Earth Science

Sino-American Integrated Survey on Naimona'nyi Glaciers Achieved Success

Started from August 10, 2004, the Chinese and American Scientists carried out a one-month on-the-spot integrated field survey on the Naimona'nyi Glaciers in the southwest of Tibetan Plateau.

The Naimona'nyi (meaning the Mountain of Goddess), with the highest altitude of 7,694 meters, is located in the Pulan County, Ali District of Tibet, China. It is the highest Peak in the western end of the middle range of the Himalayas. Naimona'nyi has 6 ridges, along both sides of the ridges, 178 glaciers have well developed, covering an area of 399 square kilometers, with snowline between 5100~6000 meters.

This is the first time that such a large-scale integrated survey has ever been implemented on the Naimona'nyi Glaciers. The participating institutions included the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, the Institute of Environment and Engineering in Cold and Arid Zones, Byrd Polar Research Center of the Ohio State University. Through the survey, the team finally discovered that the Naimona'nyi Glaciers are developed in a stage of fast retreating.