Abstract:

A new approach of glacier classification is suggested on the basis of fuzzy cluster analysis of cations in ice cores. Cations in an ice core act as a synthetic index to refelect both the local and the global climate. Fuzzy cluster analysis of long time series data of cations in ice cores from five representative glacial ice cores (from south to north) has been used to create a similarity scale matrix R among these glaciers. Accordingly, any change in R represents a change in environment and climate. This type of analysis can determine the relativity of samples (glaciers) according to a cluster level ( λ ). Fuzzy cluster analysis of cations in ice cores collected from Antarctica and the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau indicates drastic difference between glaciers of these two regions.

Key words: fuzzy cluster analysis, cations, Antarctica, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau