A layer of artificial fabric reduced melting on a section of China’s Dagu Glacier by 15% over one year, as per the study.
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layer → reduce → study
Researchers covered about 500 square metres of Dagu Glacier No. 17 with non-woven geotextile in August 2020 and monitored changes in the ice through October 2021.
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Researchers → cover → October
According to the research published in Remote Sensing, titled ‘
Applying Artificial Cover to Reduce Melting in Dagu Glacier in the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau’, the covered area lost less ice than nearby uncovered sections, although the material became less effective over time.
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material → accord → time
During the first two months, melting was reduced by 27%.
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melting → reduce → %
The researchers linked the decline partly to a fall in the fabric’s ability to reflect sunlight and said cost and difficult access limited wider use on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
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cost → link → Plateau
Researchers installed a 500-square-metre fabric cover on Dagu Glacier
Researchers installed the geotextile on 5 August 2020 along the glacier’s main flowline, about 50 metres from its terminus.
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Researchers → instal → terminus
The covered patch measured 500 square metres, equivalent to around 1% of the glacier’s total area.
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patch → measure → area
The team chose non-woven geotextile made from synthetic fibres because earlier research had found that this material offered strong insulation performance.
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material → choose → performance
The fabric was carried by gondola to an altitude of about 4,800 metres, then taken to the site by workers.
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fabric → carry → workers
Researchers secured the rolls together and fixed them in place with ropes and bags containing stones.
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Researchers → secure → stones
They compared the covered ice with nearby uncovered areas using field measurements, terrestrial laser scanning and drone surveys.
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They → compare → measurements
Fabric cover reduced Dagu Glacier’s melting by 27% in two months
The difference between the covered and uncovered ice became clear within two months.
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difference → reduce → months
By 17 October 2020, the covered surface stood an average of 0.46 metres higher than the surrounding uncovered surface.
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surface → stand → surface
Measurements showed that the uncovered area melted at 1.9 centimetres per day, compared with 1.2 centimetres per day beneath the fabric.
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area → show → fabric
The researchers calculated that the cover reduced melting by 27% during this period and preserved about 178 cubic metres of ice.
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cover → calculate → ice
These results showed that the fabric had slowed ice loss during the initial observation period overall.
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fabric → show → period
Dagu Glacier cover reduced annual melting by 15%
Monitoring over the following year found that the fabric continued to limit melting, but the difference narrowed.
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difference → reduce → melting
Terrestrial laser scans comparing October 2020 with October 2021 showed an average surface elevation change of 2.7 metres in uncovered areas and 2.3 metres in the protected section.
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scans → compare → section
The researchers calculated an annual reduction in melting of 15%.
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researchers → calculate → %
Drone surveys also compared changes between August and October 2021.
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surveys → compare → August
During those two months, the covered area lost an average of 1.1 metres in elevation, while the uncovered area lost 1.2 metres.
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area → cover → metres
This represented an 8% reduction in melting, compared with the 27% reduction recorded in the first two months after installation during the study.
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This → represent → study
Glacier blanket loses reflectivity over time
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blanket → lose → time
The researchers measured a decline in the fabric’s albedo, or ability to reflect sunlight, from 0.71 in October 2020 to 0.39 in October 2021.
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researchers → measure → October
They said this reduced reflectivity meant the material absorbed more solar energy and became less effective at protecting the ice.
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material → say → ice
Deposited impurities and staining may also have contributed, while low temperatures and humidity could cause the fabric to crack.
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fabric → deposit → ?
The study said these effects of ageing needed further investigation.
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effects → say → investigation
The researchers also highlighted practical limits: high costs, difficult access to high-altitude glaciers, and the challenge of removing fabric that freezes to the ice.
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that → highlight → ice
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