Abstract Glacier albedo controls surface energy balance and mass balance but remains poorly observed in remote sub-Antarctic regions. We present a glacier albedo dataset for Heard Island (53°06’S, 73°31’E) derived from NASA VIIRS VNP43 BRDF/albedo parameters for January 2012 to May 2024. The dataset includes a glacier-wide area-mean time series (4,466 daily albedo records) and annual albedo rasters at 375–500 m resolution. White-sky albedo (WSA) was computed from BRDF parameters with quality filtering (mandatory quality ≤ 1). Processing used Google Earth Engine with glacier masking and interior buffering (1 pixel, 375 m). Temporal data availability is 98.9%; spatial coverage is 44.04% of the glacier area due to cloud cover. The dataset is suitable for glacier surface energy balance studies, trend analysis, and integration with climate reanalysis. Data are provided in CSV and GeoTIFF formats with accompanying quality metadata.

Central Asia is a global climate-change hotspot where future water availability remains uncertain, as hydrological forcing data are ambiguous and observations provide limited constraints on model parameters. We reassessed future runoff changes in the glacierized Ala-Archa basin by reducing model equifinality with a multi-objective calibration strategy that explicitly incorporates winter low-flow runoff, total runoff, snow cover fraction, and glacier mass balance. The calibrated model was used to project annual and seasonal river discharge under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Results indicate a transition from a nival–glacial to a more pluvial-driven runoff regime. Rising temperatures advance the melt season, increase the proportion of liquid precipitation, and shift peak runoff from July to June. Although glacier and snowmelt contributions decline substantially as cryospheric storage shrinks, total annual runoff decreases only modestly by the late 21st century. This muted annual response reflects compensating effects from increased rainfall and a sustained rise in summer baseflow. Improved low-flow calibration suggests that increased groundwater recharge can partly offset meltwater losses, leading to a less severe summer discharge reduction than previously reported. Neglecting low-flow constraints may therefore overestimate future water scarcity in glacier-fed catchments.

Abstract This study systematically analyzes the size distribution, concentration characteristics, atmospheric sources, and their coupling relationships with hydrochemical components of dust particles in glacial ice and meltwater from the Mingyong Glacier on the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. It reveals the transport patterns, source characteristics, and coupling relationships with hydrochemical components of local dust particles. The results indicate: (1) The average size (i.e., particle diameter) (2.01 μm), number concentration (1622.19 × 104 mL−1), and mass concentration (2699.32 × 104 µg kg−1) of dust particles in glacial ice are significantly higher than those in meltwater (1.63 μm, 551.75 × 104 mL−1, and 251.57 × 104 µg kg−1, respectively), with the hydraulic sorting effect of meltwater being an important mechanism for this difference. (2) Meltwater dust particle exhibits a unimodal distribution throughout the year (median size 14.15 μm) with relatively homogeneous sources, while glacial ice dust particle shows a multimodal distribution during the accumulation period, indicating more complex sources. (3) Backward trajectory analysis indicates that dust particle during the accumulation period is primarily transported over long distances (Central Asia, Southwest Asia), controlled by stable westerly circulation, while during the ablation period, it is mainly from local Tibetan Plateau and neighboring areas via short-range transport, influenced by the interaction between westerlies and monsoons. (4) Hydrochemical analysis shows that ions in the water primarily originate from carbonate and silicate rock weathering. Correlation and wavelet coherence analyses reveal that the mass concentration of dust particle in glacial ice is significantly positively correlated with TDS (Total Dissolved Solid) and major ions, with coherence periods of 2–4 days or 4–8 days and phase lags at different times. The number concentration of dust particles in meltwater is significantly positively correlated with regional air temperature and precipitation, with temperature consistently leading the dust concentration. This study clarifies that dust particles in the Mingyong Glacier are influenced by both regional and distant sources, and their release process is closely coupled with glacier ablation, hydrological processes, and seasonal shifts in atmospheric circulation. It provides data support for further understanding the glacier-dust-climate interaction mechanisms in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Mountain glaciers, which constitute vital freshwater reservoirs for ecosystems and human populations worldwide, are undergoing accelerated retreats under anthropogenic warming. This review synthesizes current approaches to artificially mitigate glacier mass loss, focusing on two intervention categories: (1) enhancing accumulation through artificial snowmaking and water injection, and (2) limiting ablation via manual compaction and surface covering. We evaluate the physical mechanisms, operational efficacy, and environmental trade-offs of these methods, drawing on empirical implementations across diverse glacial settings—including detailed case studies from western China. While these interventions offer measurable local reductions in melt, they cannot offset large-scale cryospheric decline. We, therefore, propose a dual-pathway conservation framework that couples local technical strategies—adaptively deployed in high-priority zones—with stringent global climate mitigation, thereby supporting the preservation of glacial functions and socio-ecological resilience in a rapidly changing world.

While the impacts of permafrost degradation on Eurasian river discharge are well-documented, a systematic understanding of how these impacts vary across latitudes—critical for predicting continental water security and Arctic freshwater export—remains lacking. This study bridges this gap by analyzing latitudinal gradients in extreme and mean monthly discharges—lowest (LD), mean (MD), and highest (HD) monthly discharge—across 22 major Eurasian permafrost rivers, integrating snowmelt dynamics and winter river ice dynamics with watershed energy-water budgets. We find pronounced latitudinal gradients in hydrological responses. The most robust change is a pan-Eurasian increase in winter baseflow (LD, 5%–8% per decade), primarily driven by warming-induced river ice (24-d shorter freezing duration; 8.2% volume decline contributing 19.6% to LD rise). In contrast, high (HD) and mean (MD) discharge trends show distinct zonal divergence: significant increases in precipitation-driven low latitudes, a post-1990s reversal from decline to increase in mid-latitudes, and muted but more variable trends in high latitudes where precipitation increases are offset by evapotranspiration and storage changes. The late 1990s marked a critical shift, synchronizing abrupt hydrological changes with contemporaneous shifts in regional climate forcing and cryospheric processes. The identified latitudinal patterns and their underlying mechanisms provide a predictive framework for anticipating future hydrological extremes—from winter water scarcity to flood risks—in these vulnerable basins in a warming world.

To mitigate glacier melt, artificial covering methods, such as high-albedo geotextiles, have been employed, primarily in small-scale applications like ski resorts. However, their effectiveness and feasibility at larger scales remain poorly understood. This study simulates how full-coverage of glaciers with geotextiles influences mass balance across individual glacier (Urumqi Glacier No.1, UGN1) and the entire watershed of the Urumqi River in the Tianshan Mountains, combining the COupled Snowpack and Ice surface energy and mass-balance model in PYthon (COSIPY) simulations with long-term observational data covering the period 1988–2018. Modeling results indicate that, under idealized covering scenarios simulated for the period 1988‒2018, geotextiles could substantially reduce glacier ablation, with a simulated reduction of 28% at the UGN1 and 35% at the basin scale. These simulations assume continuous coverage with high-albedo geotextiles (albedo = 0.70) under present-day climatic conditions, without accounting for seasonal removal or material degradation. The simulated mitigation effect varies across sub-basins, with reductions ranging from 23%‒42%, influenced by local climatic and topographic conditions. Sensitivity analyses reveal that a 10% increase in geotextile albedo improved the simulated melt reduction by up to 48% at the basin scale, while a 10% decrease still retained a 20% mitigation effect at the glacier scale. Despite these benefits, large-scale deployment faces prohibitive economic costs, logistical challenges, and environmental risks. This study highlights the need for an integrated, multi-scale approach that combines global decarbonization efforts with targeted, science-based local interventions, rather than relying solely on artificial coverings. These findings provide a scientific basis for policymakers to balance immediate protective measures with long-term climate mitigation strategies.

Remote sensing has become a central approach for investigating interactions between atmospheric aerosols and glacier change under climate warming. Here, we apply bibliometric and science-mapping methods to systematically analyze global research on remote sensing of aerosol-glacier interactions from 1995 to 2024. Based on 523 publications, we identify rapid growth since 2013 and reveal a tripolar collaboration structure linking North America, Europe, and Asia. Thematic analyses show a clear evolution from early observational and retrieval studies toward process-oriented research emphasizing black carbon deposition, snow-ice energy balance, and regional glacier mass balance. Journal dual-map overlays and cluster dependency analysis further demonstrate that the field is supported by Earth sciences, physics-chemistry, and computational systems, with aerosol type and scientific assessment serving as key foundational clusters. Overall, this study outlines the knowledge structure and evolution of aerosol-glacier research, supporting interdisciplinary monitoring and protection strategies in a changing climate.

Major chemical ionic components in water serve as indicators of natural factors in the areas traversed by water bodies, and are thus widely used to elucidate key hydrogeochemical processes, including rock weathering, aquatic evaporation-crystallization, and the input of precipitation-derived materials into river basins. A total of 208 water samples were collected between August 2021 and August 2022 to investigate the hydrochemical characteristics and their influencing factors of the surface water and the groundwater in the Mingyong River Basin. To systematically analyze the data, we combined hydrogeochemical and statistical methods: descriptive statistics characterized ion concentration and physicochemical parameter distributions; Piper trilinear diagrams classified hydrochemical types; Pearson correlation analysis assessed ion-ion and ion-TDS dependencies; Gibbs diagrams and ion ratio analysis identified solute sources; and the absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model quantified the contribution rates of different influencing factors. The results revealed that the dominant cations in the surface water and groundwater are Ca2+ and Mg2+, while the dominant anions are HCO3- and SO42-. The groundwater exhibits an extended residence time within rock strata, facilitating prolonged interaction with soluble minerals and intensifying the water-rock reaction process, thereby resulting in higher levels of electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS) than those in the surface water. Secondly, the parameters of the surface water and groundwater indicate positive correlation. The weathering of rocks constitutes the primary solute source in the water of the basin. The hydrochemical composition of the basin water is primarily influenced by both carbonate and silicate rocks, with a minor contribution from evaporite rocks. The water bodies in the basin are affected by anthropogenic activities. The surface water is influenced by four sources, namely lixiviation-enrich, human activities, geological environmental, and unknown sources. The groundwater is influenced by five sources, namely lixiviation-enrich, primary geological, human activities, geological environmental, and unknown sources.

Existing ski-climate risk studies, derived from humid or semi-humid mountains, have limited applicability to arid and semi-arid resorts. They use temperature, snow-cover duration, or suitability indices, rarely resolving natural snow depth, snowmaking windows, and interregional or inter-resort differences. In water-limited terrain, how temperature, moisture, and terrain regulate snow-resource risk remains insufficiently quantified. We developed SnowFormer, a physics-constrained hybrid Transformer integrating temporal encoding, terrain-conditioned parameterization, and rain–snow partitioning and melt constraints, to project snow depth, potential snowmaking days, and snow-season conditions across Northwest China and 216 ski resorts under CMIP6 scenarios for 2025–2045. SHAP diagnosed meteorological controls. Relative to the historical baseline, snow depth and potential snowmaking days decline by 26%–29.6% and 15.5%–18.6%. Snow-season timing is heterogeneous: median onset advances by 4.0–7.0 d, and cessation is delayed by 2–3 d in most scenarios. Some Tianshan resorts lengthen, whereas Altay and inland peripheral resorts shorten by 3.5–9.4 d. Tianshan extension is linked to high-elevation moisture compensation, whereby atmospheric moisture and terrain effects partly offset warming-induced melt, consistent with alpine snow responses to warming and wetting. Air temperature and specific humidity contribute 24.4% and 20.9%, indicating that moisture effects require cold conditions. Climate-resilient ski-tourism planning requires joint assessment of snow depth, snowmaking windows, and snow-season timing.

The light absorbing impurities (LAIs), primarily black carbon (BC) and mineral dust (MD), can darken the glacier surface, enhance radiative forcing absorption, and then accelerate glacier melting, which poses a major challenge to glacier preservation. However, a quantitative and process-based understanding of LAIs, particularly regarding their vertical distribution, enrichment mechanisms and sources, remains a critical missing component for accurately estimation of glacier melting in the Tienshan region. To address this research gap, snowpit samples were collected from the Urumqi Glacier No.1 (UG1) in the central Tienshan in August 2021 to analyze the vertical distribution of BC and MD and estimate their potential impact on glacier melting. The results showed that both BC and MD concentrations exhibited large fluctuations in the snowpit profile (Coefficient of Variation: 99.1% and 106.7%, respectively), indicating remarkable vertical variability along the snowpit depth with higher values in dust layers and infiltration ice and lower values in surface and eluviated snow layers. Backward trajectory analysis revealed that Central Asia as the primary potential source region of BC deposited on UG1. Using the SNICAR model and scenario simulations based on different snow grain size, it was estimated that LAIs contributed up to albedo reduction by 13.6% ± 8.7% and 7.9% ± 4.7%, respectively, resulting in additional glacier melt by 187.03 ± 124.29 and 108.76 ± 65.94 mm w.e. The results suggested that BC played a more important role than MD in enhancing glacier melting in the central Tienshan region. This study highlights the importance of incorporating LAI induced melt processes into regional glacier mass balance and hydrological models, further supporting to improve water resource management and assessment of transboundary pollutant transport in Central Asia.

High-altitude alpine rivers represent a critical source of uncertainty in global nitrous oxide (N2O) budgets; however, a lack of systematic field observations limits the understanding of greenhouse gas feedback mechanisms in these fragile ecosystems. This study investigated the spatiotemporal patterns and key driving mechanisms of riverine N2O emissions in the upper Yellow River through systematic monitoring across diverse landscape units (permafrost, wetland, seasonally frozen ground, reservoir, and urban) during high-flow and low-flow seasons. The results indicate that the upper Yellow River acts as a net source of atmospheric N2O, with an annual emission of 0.085 Gg N2O-N yr-1. Urban and reservoir reaches contributed 32.9% and 23.9% of the total emissions, respectively. Dissolved N2O concentrations exhibited significant seasonal heterogeneity (Low-flow mean: 15.25 ± 4.63 nmol L-1; High-flow mean: 8.90 ± 2.64 nmol L-1). Notably, ebullition, a largely overlooked pathway, accounted for 34.2% and 22.6% of total fluxes in high-flow and low-flow seasons, respectively. Mechanistic analysis suggests a seasonal shift in riverine ecosystem function: transitioning from physical transport dominance in the high-flow season to internal biogeochemical processing dominance in the low-flow season. High-flow dynamics were primarily associated with physical hydrology, revealing a distinct non-linear response to population density that highlights the limits of dilution capacity. Conversely, the low-flow season was substrate-limited, exhibiting a direct linkage between anthropogenic nitrogen loading and N2O levels. These findings improve the understanding of riverine N2O dynamics and provide a scientific basis for more accurate regional emission inventories and targeted management in high-altitude basins.

The ski industry in arid and semi-arid mountainous regions is highly sensitive to climate warming. Quantitative assessments of how global warming impacts ski seasons in these arid zones remain scarce. Focusing on the typical arid mountainous regions of Northwest China, this study develops a physics-informed hybrid Transformer model coupled with the SHAP algorithm to project the spatiotemporal evolution of ski seasons across multiple CMIP6 scenarios. Compared to the historical baseline, regional average snow depth and potential snowmaking days decline by 14.5%–16.9% and 15%–19%, respectively. The evolution of the ski season exhibits marked spatial polarization: the median regional season onset advances by 5 to 9.5 days, and the cessation is delayed by 3 to 5 days. Driven by local topographic moisture interception, the Tianshan region experiences season extensions at over 81% of its ski resorts, averaging a 20-day increase. The Altay Mountains and inland peripheral zones face severe contractions of 3.5 to 9.4 days. Attribution analysis identifies air temperature (24.1%) and specific humidity (22.5%) as the core drivers of snow depth evolution. Moisture compensation from rising specific humidity during marginal seasons effectively offsets thermal snowmelt. Local hydrothermal coupling dictates the climate response of ski seasons in arid zones. Future adaptive planning for the winter sports industry should prioritize identifying areas with strong topographic snow retention and low-temperature moisture convergence.

Tajikistan contains the majority of Central Asia’s glaciers, which cover about 6.00% of the national territory; their rapid shrinkage poses a significant threat to regional water resource security. However, glacier monitoring in Tajikistan was interrupted after 1991, creating a substantial gap in understanding the current state and temporal evolution of these glaciers. Based on glacier inventory data, in situ measurements, and published literature, this study examined the present status and recent variations of glaciers in Tajikistan through data integration and validation, literature collation and comparative analysis, and the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis techniques. As of 2023, Tajikistan possesses a total of 11,528 glaciers, encompassing an area of 7624.48 (±305.58) km2. Small glaciers dominate in number, whereas large glaciers account for the majority of the total area. Over the past two decades, the glacier count has decreased by 2014, and the total area has decreased by 628.98 km2, corresponding to an average annual reduction rate of 0.33%. Regional shrinkage rates range from 4.10% to 22.28%. Glaciers have undergone accelerated mass loss during the past 20 a; only those on the northeastern Pamir Plateau exhibit a weak positive mass balance. Observations of typical monitored glaciers also reveal intensified melting and retreat, consistent with regional trends. In light of the recent acceleration of glacier shrinkage in Tajikistan, focused measures should be implemented to strengthen glacier monitoring, enhance public awareness of glacier preservation, and promote the sustainable development and utilization of glacier tourism. These findings bridge the knowledge gap regarding the spatiotemporal dynamics of Tajikistan’s glaciers over recent decades and provide essential data support for regional water resource management.

Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) are persistent contaminants now detected across the global cryosphere, including alpine snow, Himalayan glaciers, Arctic sea ice, and Antarctic snow. This review synthesises evidence from 2010–2026 on occurrence, sources, transport pathways, and hazard-relevant impacts of MNPs in snow and ice systems. Current observations indicate that atmospheric deposition is the dominant delivery route to remote cryospheric regions, supported by trajectory analyses and deposition measurements from polar and high-mountain sites. Ocean circulation and sea-ice processes provide additional pathways and temporary storage. Reported concentrations and polymer profiles vary widely among regions and studies, reflecting differences in sampling design, contamination control, and analytical detection limits. The cryosphere functions both as a sink and a delayed secondary source: seasonal and long-term melt can remobilise historically stored particles to downstream aquatic ecosystems. Emerging evidence indicates potential effects on food webs and snow/ice albedo. Priority needs include harmonised methods, improved nanoplastic quantification, long-term monitoring, and integrated cryosphere-plastic mass-balance modelling to strengthen environmental risk assessment.

Study region: The Irtysh River Basin in Kazakhstan Study focus: In recent decades, global warming has driven widespread yet spatially heterogeneous glacier retreat worldwide. Here, we utilize multi-source remote sensing data to investigate glacier changes in the Irtysh River Basin of Kazakhstan from 1993 to 2022, and analyze the climatic driving factors behind these changes. New hydrological insights for the region: Our results show that the Irtysh River Basin (Kazakhstan) hosted 285 glaciers covering 113.62 f 12.79 km2 in 1993. By 2022, the region had lost 21 glaciers, and the total glacier area shrank to 75.84 f 9.41 km2, representing a loss of 37.78 f 3.38 km2. The total ice volume declined by 1.81 f 0.07 km3 , equivalent to about 31.87% of the 1993 vol. Glacier retreat was predominantly concentrated in small-sized and north-facing glaciers. Overall, glaciers experienced fluctuating but accelerating retreat from 1993 to 2022. A pronounced acceleration occurred during 2001-2006, and the retreat rate intensified again in the most recent period of 2016-2022 with a rate of -1.49 km2 a-1 , approximately twice that of the 1990s. Temperature rise was the primary driver of accelerating glacier retreat in the lower Irtysh River basin over the past three decades.

When the September 2025 Poland–Belarus border closure disrupted the Euro–China railway, cargo was diverted to the Northern Sea Route. We quantify the emissions gap between rail and Arctic shipping for this diverted cargo using verified disruption dates, automatic identification system-tracked distances, and IPCC/IMO GHG methodology. For 52 500 tons diverted during the 14 d closure, Arctic shipping produced 4.7% less CO _2 than rail (−676 tons CO _2 ). However, including black carbon (BC), methane, and nitrous oxide emissions reveals a critical trade-off: under both time horizons, Arctic shipping produces more CO _2 e than rail. At GWP _100 , the gap is +435 tons CO _2 e (+3.0%); at GWP _20 , the penalty rises to +1,286 tons CO _2 e (+8.8%) due to the strong albedo effect of BC on Arctic ice and snow. Monte Carlo simulation (10 000 runs) quantifies uncertainty. These results challenge Arctic shipping’s framing as a climate-friendly alternative, demonstrating that black carbon penalties can outweigh CO _2 savings from modal substitution.

The study combines field observations and modeling to assess the impact of artificial snowmaking on the Dagu Glacier Landscape No.17, with a focus on long-term changes in glacier thickness under varying snowmaking durations (5, 10, and 20 years) and intensities (low: 0.1 m d-1, medium: 0.15 m d-1, and high: 0.2 m d-1). The finds indicate that the DGL17 glacier has undergone an average annual thickness reduction of 2.5 m from 2021 to 2024, with its terminus retreating by approximately 4 m. Projections suggest that the glacier may completely disappear within the next four years. The study evaluates different snowmaking regimes under three climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5), finding that high snowmaking delay the extinction of the glacier, particularly under high supply modes. Implementing a 30-day snowmaking cycle over a period of 5 to 10 years extends glacier survival by an additional 5 to 10 years. Furthermore, a 60-day snowmaking cycle with high snow supply could prolong the glacier's lifespan and may increase its peak thickness by up to 50 m after 20 years of artificial snowmaking. Additionally, a positive correlation between snowmaking costs and conservation benefits suggests that the high supply, 60-day snowmaking model could enable the glacier's survival until mid-century, thereby yielding economic returns from tourism. This study offers valuable insights into glacier management, especially in regions where tourism is a key economic driver.

The streamflow response in three sub-basins of the upstream Urumqi River basin to the summer heatwaves during 2022-2024 was assessed using a combination of long-term observed discharge data and simulations from the previously calibrated, validated, and applied HBV-light model. The analysis revealed significant glacier mass losses at Urumqi Glacier No. 1, with the most pronounced negative mass balance observed in 2024, marking the largest loss since 1959. The observed changes in glaciers were primarily driven by increased solar shortwave radiation and net radiation, as evidenced by energy component analysis. Streamflow responses varied significantly across the sub-basins, reflecting differences in glacier coverage. Sub-basins with glacier coverage exceeding 10% exhibited substantial increases in both ice melt runoff and total runoff. For instance, the UG1 sub-basin recorded total runoff increases of 10% in 2022, 19% in 2023, and 45% in 2024, while the ZK sub-basin showed increases of 18%, 10%, and 42% over the same period. Furthermore, the runoff patterns in these glacierized sub-basins shifted from a single peak to a double peak, with snowmelt runoff occurring approximately 1 month earlier than usual. In contrast, the HX sub-basin, which has only 4% glacier coverage, exhibited a markedly different response. Despite significant increases in ice melt runoff, total runoff in this sub-basin declined by 3% in 2022, 16% in 2023, and 18% in 2024, suggesting that enhanced ice melt was insufficient to offset the increased evapotranspiration. The high-flow period in all sub-basins was notably extended, spanning from June through August, while the timing of ice melt runoff peaks shifted from early August to late July. These findings underscore the differential sensitivities of glacierized and less-glacierized basins to extreme summer heatwaves, highlighting the critical role of glacier cover in shaping high-elevation hydrological responses to climate extremes.