly decelerate local glacial retreat by providing substantial moisture during snowfall periods.

Objective

• To scientifically and systematically evaluate how artificial lakes participate in the local water cycle and their effectiveness in delaying glacier melting in the Yulong Snow Mountain region.
• To quantify the contribution rate of artificial lake evaporation water vapor to the recycling of water vapor in YLSM and its contribution to glacier material accumulation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Yulong Snow Mountain (YLSM), southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China (27°10′–27°40′N, 100°9′–100°20′E). Sampling points included 5 artificial lakes, Lijiang station, 4600m-station, and Baishui River.
• Temporal Scale: Water sampling from January 2022 to January 2023. Meteorological data for corresponding times. Backward trajectory analysis for 2022.

Methodology and Data

• Models used:
  • Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT) for backward trajectory analysis and moisture flux calculation.
  • PySPLIT (Python package) for plotting trajectories and calculating moisture flux.
  • Binary linear mixed model for estimating the contribution of water vapor from evaporation and upwind air masses to regional precipitation.
• Data sources:
  • Stable isotope compositions (δ¹⁸O, δD) of 338 water samples (lake water, precipitation, snow meltwater, Baishui River) determined by Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer MAT253.
  • Meteorological data (temperature, precipitation, relative humidity) from automatic weather stations (in-situ observations).
  • Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) data from NCEP (horizontal resolution 1° × 1°) for HYSPLIT.
  • ERA5 reanalysis data and Global Surface Summary of the Day (GSOD) datasets as supplementary meteorological sources.
  • Global precipitation isotope database (wateriso.utah.edu) for upwind water vapor isotope values.

Main Results

• Isotopic analysis revealed distinct altitude-dependent and seasonal patterns in the YLSM hydrological system. Artificial lakes (LAKE1-3) showed enriched isotopic signatures and low d-excess values (below 15 ‰), indicating strong evaporative fractionation. High-altitude sites (LYG) showed depleted values and positive d-excess (10 ‰–30 ‰), consistent with precipitation input.
• Moisture sources for YLSM exhibit strong seasonality: Indian Ocean monsoon dominates in summer, westerly jet in winter, and South Asian continental air mass contributes year-round.
• Vapor derived from artificial lakes contributes 8 %–42 % of the total snowfall in the glacier region of YLSM during the snowfall period (November to April).
• During the primary glacial accumulation period (March–April), artificial lakes contribute 8 %–16 % of the total snowfall.
• This additional moisture input from artificial lakes significantly decelerates local glacial retreat, a factor previously underestimated in local water cycle calculations.
• Artificial lakes also act as "cold sources" during winter and spring due to evaporative cooling, transporting cooler air to glacial regions via valley winds, further slowing ablation.

Contributions

• First study to quantify the contribution of artificial lake-evaporated vapor to glacial snowfall using stable isotope techniques.
• Provides crucial scientific basis for assessing the mitigating effect of artificial lakes on glacier ablation.
• Expands local glacier protection technologies and deepens the understanding of water cycle processes in high-altitude mountainous regions.
• Highlights the previously underestimated impact of artificial lakes on the local water cycle and glacier conservation.

Funding

• Science and Technology program of Gansu Province (22ZD6FA005)
• Plastic pollution: global sources causing consequences for the Arctic, towards international state-of-the-art understanding and education (022191)
• Science and Technology program of Lijiang City (2025LJSNK59)
• Program of the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering (CSFSE-TZ-2503, 2510)

Citation

@article{Ma2025Assessment,
  author = {Ma, Xinggang and Fan, Shuxin and Pu, Tao and Zhou, Lei and Xu, Kun and Lu, Zhibo and Wang, Shijin},
  title = {Assessment of artificial lakes' impact on glacier conservation: Evidence obtained from stable isotope},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.103004},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.103004}
}