July 1 Glacier

July 1 Glacier
Map showing the location of July 1 Glacier
Map showing the location of July 1 Glacier
July 1 Glacier
TypeMountain glacier
LocationJiayuguan City, Gansu, China, in the hinterland of the Qilian Mountains
Coordinates39°16′35″N 97°43′05″E / 39.27639°N 97.71806°E / 39.27639; 97.71806
Area2062.72 square kilometers
Length3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Map


The July 1 Glacier or Qiyi Glacier (Chinese: 七一冰川) is a glacier in Jiayuguan City, Gansu, China, and on the northern slope of the Tola Mountain in the Qilian Mountains. It is the closest glacier to cities in Asia, but it has been shrinking in recent years. This glacier was discovered by a geological worker of the Lanzhou Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a glacier scholar of the Soviet Union on July 1, 1958. The glacier is on a hillside with a slope that is less than 45 degrees. The elevation of the ice peak is 5158.8 meters, and the elevation of the front edge of the ice tongue is 4304 meters. The average thickness of the ice layer of the glacier is 78 meters, and the thickest part can even reach 120 meters. The total length of the July 1 glacier is 3.5 kilometers, and the widest place is 2.4 kilometers. There are 160 million cubic meters of water storage. The Tourist Area in the July 1 Glacier covers about 4 square kilometers.