Greater Himalayan Research Articles

Not of This World – Death and Loss in Himalayan Mountaineering

This paper examines the narratives of three deceased high-altitude mountaineers who lost their lives while climbing in the Greater Himalaya. These individuals were participants in part of a larger ethnographic study on ‘Tourism in the Death Zone’ conducted over the space of 150 days fieldwork in Pakistan and Nepal in 2019. The paper seeks to explore how these participants depth of immersion in the ‘social world’ of high-altitude mountaineering eventually lead to their deaths. To do so, the phenomenological concept of the lifeworld [lebenswelt] is utilized to show how the participants lived realities and aspirations became entwined with high-altitude mountaineering – a serious leisure community. Previously, the connection between the lifeworld and serious leisure viewed within the context of extreme risk taking and possible death, has not been explored.

Climate casualties or human disturbance? Shrinking distribution of the three large carnivores in the Greater Himalaya

Climate casualties or human disturbance? Shrinking distribution of the three large carnivores in the Greater Himalaya

Acoustic emission monitoring and analyses for avalanche release and slab fracturing events observed in Great Himalaya

ABSTRACT The acoustic emission (AE) monitoring of failures, fractures and instabilities evolving within a snowpack may provide vital information about the avalanche formation preceding release processes. In this work, AE activity was collected continuously over five years from the snowpack built on avalanche starting zone in Great Himalaya, and the analyses are presented in the context of an avalanche release and two slab fracturing events detected successfully during this study period. For non-invasive detection of AE activity from snow, a specialised sensor-arrestor array was deployed over the avalanche slope. In our investigations, an abnormal AE activity was observed both during the slab fracturing as well as the avalanche occurrence periods. For AE-based direct assessment of snow instability, a method is proposed to estimate instability index (βin), based on AE count and amplitude values of a hit, and it is applied for analyses of avalanche formation preceding release and slab fracturing cases. The prominent AE attributes including βin-variations are also analysed at appropriate window scales for a smooth representation of the ongoing instability and failure processes underneath the slab. The AE spectral analyses of avalanche release and slab fracturing reveal the dominant frequencies around 45–47 kHz and 34–43 kHz, respectively. A progressively increasing behaviour was observed with an abrupt increase in the relevant AE parameters and also the βin-values, nearly 13 hours before the avalanche release, and it continued until the avalanche released which can be associated to the instability development prior to avalanche release.

Underestimated mass loss from lake-terminating glaciers in the greater Himalaya

Underestimated mass loss from lake-terminating glaciers in the greater Himalaya

Spatio-temporal Assessment of Changing Annual and Seasonal Climate Patterns over the Major Climatic Zones of Pakistan

The extensive impacts of climate change on the ecology and the environment have made it one of the biggest challenges being faced by the humanity today. Apart from the temporal scale, the climate patterns also vary on the spatial scale due to the different spatial features and the latitudinal location. This necessitates investigating the changing climate patterns over the different locales to formulate a holistic climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy. Therefore, this study was conducted to briefly investigate the annual and seasonal climate trends over the major climatic zones of Pakistan during the period 1990-2022 using the MK test and Sen’s slope estimator method. The results obtained from the study showed an annual mean temperature rise of about 0.1 to 1.0 °C over the Greater Himalayas and sub-Montane region, and about 0.15 to 1.2 °C over the central, southern, and the coastal parts of the country, while a declining trend was found over the Western Highlands during the study period. Seasonally, the spring season was found to be the warmest among all seasons in the country. For the summer season, a declining trend was found over the Greater Himalayas and Western Highlands, while warming increased over the other climatic zones. For the winter season, the temperature rose by about 0.1 to 1.0 °C over the Greater Himalayas and northern Balochistan, and by about 0.1 to 0.2 °C over the coastal zones. For annual precipitation, an increasing trend was found over the majority of the selected stations, whereas for the summer monsoon, a declining trend was found over the Greater Himalayas, while the other zones witnessed a significant rising trend, with the highest increment noted over the Western Highlands (100-300 mm), and about 50-150 mm in central Punjab and the lower Indus plain. For winter precipitation, the Greater Himalayas observed an upward trend (0.3-0.9 mm/year), while the southern and coastal parts of the country witnessed a declining pattern. Based on the findings, it was established that the climate patterns have varied greatly on the spatial scale over Pakistan, which necessitates the formulation of an integrated and effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy for the conservation of natural resources in the country.

Analysis of changes in land use and land cover in Central Kashmir of the Great Himalayas using geospatial technologies

Remote sensing data may identify changes in land use and land cover (LU/LC). Land cover changes include changing from one land cover category to another and changing conditions within a category. LU/LC change is an essential aspect of current environmental management techniques. It is vital for land conservation, sustainable development, and water resource management. The study's goal is to investigate changes in land use and land cover in Central Kashmir of the Great Himalayas. This study used LISS III 23.5 m resolution images between 2000 and 2017 to detect land cover change. Changes were identified using Arc GIS 10.4.1. This method identified seven land use/cover classes: water bodies, glaciers/snow; forests; agriculture; horticulture; wasteland/barren; and built-up/utility. Ground truthing was done to test the accuracy of the preprocessing and categorization of the images. This study found that in the previous 17 years, all land use classes in Central Kashmir have changed significantly. Remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been used to better comprehend the consequences of physical changes. The study's findings can be used to design resource conservation measures. To protect unwanted LU/LC change in Central Kashmir, proper land management methods, integrated watershed management, and community engagement should be encouraged.

“We sustained collectively”: indigenous group work practices among the Bakarwal pastoral nomads

ABSTRACT From time immemorial, the traditional practice of group work has contributed to the harmonious existence of various indigenous peoples. The Bakarwal pastoral nomads, who live in the Pir Panjal Range of the Great Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, India, sustain their pastoral nomadic way of life by living and working in groups. They demonstrate the principles and values of social group work as they perform the transhumance or biannual seasonal migration, distribute tasks, reside in their summer and winter pastures, resolve conflicts, and provide reciprocal support and mutual aid. Available literature highlights the obstacles and challenges encountered by Bakarwal pastoral nomads, however, there is a dearth of literature that documents the self-sustaining practices that they use to overcome such complexities. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by comparing the traditional group work of the Bakarwals with professional social work with groups.

Bathymetric data of glacial lakes in the greater Himalaya

Bathymetric data of glacial lakes in the greater Himalaya

Late Miocene unroofing of the Inner Lesser Himalaya recorded in the NW Himalaya foreland basin

AbstractTesting models that link climate and solid Earth tectonics in mountain belts requires independent erosional, structural and climatic histories. Two well‐preserved stratigraphic sections of the Himalayan foreland basin are exposed in NW India. The Jawalamukhi (13–5 Ma) and Joginder Nagar sections (21–13 Ma) are dated by magnetostratigraphy and span a period of significant climate change and tectonic evolution. We combine sediment geochemistry, detrital zircon U–Pb dating and apatite fission track analyses to reconstruct changes in the patterns of erosion and exhumation in this area from the Early Miocene to Pliocene. The provenance of the foreland sediments reflects a mixture of Tethyan and Greater Himalayan sources from 21 to 11 Ma, with influx from the Inner Lesser Himalaya starting after 11 Ma, and a strong increase in Crystalline Inner Lesser Himalayan erosion after 8 Ma. This distinct shift in provenance most likely reflects exhumation of the Kullu‐Rampur Window, as well as the northward motion of the Jawalamukhi section towards the Himalayas, drainage reorganization in the foreland, and/or tectonically driven drainage capture in the mountains. Prior to 10.5 Ma sediment came from a large river whose sources were Greater Himalaya and Haimanta dominated, likely a palaeo‐Sutlej, while after 8 Ma the source river was dominated by a more local drainage. Our work is consistent with Nd isotope and mica Ar‐Ar constraints from the same sections that demonstrate initial Inner Lesser Himalayan unroofing in this region from 11 Ma, earlier than the 2 Ma implied from the marine record and during a period of summer monsoon weakening when fission track data indicate very rapid cooling and erosion of the Lesser Himalaya sources from no later than 10 Ma. Tectonically driven rock uplift coupled with southerly migration of the maximum rainfall belt during a time of drying, may have focused erosion over the Lesser Himalayan Duplex and created the Kullu‐Rampur Window.

Identification of risk areas of malnutrition among school children (0-14 years) in Gujars community of Great Kashmir Himalayas

The present research work was carried out on the identification of Risk Areas of malnutrition among school children (0-14 years) in the Gujjars community of Great Kashmir Himalayas. Nutrition intake was examined in comparison to ICMR recommended dietary allowances (RDA). The weight of all sample children was measured and compared with ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) standard and then categorized into different nutritional grades. Data regarding the prevalence of nutrition deficiency diseases were also obtained during the field survey. The composite index method was employed for the categorization of sample villages in risk areas. The investigation reveals that variation in the availability of nutrients in the diet has badly affected the health of school children and leads to malnutrition. Grades of malnutrition vary with altitude and the majority of sample villages of higher altitudinal zones of E and F were areas of I and II category of risk and thus are areas of very high and high priority. Suggestions have been made for the improvement of the nutrition status of children from 0-14 age group in the risk areas

Conservation of Galliformes in the Greater Himalaya: is there a need for a higher-quality evidence-base?

Summary Global biodiversity is at a heightened risk of extinction and we are losing species faster than at any other time. It is important to understand the threats that drive a species towards extinction in order to address those drivers. In this paper, we assess our knowledge of the threats faced by 24 Himalayan Galliformes species by undertaking a review of the threats reported in the published literature and the supporting evidence that the threat is having an impact on the species’ populations. Only 24 papers were deemed suitable to be included in the study. We found that biological resource use and agriculture and aquaculture are the predominant threats to the Galliformes in the Greater Himalaya but the evidence available in the studies is quite poor as only one paper quantified the impact on species. This study shows that major gaps exist in our understanding of threats to species, and it is imperative to fill those gaps if we want to prevent species from going extinct.

Triple-stage India-Asia collision involving arc-continent collision and subsequent two-stage continent-continent collision

The enigmatic geodynamic processes involved in the India-Asia collision shape our understanding of uplift and deformation of the Tibetan Plateau and the subsequent changes in the land-sea distribution pattern, monsoon-arid environments and biotic evolution in Central-Eastern Asia. However, the current geodynamic models dealing with the India-Asia collision history exhibit significant discrepancies in how, when and where exactly the collision of India with Asia occurred. Recently, we proposed a new hypothesis that favored the opening and closure of a North India Sea during the late Cretaceous to Paleogene. Here we present new additional paleomagnetic data from the red siliceous shales and cherts of the Sangdanlin Formation, which were deposited on the most distal continental margin of the Tethyan Himalaya terrane, i.e. the southern margin of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, during the middle Paleocene. The combination of our new and previously reported paleomagnetic data shows that the Tethyan Himalaya was at a paleolatitude of 14.1° ± 1.9°N during the interval 62.5–59.2 Ma and refines the maximum size of the North India Sea to about 2200 ± 500 km. Combining our geodynamic model with recently published paleomagnetic data from the Kohistan-Ladakh arc, we conclude that the India-Asia collision was a triple-stage process, which involved an arc-continent collision followed by a two-stage continent-continent collision. The arc-continent collision occurred at ca. 64 Ma between the Tibetan Himalaya (Tethyan Himalaya plus Greater Himalaya) and the Trans-Tethyan subduction zone at a paleolatitude of ~8°N. The initial continent-continent collision took place at ca. 61 Ma between the Tibetan Himalaya (plus the accreted Trans-Tethyan subduction zone) and Lhasa terranes at a paleolatitude of ~14°N. The final continent-continent collision occurred during 53–47 Ma between India and the Tibetan Himalaya, diachronously suturing the North India Sea from west to east. The triple-stage collision scenario is in agreement with the history of India-Asia convergence rates, and is reflected by the presence of three slab remnants below Tibet and India as documented by seismic tomographic imaging. Our updated collision scenario reconciles multidisciplinary evidence for the India-Asia collision and provides better constraints on the resulting paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes in Central-Eastern Asia. • The Tethyan Himalaya was paleomagnetically constrained to a paleolatitude of 14.1° ± 1.9°N at ca. 61 Ma. • The arc-continent collision between the Tibetan Himalaya and the Trans-Tethyan subduction zone was estimated to be ca. 64 Ma. • The India-Asia collision was a triple-stage process.

A gomphothere (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from the Quaternary of the Kashmir Valley, India

AbstractThe Kashmir Valley in northern India preserves a fossiliferous Plio‐Pleistocene sedimentary record extending in time almost 5 myr. These fluvio‐lacustrine sediments are commonly called the Karewas, and represent an ancient lake system with drainages derived from the Greater Himalayas and Pir Panjal Ranges. Although fossils have been known from this region for more than 150 years, the record is not as rich or taxonomically well resolved as the dense fossil record of the southern Siwalik Group. Here, we report the first specimen of a Quaternary gomphothere, cf. Sinomastodonsp. from the Kashmir Valley, along with new occurrences ofEquus cf. sivalensis. This is the youngest gomphothere known from the Indian Subcontinent, representing a group of proboscideans hitherto thought to have gone locally extinct at the end of the Pliocene.Sinomastodonis commonly found in eastern and southeast Asia, and its presence in the Kashmir Valley suggests robust dispersal routes from southeast Asia to the high Himalayas. The presence of this browsing proboscidean in the Pleistocene suggests a unique refugial forested intermontane ecosystem, similar to those found in southern China, different from the savannah ecosystems found in the Siwalik Group south of the mountains.

Культурные и конфессиональные реалии гималайских этносов современного Непала

The article examines the cultural and confessional realities of ethnoses and ethnic groups of modern Nepal. However, the limited scope of the article does not allow to consider all ethnic commonalities of the specified region, and the confessional text and context of their traditional ethnic cultures and the adaptation of Hindu, Islamic and Buddhist ideas and practices. This publication will confine only to the territory of modern Nepal, and reserves the right to continue, since representatives of the ethnic cultures described below are inhabitants of other territories of the Great Himalayas. Hindu views of Himalayan ethnic groups represent a unique regional set of religious, mythological, philosophical, legal and ethical ideas of this religious tradition. Muslim religious culture, in our opinion, is not dominant in the rather complex and multi-component confessional canvas of people and ethnic groups of the Himalayas and Tibet proper. The main leading denomination of Himalayan ethnic groups and modern Nepal is still Buddhism.

Investigating hydrometeorology of the Western Himalayas: Insights from stable isotopes of water and meteorological parameters

The Himalayas govern the hydrometeorology of the entire Indian subcontinent and feed 19 major rivers on which a large population is dependent. Despite its vast socio-economic relevance, there exist knowledge gaps in the detailed understanding of Himalayan hydrometeorology. The present study attempts to understand subtle hydrometeorological processes concerning precipitation in Western Himalaya (WH), which is further complex due to several mountain ranges in addition to the Great Himalaya and varied land cover. In this backdrop, oxygen and hydrogen isotopic analyses of daily precipitation samples collected from Jammu was done. Major processes and features identified are: (1) Raindrop re-evaporation is dominant, indicated by lower δ18O – δD regression slope (6.6 ± 0.2). (2) Maximum raindrop re-evaporation occurs during Western Disturbances (WD), evident from the low d-excess (<10‰) and high δ18O (>0‰) with low rainfall. (3) Contrary to expectations, negligible moisture is derived from the Mediterranean region (MR) through WD. In contrast, maximum moisture (~97%) is derived from local terrestrial sources, estimated through backward wind trajectories and confirmed by vertical wind velocity (ω) and OLR. (4) The Arabian Sea (AS) moisture contributes more (~11%) compared to the Bay of Bengal (BOB) moisture (~8%) during the monsoon. (5) Isotopically, the most depleted precipitation during July-Aug is associated with continental recycling from the Indo-Gangetic plains and not with the BOB moisture. (6) Isotopic enrichment in precipitation towards end of monsoon is attributed to raindrop re-evaporation, lesser rainout fraction and moisture derived from enriched local sources. (7) Annually, 87% of the moisture for precipitation is derived through continental recycling, and only 13% of the moisture is derived through marine sources (11% from AS and 2% from BOB). Moisture from MR (<0.1%) is negligible.

Climate predictions for central Kashmir of great Himalayas under different emission scenarios of IPCC

Climate predictions for central Kashmir of great Himalayas under different emission scenarios of IPCC

Estimation of temporal snowmelt runoff using geospatial technique in Gangotri glacier basin, Uttarakhand, India

The Greater Himalaya, accommodating huge ice mass in the form of glaciers and snow cover, comprises a source of many perennial rivers. Gangotri glacier, one of the largest glaciers, located in the Central Himalaya is a major source of water for the river Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges. In the present study, an attempt is made to model glacier melt runoff of the Gangotri glacier basin, over a continuous time period from the year 2010–2019 using MODIS satellite data and by employing the SNOWMOD model in the GIS domain. Parameters pertaining to snow cover area, snow-free area, and subsurface flow including climatic parameters viz., temperature, and precipitation, for different elevation zones, were computed. The peak discharge was observed in the year 2010 (256.79m3/sec) in contrast to the lowest melt discharge (80.65 m3/sec) in the year 2019 reflecting marked changes possibly due to reduced precipitation and higher intensity of insolation. The decrement in the melt discharge from 2010 (256.79m3/sec) to 2012 (83.53 m3/sec) followed by increment up to 2016 (204.06 m3/sec), and subsequent fall till 2019 (80.65 m3/sec) reflects vast climatic fluctuation. A positive correlation of estimated discharge with temperature and precipitation reflects glacier melt discharge as a potential indicator of climate change. The study proved the potential of satellite data in the accurate assessment of snowmelt runoff in data-scarce and inaccessible terrain of the Himalayas.

Fungal diversity inhabited with trees and their conservation in Bukki Top in upper great Himalaya

This investigation was aimed to explore the biodiversity of upper great Himalayas range with special reference to the flora and its conservation. The natural landscape and high altitude meadows (Bugyal) enhanced the beauty of Uttarakhand. Bukki village and Bukki top one of the gorgeous region locate in Uttarkashi district of Uttrakhand state, fall on the opposite side of the national highway NH-108 and connect the Gangotri Glacier via Harsil. The present article is the description of the flora of the Bukki region and, we tried to mainly focus on different fungus species and disease on trees, observed during the trek. Some important fungus species observed are Daldinia concentric, Trichaptum biforme, Fomes fomentarius and Daedalea quercina. We also describe each fungus attributes and habitat distribution description.

High-altitude meteorology of Indian Himalayan Region: complexities, effects, and resolutions.

The Himalaya, by virtue of its location and stupendous height, acts as a great climatic divide and regulates meteorological conditions in the subcontinent regions of South Asia. However, the associated complexities and their effects are yet to be resolved to understand the meteorology of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). In this review volume, we synthesize the results and inferences of several studies carried out in the IHR using in situ data, remotely sensed data, and model-based meteorological observations. Results provide insights into climate change, scientific gaps, and their causes in deciphering meteorological observations from the last century to recent decades and envisage impacts of climate change on water reservoirs in the future. Warming trend of air temperature, in contrast to global temperature, has been projected in recent decades (after 1990) with a greater warming rate in the maximum temperature than the minimum temperature. This drifting of air temperature from the beginning of last century accelerates the diurnal temperature range of the Himalayas. An elevation-dependent warming trend is mostly perceived in the northwest Himalayan region, implicating an increased warming rate in the Greater Himalaya as compared to the lower and Karakoram Himalaya. No definite trends of precipitation have been observed over different regions of the IHR, suggesting heterogeneous cryosphere-climate interaction between western and central Himalaya. In this review, we have tried to emphasize to the scientific community and policy-makers for enhancing the knowledge of physical and dynamical processes associated with meteorological parameters in the Himalayan terrain.

De novo Assembly, Annotation, and Analysis of Transcriptome Data of the Ladakh Ground Skink Provide Genetic Information on High-Altitude Adaptation

The Himalayan Arc is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. Among its numerous cryptic and undiscovered organisms, this composite high-mountain ecosystem harbors many taxa with adaptations to life in high elevations. However, evolutionary patterns and genomic features have been relatively rarely studied in Himalayan vertebrates. Here, we provide the first well-annotated transcriptome of a Greater Himalayan reptile species, the Ladakh Ground skink Asymblepharus ladacensis (Squamata: Scincidae). Based on tissues from the brain, an embryonic disc, and pooled organ material, using pair-end Illumina NextSeq 500 RNAseq, we assembled ~77,000 transcripts, which were annotated using seven functional databases. We tested ~1600 genes, known to be under positive selection in anurans and reptiles adapted to high elevations, and potentially detected positive selection for 114 of these genes in Asymblepharus. Even though the strength of these results is limited due to the single-animal approach, our transcriptome resource may be valuable data for further studies on squamate reptile evolution in the Himalayas as a hotspot of biodiversity.