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)