Glacier and snow coverage on Qilian Mountain has been shrinking
drastically as a result of rising temperatures linked to global
warming. The snowline and partial areas of glacier have retreated
by as much as 2 to 6.5 meters a year, according to meteorologists
in Gansu Province. Experts warn that a two-square-kilometer glacier
may disappear by the middle of this century, with only a small part
surviving until 2050.
Wetland, the water source
of the Danghe River, which originates from glaciers on Qilian
Mountain and runs through Subei Mongolian Autonomous County in
northwest China's Gansu province.
A glimpse of the glacier in
the middle of Qilian Mountain, September 1, 2007.
One visitor appreciates a
range of glaciers on Qilian Mountain, located in Subei (northern
Gansu province) Mongolian Autonomous County, August 25,
2007.
(CRI.cn September 4, 2007)
