This study analyzes the changes in glacier zones and snow composition of Glacier No.1 in the Tianshan Mountains of China since 1961,and their possible relations with climate.It is found that precipitation dominated the snow composition and that air temperature and precipitation controlled the distribution of glacier zones,but interannual change in precipitation had a relatively large effect on glacier zones and snow composition during 1963–1981 (P1₀) and 1963–1989 (P1₁).However,during 1982–2007 (P2₀) and 1990–2007 (P2₁),the air temperature rise (0.57°C/10 a for P2₀,0.76°C/10 a for P2₁) was more influential than the precipitation increase (51.3 mm/10 a for P2₀),and air temperature was principally responsible for the evolution of glacier zones and snow composition most probably resulting from recent climate warming.

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