Abstract
ABSTRACTThis study presents a map reporting valuable information on the cryosphere of the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP, the largest protected area of Pakistan and the highest park in the world). All the information is provided considering the CKNP as a whole, and in detail by dividing it into five basins (i.e. Shigar, Hunza, Shyok, Upper Indus, and Gilgit). The glacier inventory reports 608 ice bodies covering 3680 km2 (∼35% of the CKNP area), with a total glacier volume of ca. 532 km3. In addition, we modeled the meltwater from glacier ice ablation over the period 23 July to 9 August 2011. The total melt amount is ca. 1.5 km3. Finally, we considered glacial lakes (202 water-bodies, covering 4 km2). For these latter glacier features, we also analyzed their potentially dangerous conditions and two lakes were found having such conditions.
Highlights
IntroductionThe Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) is the largest protected area of Pakistan (about 10,000 km2), established in 1993
The Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) is the largest protected area of Pakistan, established in 1993
We provide further information, such as supraglacial debris occurrence and thickness, the total freshwater stored in CKNP glaciers, the amount of freshwater released by glacier ice melt, and a glacial lake inventory with particular attention to potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGLs)
Summary
The Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) is the largest protected area of Pakistan (about 10,000 km2), established in 1993. It is located in Northern Pakistan in the main glaciated region of the Central Karakoram. This area is situated in High Mountain Asia (HMA), which represents the largest glaciated region outside the Arctic and the Antarctic, the so-called Third Pole, covering an area of more than 100,000 km (Gardner et al, 2013) and hosting about 40,000 km of ice bodies (glaciers, glacierets, and perennial ice surfaces). We provide further information, such as supraglacial debris occurrence and thickness, the total freshwater stored in CKNP glaciers (i.e. glacier volume), the amount of freshwater released by glacier ice melt, and a glacial lake inventory with particular attention to potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGLs)
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