Glacier change along WuSun road in Chinese Tien Shan during 1973–2007 monitored by remote sensing

It is significant to know the trend of glacier and lake change before build a new highway under global warming background. Area changes in mountain glaciers and lakes along Wusun road in Chinese Tien Shan over the past four decades are examined, based on Thematic Mapper (TM), Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), topographical maps and China Glacier Inventory data using Geographical Information System(GIS) and remote-sensing. This study shows that the glaciers in the study area have undergone recession during 1973-2007. Over the past 34 years the total glacier area decreased from 177.53 km
²
to 130.75 km
²
. The area of glaciers away from planning highway 5 kilometers had decreased about 7.78% with the retreat rate 0.115 km
²
/a between 1973 and 1990; from 1990 to 2007 the area had decreased 19.91%, and the retreat rate was 0.24 km
²
/a. Akekule is the best great lake with 2.46 km
²
in 1990 in this region and its area increased about 0.48% and 0.75% with expanding rate 0.012 km
²
/a and 0.019 km
²
/a for the period of 1990-2000 and 2000-2010, respectively. Lakes accelerated expansion may mainly affected by the glacier recession and increasing ice melting water. Some glaciers may be hazardous to the planning highway.