Chinanews, Beijing, October 11 – Qin Dahe, a glaciologists and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has investigated the Tianshan-1 Glacier located in suburban Urumqi Uygur, Xinjiang Autonomous Region. According to his investigation, the glacier will remain there for at least another 100 years, instead of 30 years as some media said.The Tianshan-1 is the longest glacier in the Daxi Valley near Urumqi, with a total length of 23 km, covering 184 sq km. Its top is 4,476 m above sea level, and the average snowline on the Tianshan-1 is 4,050 m. It is one of the most important water resources and climate indicators of Urumqi. Besides, it is one of the most famous glaciers in arid areas.Recent statistics from the glacier monitor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences show that the Tianshan-1 has been shrinking fast. It even splintered into two in 1993. Before 2004, averagely, the east end of the glacier had been retreating at an annual speed of 3.5 m, while the west end at 5.9 m. It has also been 12 m thinner averagely since 1958. That is to say, its total volume has become 20 million cubic meters smaller, while its coverage 270,000 sq m smaller.Qin thinks that global warming should be blamed for the shrinking of the Tianshan-1, but it won’t fade away very soon. However, the shrinking of the Tianshan-1 will cause radical changes to the climate pattern of Urumqi in the next 50 years, and local government should take measures to protect it immediately, said Qin.