Spatial-temporal characteristics of lake area variations in Hoh Xil region from 1970 to 2011

doi:10.1007/s11442-014-1113-3

Abstract

Abstract:

As one of the areas with numerous lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, the Hoh Xil region plays an extremely important role in the fragile plateau eco-environment. Based on topographic maps in the 1970s and Landsat TM/ETM+ remote sensing images in the 1990s and the period from 2000 to 2011, the data of 83 lakes with an area above 10 km² each were obtained by digitization method and artificial visual interpretation technology, and the causes for lake variations were also analyzed. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows. (1) From the 1970s to 2011, the lakes in the Hoh Xil region firstly shrank and then expanded. In particular, the area of lakes generally decreased during the 1970s-1990s. Then the lakes expanded from the 1990s to 2000 and the area was slightly higher than that in the 1970s. The area of lakes dramatically increased after 2000. (2) From 2000 to 2011, the lakes with different area ranks in the Hoh Xil region showed an overall expansion trend. Meanwhile, some regional differences were also discovered. Most of the lakes expanded and were widely distributed in the northern, central and western parts of the region. Some lakes were merged together or overflowed due to their rapid expansion. A small number of lakes with the trend of area decrease or strong fluctuation were scattered in the central and southern parts of the study area. And their variations were related to their own supply conditions or hydraulic connection with the downstream lakes or rivers. (3) The increase in precipitation was the dominant factor resulting in the expansion of lakes in the Hoh Xil region. The secondary factor was the increase in meltwater from glaciers and frozen soil due to climate warming.

Key words: lake variation, spatial-temporal characteristics, Hoh Xil region, Tibetan Plateau

Xiaojun YAO, Shiyin LIU, Long LI, Meiping SUN, Jing LUO. Spatial-temporal characteristics of lake area variations in Hoh Xil region from 1970 to 2011[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2014, 24(4): 689-702.

Figures/Tables 8

Figure 1

Table 1

Lake with the area above 10 km2 in the Hoh Xil region"

Name	Location* (°N, °E)	Area (km²)		Name	Location* (°N, °E)	Area (km²)
Name	Location* (°N, °E)	1970s	2000s	Name	Location* (°N, °E)	1970s	2000s
Ulan Ula	34.81, 90.48	552.30	564.05	Dogai Coring	34.59, 88.95	369.38	476.00
Xijir Ulan	35.21, 90.34	351.83	383.61	Hoh Xil	35.59, 91.14	305.81	319.51
Hoh Sai	35.74, 92.86	265.03	274.38	Huiten Nor	35.55, 91.92	260.00	264.98
Lisioidain Co	35.75, 90.20	229.55	245.56	Dogaicoring Qangco	35.31, 89.26	210.50	302.95
Dorge Co	35.23, 92.14	148.52	206.29	Memar Co	34.22, 82.31	138.04	146.21
Bairab Co	35.03, 83.13	127.62	137.25	Yinma	35.60, 90.62	107.72	108.46
Aru Co	33.99, 82.40	104.72	104.88	Taiyang	35.93, 90.63	101.04	102.59
Xiangyang	35.80, 89.42	98.31	100.19	Heishi Beihu	35.56, 82.75	94.26	99.59
Jianshui	35.30, 83.12	89.24	128.52	Mingjing	35.07, 90.55	87.53	91.42
Qoima Co	33.89, 91.19	86.44	89.22	Yuye	36.01, 88.76	80.87	116.28
Margai Caka	35.13, 86.75	80.08	139.16	Cuodarima	35.33, 91.85	77.29	72.52
Yang	35.43, 84.65	75.44	114.06	Botao	34.01, 89.95	73.22	72.38
Yonghong	35.25, 89.97	70.34	70.47	Telashi	34.81, 92.22	68.82	60.89
Co Nyi	34.57, 87.27	66.66	130.24	Kekao	35.70, 91.37	63.69	62.11
Chamu Co	34.34, 91.59	61.74	68.18	Laorite Co	33.73, 90.01	58.94	59.08
Rola Co	35.41, 88.38	57.68	139.57	Yongbo Co	35.74, 86.69	56.53	60.03
Xuejing	35.98, 87.36	52.78	71.67	Xuelian	34.09, 90.26	51.22	54.74
Deyu Co	35.69, 87.26	47.66	55.30	Zhenquan	35.92, 86.97	43.70	62.20
Xuehuan	35.01, 88.05	41.92	42.56	Xuemei	36.29, 88.27	39.66	46.48
Yongbo	34.96, 89.23	37.74	40.47	Qqiden Co	34.37, 87.49	37.29	32.25
Haiding	35.58, 93.17	35.58	45.60	Weishan	35.96, 89.23	33.85	35.18
Kushuihuan	35.99, 90.12	33.54	35.73	Yinbo	36.19, 88.14	33.12	40.40
Yan	35.53, 93.41	32.65	42.82	Xianhe	35.99, 88.09	32.34	37.10
Huangshui	34.33, 87.70	30.82	28.29	Hulu	34.42, 91.03	29.98	32.12
Dao	34.75, 83.90	29.06	52.82	Chainjoin Co	35.56, 90.22	27.51	34.84
Golu Co	34.60, 92.46	26.05	21.40	Qingwa	34.71, 86.40	25.54	25.45
N3431E8907^**	34.31, 90.07	25.34	①	Longzhou	35.06, 86.93	23.83	②
Dongyue	34.38, 89.21	23.32	24.50	Chaoyang	35.28, 87.25	22.98	68.40
Qiagong Co	34.43, 82.34	22.87	26.28	Tupo Co	34.51, 87.09	22.45	③
Hehua	36.14, 88.99	21.32	22.97	Danbing	35.46, 88.45	20.94	④
Tao	36.17, 89.32	20.18	25.96	Taiping	34.29, 89.71	20.17	25.30
Yishan	35.24, 90.91	18.58	22.11	Yake Co	34.70, 87.19	18.21	2.82
Hengliang	34.88, 89.06	17.85	19.44	Wandou	34.56, 90.85	17.63	18.16
Jieyue	35.07, 90.27	17.37	17.42	Baitan	34.56, 88.58	17.03	20.86
Yueliang	35.61, 90.38	16.02	27.78	Hulu Chi	35.04, 87.02	15.80	80.09
Haobo	34.40, 88.00	15.33	19.47	Yupan	34.91, 88.38	15.26	18.80
Yingtian	34.43, 88.07	14.92	16.70	Yanzi	33.87, 89.93	14.92	17.37
N3517E9155^**	35.17, 91.55	14.66	14.13	N3412E8944^**	34.12, 89.44	13.82	16.76
Zairizixia	35.23, 91.21	12.81	11.86	Qianshui	34.63, 88.81	12.64	⑤
Maria Co	34.20, 91.69	12.57	11.69	Wan’an	34.43, 88.56	12.21	18.24
Shuanglian	35.50, 88.30	10.62	30.02	Gaotai	35.41, 90.96	10.29	10.78
N3531E9312^**	35.31, 93.20	10.34	⑥

Table 1

Table 2

Landsat TM/ETM+ remote sensing images used in this study"

Path/row	Image acquisition date
137/035	1991/10/09^; 2000/10/09; 2001/10/28; 2002/10/15; 2003/12/21; 2004/11/05; 2005/12/26; 2006/11/11; 2007/10/05^; 2007/11/14; 2008/12/18; 2009/12/21; 2010/11/22; 2011/11/25
138/035	1990/11/14^; 2000/12/27^; 2001/10/03; 2002/10/06; 2003/10/09; 2004/12/30; 2005/12/27; 2006/12/20; 2007/01/29^*; 2007/11/21; 2008/10/22; 2009/11/26; 2010/10/12; 2011/10/31
138/036	1990/11/14^; 2000/12/27^; 2001/10/03; 2002/10/06; 2003/10/09; 2004/10/19^; 2004/12/30; 2005/12/17; 2006/11/02; 2006/11/10^; 2007/11/21; 2008/12/01; 2008/12/09; 2009/10/25; 2010/12/25; 2011/12/18
138/037	1990/11/14^; 2000/10/16; 2001/10/19; 2002/10/22; 2003/10/09; 2004/10/11; 2005/12/17; 2006/12/20; 2007/10/20; 2008/01/16^; 2008/12/17^*; 2009/10/25; 2010/12/31; 2011/12/18
139/035	1989/11/02^*; 2000/10/07; 2001/10/26; 2002/10/13; 2003/12/19; 2004/11/03; 2005/11/22; 2006/10/08; 2007/10/11; 2008/12/16; 2009/11/01; 2010/12/06; 2011/10/22
139/036	1989/10/01^; 2000/10/07; 2000/11/16^; 2001/11/11; 2002/10/13; 2003/10/16; 2004/10/18; 2005/11/22; 2006/09/30^*; 2006/11/09; 2007/12/30; 2008/12/16; 2009/11/01; 2010/12/06; 2011/10/22
139/037	1990/11/05^; 2000/12/18^; 2001/11/11; 2002/12/16; 2003/10/16; 2004/11/19; 2005/11/14^*; 2005/12/08; 2006/11/09; 2007/12/30; 2008/12/16; 2009/12/03; 2010/12/06; 2011/12/09
140/035	1992/09/30; 2000/11/07^; 2001/10/01; 2002/10/04; 2003/10/07; 2004/10/25; 2005/12/15; 2006/10/07^; 2007/11/03; 2008/12/07; 2009/10/23; 2009/11/24; 2010/11/27; 2011/11/14
140/036	1992/11/17^; 2000/10/03; 2000/11/07^; 2001/10/01; 2002/10/04; 2003/10/07; 2004/10/25; 2005/12/15; 2006/10/07^; 2006/10/31; 2007/09/24^; 2007/12/05; 2008/12/07; 2009/09/29; 2010/11/11; 2011/11/30
141/035	1989/01/24^; 2000/10/29^; 2001/11/01^*; 2002/10/11; 2003/10/14; 2004/11/17; 2005/11/20; 2006/10/06; 2007/11/26; 2008/11/12; 2009/10/30; 2010/12/04; 2011/12/23
141/036	1989/01/24^; 2000/10/13^; 2000/11/30^; 2001/11/01^; 2001/12/03; 2002/10/11; 2003/10/14; 2004/11/17; 2005/11/20; 2006/10/06; 2007/12/28; 2008/11/12; 2009/10/30; 2010/10/17; 2010/11/02; 2011/12/23
142/036	1989/03/04^; 2000/10/28; 2001/11/16; 2002/11/03; 2003/11/22; 2004/12/10; 2005/12/13; 2006/10/29; 2007/11/17; 2008/11/03; 2009/11/06; 2010/11/17^; 2011/11/28
143/035	1989/01/22^; 2000/11/04; 2001/11/23; 2002/11/26; 2003/11/29; 2004/11/15; 2005/11/18; 2006/10/12^; 2007/12/26; 2008/10/25; 2009/12/31; 2010/10/15; 2011/11/19
143/036	1989/01/22; 2000/11/04; 2001/11/23; 2002/11/26; 2003/11/29; 2004/11/15; 2005/12/20; 2006/11/21; 2007/12/26; 2008/11/10; 2009/12/31; 2010/11/16; 2011/12/21
144/035	1990/08/20^; 2000/12/29; 2001/11/14; 2002/10/16; 2003/11/20; 2004/12/08; 2005/12/11; 2006/11/12; 2007/10/30; 2008/11/01; 2009/12/14^; 2010/11/07; 2011/11/26
144/036	1992/10/12^; 2000/12/13; 2001/11/14; 2002/11/01; 2003/11/04; 2004/12/08; 2005/11/25; 2006/12/30; 2007/12/01; 2008/12/03; 2009/12/06; 2010/12/01^; 2011/11/26

Table 2

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

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