Evolution and origin of global glaciers and their impacts on the environment

Abstract

Glacier is one of the most important freshwater resources. However, the situation of glaciers is changed nowadays because of global warming. This study aimed at two types of glaciers, and analyzed their evolution, origin and impacts on the environment. As for typical melting glaciers, the Vatnajokull glacier and Urumqi Glacier No.1, Tianshan Mountains gradually melt over time. Their causes are related to atmospheric River events, black carbon pollutants, ice recycling, global warming, and human activities. The impacts of glacier retreat mainly include sea-level rise and can alleviate global warming and cause surface deformation. However, there are some “weird” glaciers because they are expanded in the past few years rather than shrinking. Those glaciers are highly concentrated in the Karakoram, Pamir Mountains, Svalbard, the Canadian Arctic islands, Alaska, and Iceland, which are called surged-type glaciers. Hydrological control, thermal regime, deformable bed hypothesis, and critical mass are reasons for glacier expansion. There is no clear and unified opinion on the advantages or disadvantages of glacier expansion.