Glacierinventorycompilationduringthepast20yearsandmodificationsofthatfortheEasternPamirandBanggongLakeindicatethatthereare46,342modernglacierswithatotalareaandvolumeof59415km2and5601km3respectivelyinChina.Theseglacierscanbeclassifiedintomaritimeandcontinental(includingsub-continentalandextremelycontinental)types.ResearchesshowthatglaciersinChinahavebeenretreatingsincetheLittleIceAgeandthemasswastagewasacceleratedduringthepast30to40years.BeinganimportantpartofglaciologicalstudiesinChina,icecoreclimaticandenvironmentalstudiesonTibetanPlateauandintheAntarcticahaveprovidedabundant,highresolutioninformationaboutpastclimaticandenvironmentalevolutionovertheTibetanPlateauandAntarctica.ExceptfordifferentparametersrecordedinicecoresrelatingtoclimateandenvironmentchangesonTibetanPlateau,recordsfromicecoresextractedfromdifferentglaciersshowthatthediscrepanciesinclimaticandenvironmentalchangesonthenorthandsouthpartsoftheplateaumaybetheconsequenceofdifferentinfluencingeffectsfromterrestrialandsolarsources.GlaciologicalandmeteorologicalphenomenaimplythatLambertGlaciervalleyisanimportantboundaryofclimateintheeastAntarctica,whichisthoughttobeconnectedwithcyclonicactivitiesandCircum-polarWavesovertheAntarctica.
