| Abstrakt: |
The project titled"Scientific Investigation of Water Resources Development Potential and Utilization Pathways on the northern Slope of the Kunlun Mountains"was initiated in October 2021 as part of the initial set of projects for the Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition. This study integrates multi- source remote sensing data and field research conducted from 2022 to 2023 to examine hydrological changes, water resources dynamics, and water resource utilization patterns on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains. The findings reveal the following: (1) A temperature increase of 0.14 °C·(10a)-1 and precipitation increase of 6.53 mm·(10a)-1 from 1990 to 2020 was observed on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains. (2) Glacier variations have remained relatively stable, with a slight expansion observed in snow cover area and depth. (3) Permanent water bodies have experienced a significant growth rate of 79.89%, while seasonal water bodies have expanded by an impressive margin of 144.49%. (4) Ayakkum Lake and Akikkule Lake, two major lakes within the Kumukuli Basin, witnessed increases in their water areas by approximately 68.91% and 58.22%, respectively, and several rivers within this basin exhibit potential for further development regarding water resources utilization. (5) Terrestrial water storage on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains generally exhibits an increasing trend, particularly more pronounced from west to east. (6) Average annual runoff of Hotan River, Keriya River, and Qarqan River, the main rivers on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains, increased by 20.24%, 27.85%, and 45.17%, respectively, during the period of 2010--2023 when compared with the period of 1957--2023. (7) Based on simulations considering different climate change scenarios, it is predicted that major river runoff will continue to increase throughout the middle-to-later stages of the 21st century, alongside regional augmentation in available water resources. The conditions of water resources on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains can provide favorable water resources for the green development of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
