Che et al. (2026) Temperature sensitivity and rainfall heat flux drive rapid mass loss of low-latitude glaciers in the Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Identification

• Journal: CATENA
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-03-13
• Authors: Yanjun Che, Shijin Wang, Yun Cao, Weiwei Lv, xinggang Ma, Congzheng Han, Jian Zhong, Rong Wu
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2026.109991

Research Groups

• Department of Geographical Science, School of Life Sciences and Environmental Resources, Yichun University, Yichun, China
• Yulong Snow Mountain Cryosphere and Sustainable Development National Field Science Observation and Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
• Department of Physical Geography and Resources and Environment, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
• State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Extreme Meteorology, Institute of Atmospheric Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, England
• Midui Glacier-Guangxie Lake Disaster Field Science Observation and Research Station of Tibet Autonomous Region, Nyingchi, China

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of air temperature and rainfall heat flux on the mass balance of low-latitude temperate glaciers in the southeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), finding that these glaciers exhibit a nearly linear sensitivity to temperature and that rainfall heat flux contributes significantly to their rapid mass loss.

Objective

• To examine the role of rain heat flux in the ablation of temperate glaciers and to characterize the sensitivity of glacier mass balance to air temperature and precipitation in the southeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Baishui River Glacier No.1 (BRG No.1) in Yulong Snow Mountain, southeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.
• Temporal Scale: Based on meteorological records, analyzing glacier response to current climate and future warming scenarios (e.g., +1 °C warming).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Glacier surface energy-mass balance (SEB) model.
• Data sources: Meteorological dataset (original data) from Yulong Snow Mountain.

Main Results

• The response of Baishui River Glacier No.1 (BRG No.1) to air temperature shows nearly linear sensitivity, while its response to precipitation is nonlinear.
• Rainfall heat flux is a significant factor in temperate glacier melt in the QTP, being considerably higher than in cold glaciers and accounting for approximately 6% of the total ablation energy.
• A +1 °C warming in air temperature for temperate glaciers requires a 47% increase in precipitation to compensate for mass loss, which is a higher compensation requirement compared to cold glaciers in mid- and high-latitude regions of the QTP.
• The SEB model effectively captures the linear response of temperate glaciers to temperature, providing an explanation for the rapid retreat observed in low-latitude glaciers in the southeastern QTP.

Contributions

• Quantifies the significant contribution of rainfall heat flux (approximately 6% of total ablation energy) to the rapid mass loss of temperate glaciers in the southeastern QTP.
• Identifies a nearly linear sensitivity of temperate glaciers to air temperature, contrasting with the generally assumed nonlinear response for other glacier types.
• Provides a mechanistic explanation, through the SEB model, for the accelerated retreat of low-latitude glaciers in the region.
• Highlights the substantially higher precipitation compensation (47% for +1 °C warming) required for temperate glaciers to maintain mass balance compared to cold glaciers.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Che2026Temperature,
  author = {Che, Yanjun and Wang, Shijin and Cao, Yun and Lv, Weiwei and Ma, xinggang and Han, Congzheng and Zhong, Jian and Wu, Rong},
  title = {Temperature sensitivity and rainfall heat flux drive rapid mass loss of low-latitude glaciers in the Southeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau},
  journal = {CATENA},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.catena.2026.109991},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109991}
}