BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers recently released a rock glacier dataset for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China, providing not only baseline data for climate change research, but also a reference for engineering construction and disaster prevention, Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday.
Rock glaciers are not glaciers, but rather a mixture of ice-bearing debris and soil that creeps very slowly downslope, much like glaciers in cold alpine environments.
Covered by thick layers of debris, rock glaciers are barely visible in satellite imagery and extremely difficult to identify manually. They had long remained invisible and uncountable, and both their numbers and water-storage capabilities have been underestimated.
A research team from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences used high-resolution optical imagery, radar satellite data and AI deep-learning technology to complete the identification of rock glaciers across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and combined radar interferometry to measure their creeping speeds.
According to the study published in the journal Chinese Science Bulletin, the dataset includes more than 130,000 rock glaciers, a number exceeding the sum of all previously known rock glaciers worldwide. The ice stored inside them is equivalent to about 92 cubic kilometers to 186 cubic kilometers of water.
The study paper's corresponding author, Feng Min from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, said that the ice stored inside these rock glaciers is equivalent to the storage capacity of dozens of large reservoirs, representing a long-underestimated solid water reserve in a plateau known as the "Asian Water Tower."
"In areas where surrounding glaciers are rapidly retreating or where there are no glaciers at all, the slow release of water from these sources may be far more significant for long-term river replenishment and ecological regulation than we have imagined," Feng added.
As rock glaciers move slowly, they can cause ground deformation, river blockage or even debris flows when they encounter roads, river channels and other infrastructure. The new dataset records the spatial relationships between rock glaciers and these elements, providing a new tool for geohazard risk assessment in mountainous areas.
Feng said that rock glaciers serve as natural markers for the presence of permafrost. The dataset contains information including location, boundaries, morphology and movement status. It can provide not only a baseline for climate change research, but also a reference for engineering construction and disaster prevention and mitigation. ■
