Assessing Increased Glacier Ablation Sensitivity to Climate Warming Using Degree-Day Method in the West Nyainqentanglha Range, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Limited surface energy and mass flux data hinder the understanding of glacier retreat mechanisms on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). Glaciers in the west Nyainqentanglha Range (WNR) supply meltwater to the densely populated Lhasa River basin (LRB) and Nam Co, the QTP’s second-largest endorheic lake. In this study, we used a glacier mass balance model based on the degree-day method (GMB-DDM) to understand the response of glacier changes to climate warming. The spatiotemporal variation in degree-day factors for ice (DDFice; plural form: DDFsice) was assessed to characterize the sensitivity of glacier melt to warming over 44 years in the WNR. Our results demonstrate that the GMB_DDM effectively captured the accelerated mass loss and regional heterogeneity of WNR glaciers from 2000 to 2020, particularly the intensified negative balance after 2014. Moreover, glacier ablation was more sensitive to warming in the WNR during 2000–2020 than 1976–2000, with DDFice increases of 21% ± 8% in the LRB and 31% ± 10% in the Nam Co basin (NCB). Increased precipitation during the ablation season and reduced glacier surface albedo can explain the increased sensitivity to warming during 2000–2020. These findings could support sustainable water resource management in the LRB, NCB, and the surrounding areas of the QTP.