Based on the Chinese Glacier Inventory of Xinjiang in 2020 (CGI-XJ2020), we analyzed glacier distribution in the Aksu River Basin and examined glacier changes using datasets from Chinese three-period inventories. In 2020, the basin contained 3,491 glaciers, covering 4,144.84 km2, and estimated their ice volume at 345.05 km3. The largest glacier areas appeared at elevations between 3,800 and 4,100 m (29.70%), and northern-oriented glaciers dominated both in number (33.73%) and area (35.68%). From 1963 to 2007, glacier area decreased by 361.22 km2, with an annual retreat rate of 0.38%. From 2007 to 2020, the area decreased by 118.88 km2, showing a higher retreat rate of 0.51%, indicating accelerated melting. Glaciers shrank rapidly across all orientations, with the fastest reductions occurring in the southwest and the slowest in the northwest. The extent of glacier area change was influenced by glacier area and debris. Debris-covered glaciers were widespread in the Aksu River Basin, with larger glaciers showing an increase in debris. Debris reduced the rate of terminus retreat in large glaciers, while glaciers with thinner debris layers experienced more pronounced melting, with large ice tongues at lower altitudes shrinking rapidly, while high-altitude regions remained relatively stable.
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