the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 13 May 2024
Increasing Area and Decreasing Depth: Climate Change Influence on Snow Variations in the Qilian Mountains
Abstract. The Qilian Mountains serve as a critical water source for the Yellow River and various inland rivers, playing a pivotal role in regulating the regional climate. Given their significance as one of the foremost water resources in the area, the spatial and temporal dynamics of the snow are crucial for understanding potential impacts on regional hydrology and ecology. This study examines the characteristics of spatial and temporal variations in snow-covered extent (SCE), snow depth (SD), snow-covered days (SCD), snow onset date (SOD), and snow end date (SED) within the Qilian Mountains region. We investigate the hydrological and ecological implications utilizing snow area and phenology data, alongside SD data. The findings indicate that: (1) the distribution of snow across the Qilian Mountains mainly splits between the central and western areas, with the central region showing deeper snow than both the eastern and western parts; (2) the area covered by snow in the Qilian Mountains is growing, but the depth of the snow is on a decline, especially in the central area; (3) in terms of snow phenology, most of the region is witnessing an earlier start of SOD, a longer SCD, and an earlier SED. An overall increase in precipitation is identified as the key factor behind the expanded SCE in the Qilian Mountains, while rising temperatures are pinpointed as the primary cause for the reduction in SD. As global climate change intensifies, the observed alterations in the snow of the Qilian Mountains present emerging challenges for regional water security and ecological equilibrium.
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RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1008', Anonymous Referee #1, 30 May 2024
In this work, Huang et al. examine the distribution of snow across the Qilian Mountains. Their results show that the central region has deeper snow than both the eastern and western parts based on a reanalysis product with a 27 km resolution. Additionally, they report that the area covered by snow in the Qilian Mountains is growing, based on another product that does not capture the spatial variability of snow. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend publishing these results.
There are significant gaps in the description of the data, introduction, and results analysis. The main conclusion—that snow-related variables from 1980-2019 are decreasing—is already known from the references cited in this article and does not contribute new information to the literature. The climatic reasons for this snow cover decrease are lacking: differences between reanalysis datasets are not addressed. Is the increase in snow cover extent caused by snowfall or changes in low-frequency modes of variability? The differences reported between SCE and SD are contradictory.
The authors based their work on remote-sensing products but did not cross-validate the MODIS data with in-situ observations or reference previous works that have done this. With a spatial resolution of 500 meters, it is difficult to analyze phenological changes you mentioned as one of the objectives of your work..
Furthermore, the discussion of this work in the context of previous results in the study area is missing. A statistical analysis of this decline is not performed (it currently appears to be based on a visual interpretation of the graphics ?). I suggest to submitting the work to another journal.
Specific issues to address:
• L36: “…cryospheric moisture (Pulliainen, J., et al. 2020 )”: Incorrect citation format. Please check the citation format here and throughout the manuscript to ensure it aligns with the guidelines of the journal.
• L57: “making snow changes in the Northwest a subject of considerable interest in climate change research”: Clarify whether this refers to the Northwest Hemisphere or Northwest China. The statement is incomplete.
• L61: “analyzing the snow depth(SD)”: Add a space so it reads “snow depth (SD)”. Correct typos throughout the manuscript.
• Introduction: Add a logical order. For instance, the impacts on the ecosystem of snow cover decrease (L70 to L75) were already introduced earlier.
• Research Context: There seems to be no more research on this topic in the study area besides Wu et al. 2021?
• Figure 1: Description is missing.
• Study Area: The study area description is incomplete. Include values for average MAAT, precipitation, sources of moisture, and snow duration. Reference previous work in the study area.
• Data: Describe the topographical and atmospheric correction methods for the datasets analyzed. This is crucial for understanding the results.
• Formula 1: Check and correct any errors in the formula.
• L141: snow-covered extent (SCE). Ensure that all acronyms are introduced at their first mention and used consistently throughout the manuscript.
• AI Disclaimer: If AI has been used for correction or editing, add a disclaimer. Refer to the statement on the use of AI-based tools for research presentation and publication. Check: https://www.egu.eu/news/1031/statement-on-the-use-of-ai-based-tools-for-the-presentation-and-publication-of-research-results-in-earth-planetary-and-space-science/
• L150: “presence of snow with considerable depth”: Specify the depth. Avoid using both SD and “snow depth” simultaneously without clarification.
• L152: Provide the snow accumulation/melting seasons based on previous literature in the study area.
• Snow Phenology Methods: The methods are unclear and under-explained. Analyze differences based on monthly data rather than annual averages. Consider including a flowchart of the methodology for better reader understanding.
• Trend Analysis: Which statiscal method you followed for reported these trends? Mann-kendall? Linear trends? Specify the trend analysis performed and include trend analysis values in Figure 2.
• Results Section:
(1)Report the trend analysis method and values.
(2)Perform a regionalization of the study area.
(3) Validate remote sensing data with in-situ snow records and/or model simulations.
(4) Cross-validate in-situ observations to address the potential lack of spatial variability captured by MODIS (check : https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.640250 and references included) Adjust the results section accordingly, MODIS is not the best sensor to your objectives.
• L230: “3.577 cm”: Given the dataset's spatial resolution, remove the decimals.
• L327: Verify the entire citation of your study to ensure it matches the journal's requirements.
• Sections 4.2 and 4.3: Improve these sections significantly. Report specific information about the study area's impacts on the ecosystem and discuss your results in the context of previous research in the Qilian Mountains.Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008-RC1 -
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1008', Anonymous Referee #2, 31 May 2024
Review of the manuscript egusphere-2024-1008 entitled “Increasing Area and Decreasing Depth: Climate Change Influence on Snow Variations in the Qilian Mountains” by Huang et al.
The Qilian Mountains are a major source of the Yellow River and other inland rivers, and are also one of the main water sources in northwest China. The manuscript utilized multi-source snow data to analyze the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of snow in the Qilian Mountains and discussed the reasons and influences for the changes. The paper is relatively well-written and has a clear line of thought. However, The main analysis of the manuscript focuses on the characteristics of snow changes in the Qilian Mountains, lacking in-depth analysis of the underlying reasons for these changes. Moreover, in the discussion section regarding the impact of snow changes in the Qilian Mountains, there is also a notable lack of further analysis. Multiple instances in the discussion section primarily consist of referencing others' work, with some parts even lacking proper source attribution (Lines 341-350, 365-397). There are also some issues with writing conventions, such as inconsistent fonts (Lines 105-126) and missing spaces (Lines 29, 358). Therefore, I would not like to recommend the manuscript to be published in The Cryosphere.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008-RC2
Status: closed
-
RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1008', Anonymous Referee #1, 30 May 2024
In this work, Huang et al. examine the distribution of snow across the Qilian Mountains. Their results show that the central region has deeper snow than both the eastern and western parts based on a reanalysis product with a 27 km resolution. Additionally, they report that the area covered by snow in the Qilian Mountains is growing, based on another product that does not capture the spatial variability of snow. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend publishing these results.
There are significant gaps in the description of the data, introduction, and results analysis. The main conclusion—that snow-related variables from 1980-2019 are decreasing—is already known from the references cited in this article and does not contribute new information to the literature. The climatic reasons for this snow cover decrease are lacking: differences between reanalysis datasets are not addressed. Is the increase in snow cover extent caused by snowfall or changes in low-frequency modes of variability? The differences reported between SCE and SD are contradictory.
The authors based their work on remote-sensing products but did not cross-validate the MODIS data with in-situ observations or reference previous works that have done this. With a spatial resolution of 500 meters, it is difficult to analyze phenological changes you mentioned as one of the objectives of your work..
Furthermore, the discussion of this work in the context of previous results in the study area is missing. A statistical analysis of this decline is not performed (it currently appears to be based on a visual interpretation of the graphics ?). I suggest to submitting the work to another journal.
Specific issues to address:
• L36: “…cryospheric moisture (Pulliainen, J., et al. 2020 )”: Incorrect citation format. Please check the citation format here and throughout the manuscript to ensure it aligns with the guidelines of the journal.
• L57: “making snow changes in the Northwest a subject of considerable interest in climate change research”: Clarify whether this refers to the Northwest Hemisphere or Northwest China. The statement is incomplete.
• L61: “analyzing the snow depth(SD)”: Add a space so it reads “snow depth (SD)”. Correct typos throughout the manuscript.
• Introduction: Add a logical order. For instance, the impacts on the ecosystem of snow cover decrease (L70 to L75) were already introduced earlier.
• Research Context: There seems to be no more research on this topic in the study area besides Wu et al. 2021?
• Figure 1: Description is missing.
• Study Area: The study area description is incomplete. Include values for average MAAT, precipitation, sources of moisture, and snow duration. Reference previous work in the study area.
• Data: Describe the topographical and atmospheric correction methods for the datasets analyzed. This is crucial for understanding the results.
• Formula 1: Check and correct any errors in the formula.
• L141: snow-covered extent (SCE). Ensure that all acronyms are introduced at their first mention and used consistently throughout the manuscript.
• AI Disclaimer: If AI has been used for correction or editing, add a disclaimer. Refer to the statement on the use of AI-based tools for research presentation and publication. Check: https://www.egu.eu/news/1031/statement-on-the-use-of-ai-based-tools-for-the-presentation-and-publication-of-research-results-in-earth-planetary-and-space-science/
• L150: “presence of snow with considerable depth”: Specify the depth. Avoid using both SD and “snow depth” simultaneously without clarification.
• L152: Provide the snow accumulation/melting seasons based on previous literature in the study area.
• Snow Phenology Methods: The methods are unclear and under-explained. Analyze differences based on monthly data rather than annual averages. Consider including a flowchart of the methodology for better reader understanding.
• Trend Analysis: Which statiscal method you followed for reported these trends? Mann-kendall? Linear trends? Specify the trend analysis performed and include trend analysis values in Figure 2.
• Results Section:
(1)Report the trend analysis method and values.
(2)Perform a regionalization of the study area.
(3) Validate remote sensing data with in-situ snow records and/or model simulations.
(4) Cross-validate in-situ observations to address the potential lack of spatial variability captured by MODIS (check : https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.640250 and references included) Adjust the results section accordingly, MODIS is not the best sensor to your objectives.
• L230: “3.577 cm”: Given the dataset's spatial resolution, remove the decimals.
• L327: Verify the entire citation of your study to ensure it matches the journal's requirements.
• Sections 4.2 and 4.3: Improve these sections significantly. Report specific information about the study area's impacts on the ecosystem and discuss your results in the context of previous research in the Qilian Mountains.Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008-RC1 -
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1008', Anonymous Referee #2, 31 May 2024
Review of the manuscript egusphere-2024-1008 entitled “Increasing Area and Decreasing Depth: Climate Change Influence on Snow Variations in the Qilian Mountains” by Huang et al.
The Qilian Mountains are a major source of the Yellow River and other inland rivers, and are also one of the main water sources in northwest China. The manuscript utilized multi-source snow data to analyze the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of snow in the Qilian Mountains and discussed the reasons and influences for the changes. The paper is relatively well-written and has a clear line of thought. However, The main analysis of the manuscript focuses on the characteristics of snow changes in the Qilian Mountains, lacking in-depth analysis of the underlying reasons for these changes. Moreover, in the discussion section regarding the impact of snow changes in the Qilian Mountains, there is also a notable lack of further analysis. Multiple instances in the discussion section primarily consist of referencing others' work, with some parts even lacking proper source attribution (Lines 341-350, 365-397). There are also some issues with writing conventions, such as inconsistent fonts (Lines 105-126) and missing spaces (Lines 29, 358). Therefore, I would not like to recommend the manuscript to be published in The Cryosphere.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1008-RC2
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