CLIMATIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL RECORDS IN GULIYA ICE CAP

The Guliya Ice Cap is the largest(with a total area of 376.1 m(2) and an area of 131.2 m(2) at the flat top), highest (6 700 m a.s.l.) and c oldest(with an ice temperature of -19 degrees C at 10 m depth) ice cap found in Central Asia so far. From 1990 to 1992, the oxygen isotope r atios, microparticle concentrations, anions, cations of a large number of samples From snow pits and ice cores were analysed to study the cl imatic and environmental characteristics of the Guliya Ice Cap. Being frozen to bedrock and with extremely low ice temperature, the ideal cl imatic and environmental information was recorded in Guliya Ice Cap. T he distinct annual and seasonal cycle characteristics of the oxygen is otope ratio, microparticle concentration, anion and cation provide bas es to date precisely the high-resolution time series in the ice cap. O xygen isotope ratios decreased,microparticle concentrations and variou s chemical elements increased in the colder periods, while oxygen isot ope values increased, microparticle concentrations and various chemica l elements decreased during warmer periods, and the interpretation of various abrupt events will be the key to restore systematically variou s kinds of climatic and environmental information recorded in this ice cap. The records in the Guliya ice cores indicate that climatic warmi ng which happened in the middle 1980s was one of the most impressive e vents during the past several decades.