Translated from www.cctv.com

[Xinhua News Agency] “It is amazing to find out that in the past thirteen years, glaciers in Geladandong, the origin region of the Changjiang River has pulled back about 750m, ”said Prof. Wu Suogong, researcher in the Institute of Botany of CAS in Kunming. This remark was made shortly after his return from the scientific investigation from the origin of the Changjiang River.

As the team leader of 1993 scientific investigation to Kekesili, Prof. Wu has been to Changjiang’s origin more than once. During their investigation thirteen years ago, Li Shijie, one of his teammates and the famous glaciologist based his deduction on a satellite map and filed observation that the period between 1970 and 1990 saw a recede as much as 50m of Gangjiaquba Glacier in Geladandong Region. He also publicized a picture of the glacial frontier part, which also showed clearly the accurate location of Gangjiaquba Glacier.

This time, Prof. Wu conducted his second visit there with other two colleagues, Prof. Pan Yusheng from Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS and Prof You Lianyuan from Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resource Research. The comparison of  the status quo of the glaciers with Prof. Li’s picture made them believe that the glacier is no longer in its original place! He explained that the glacier, originally consisting of two branches of the glaciers, which extended ahead after they met, has lost its protruding part.

Due to lack of scientific apparatus on this trip, Prof Wu roughly measured the loss scale of the glacier by steps. Still, he was confirmed that the shrinking of the glaciers has been greatly escalated, based on all the records scientists have so far.

His experience at a climate watching center at Tuotuo River has convinced him that inefficient water supply and global warming are the main reasons for the escalation of glacial shrink. Data from the climate observing center there show that increasing temperature, with its average risen from -4℃ to -2.8℃, has led to decreasing precipitation in the past five years.