School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Sep 12;114(37):9770-9778. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1619807114. Epub 2017 Sep 5.
Glaciers cover ∼10% of the Earth's land surface, but they are shrinking rapidly across most parts of the world, leading to cascading impacts on downstream systems. Glaciers impart unique footprints on river flow at times when other water sources are low. Changes in river hydrology and morphology caused by climate-induced glacier loss are projected to be the greatest of any hydrological system, with major implications for riverine and near-shore marine environments. Here, we synthesize current evidence of how glacier shrinkage will alter hydrological regimes, sediment transport, and biogeochemical and contaminant fluxes from rivers to oceans. This will profoundly influence the natural environment, including many facets of biodiversity, and the ecosystem services that glacier-fed rivers provide to humans, particularly provision of water for agriculture, hydropower, and consumption. We conclude that human society must plan adaptation and mitigation measures for the full breadth of impacts in all affected regions caused by glacier shrinkage.
冰川覆盖了地球陆地表面的约 10%，但在世界大部分地区，它们正在迅速减少，对下游系统造成了连锁影响。当其他水源较少时，冰川会给河流流量带来独特的影响。预计气候引起的冰川消融造成的河流水文学和形态变化将是任何水文学系统中最大的，对河流和近岸海洋环境有重大影响。在这里，我们综合了当前的证据，说明冰川收缩将如何改变水文状况、泥沙输运以及从河流到海洋的生物地球化学和污染物通量。这将深刻影响自然环境，包括生物多样性的许多方面，以及冰川补给河流为人类提供的生态系统服务，特别是为农业、水电和消费提供水。我们的结论是，人类社会必须在所有受影响地区规划适应和缓解措施，以应对冰川收缩造成的全面影响。
