Wang et al. (2026) Impacts of increasing extreme climate events on Muz Taw glacier, Central Asia

Identification

• Journal: CATENA
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-13
• Authors: Puyu Wang, Fengchen Yu, Fanglong Wang, Puchen Chen, Hongliang Li, Ming Zhang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2026.109823

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
• University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• College of Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China

Short Summary

This study analyzed the evolution and impact of extreme climate events on the Muz Taw Glacier from 2000 to 2024, revealing rapid warming, increased extreme precipitation, and a strong correlation between extreme warm events, declining albedo, and accelerated glacier mass loss, with 2024 marking record-high temperatures and mass loss.

Objective

• To analyze the evolution of extreme climate events and their impacts on the Muz Taw Glacier, a key reference glacier in the Altai-Sawir Mountains, from 2000 to 2024.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Muz Taw Glacier, Altai-Sawir Mountains, Central Asia.
• Temporal Scale: 2000 to 2024 (25 years).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: RClimDex model.
• Data sources: In-situ measurements, ERA5-Land reanalysis data, multi-source remote sensing data.

Main Results

• All extreme temperature indices showed rapid warming in the glacier area over the past 25 years.
• Nighttime warming was faster than daytime warming.
• Warming magnitude during the non-ablation period exceeded that during the ablation period.
• Extreme precipitation indices, except for R1Xday and R5Xday, showed increasing duration and cumulative intensity, with greater intensity during the ablation period.
• A strong correlation was found between extreme temperature indices and glacier albedo with mass balance, indicating that rising extreme warm events and declining albedo contribute to accelerated glacier mass loss.
• In 2024, the Muz Taw Glacier experienced the highest temperature and the greatest amount of mass loss ever recorded.

Contributions

• Provides long-term monitoring and analysis for the Muz Taw Glacier, which is the only glacier in the Sawir Mountains with continuous records, serving as an important reference for high-latitude, low-altitude glaciers.
• Addresses a gap in traditional research by focusing on the short-term forcing effects of extreme climate events on glaciers, rather than solely long-term average climate changes.
• Quantifies the impact of extreme temperature and precipitation events on glacier mass balance and albedo.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Wang2026Impacts,
  author = {Wang, Puyu and Yu, Fengchen and Wang, Fanglong and Chen, Puchen and Li, Hongliang and Zhang, Ming},
  title = {Impacts of increasing extreme climate events on Muz Taw glacier, Central Asia},
  journal = {CATENA},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.catena.2026.109823},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109823}
}