Abstract
Little is known about the Himalayan glaciers, although they are of particular interest in terms of future water supply, regional climate change and sea-level rise. In 2002, a long-term monitoring programme was started on Chhota Shigri Glacier (32.2° N, 77.5° E; 15.7 km2, 6263–4050 ma.s.l., 9 km long) located in Lahaul and Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. This glacier lies in the monsoon–arid transition zone (western Himalaya) which is alternately influenced by Asian monsoon in summer and the mid-latitude westerlies in winter. Here we present the results of a 4 year study of mass balance and surface velocity. Overall specific mass balances are mostly negative during the study period and vary from a minimum value of –1.4 m w.e. in 2002/03 and 2005/06 (equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) ∼5180 m a.s.l.) to a maximum value of +0.1 m w.e. in 2004/05 (ELA 4855 m a.s.l.). Chhota Shigri Glacier seems similar to mid-latitude glaciers, with an ablation season limited to the summer months and a mean vertical gradient of mass balance in the ablation zone (debris-free part) of 0.7mw.e.(100 m)–1, similar to those reported in the Alps. Mass balance is strongly dependent on debris cover, exposure and the shading effect of surrounding steep slopes.
Highlights
With 59 Â 103 km2 of glacierized area, the Hindu Kush–Himalaya (HKH) region comprises the biggest mountain range on Earth, and the largest ice mass outside the polar regions
Little is known about the Himalayan glaciers, they are of particular interest in terms of future water supply, regional climate change and sea-level rise
Chhota Shigri Glacier seems similar to mid-latitude glaciers, with an ablation season limited to the summer months and a mean vertical gradient of mass balance in the ablation zone of 0.7 m w.e. (100 m)–1, similar to those reported in the Alps
Summary
With 59 Â 103 km of glacierized area (cf. the total area of mountain glaciers in the world of 540 Â 103 km2; Dyurgerov and Meier, 2005), the Hindu Kush–Himalaya (HKH) region (including Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush) comprises the biggest mountain range on Earth, and the largest ice mass outside the polar regions. As the HKH region provides water to $50–60% of the world’s population, it is potentially one of the most critical parts of the world when considering the social and economic impacts of glacier shrinkage (Barnett and others, 2005). Measuring glacier evolution gives insights into the regional climate change in high and remote places where meteorological measurements are difficult and rare. This is of particular interest in the western Himalaya because the region is influenced by two major climatic systems
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