12-14 September, 2011, Lucknow - Earth Science India

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National Conference on Science of Climate Change and Earth’s Sustainability: Issues and Challenges ‘A Scientist-People Partnership’ 12-14 September, 2011, Lucknow approx. 0.285 km between 1962 and 1990. Then after glacier retreated to the tune of 0.230 km upto 1997. Subsequently, the southern limb experiences surge during 1997 to 2001 by 0.670 km and during 2001 to 2008 it again shows retreat. Chong Kumdan Glacier This glacier has three prominent limbs, the northern, central and southern. The 1975 topographical sheets demonstrate that all the three limbs are merging together to form a single snout. The 1990 satellite data shows that the northern and the central limbs still remain merged together while the southern limb shows a slight retreat. The relative retreat of the northern, central and southern limbs between different years have been monitored in the present investigation. The Northern limb has demonstrated alternating advance and retreat in subsequent years upto the year 2004. Between 1990 and 1992 this shows a retreat of approx. 50 m. while between 1992 and 1996 this limb advances by approx. 300 m. Subsequently, this again shows a retreat of 300 m. between 1996 and 1997. This surge and the retreat phenomena is continuous until 2004, where after between 2004 and 2005 this northern limb shows an abrupt advance of almost 1100 m. In subsequent years this frontal part of the northern limb gradually retreats back until 2009. On the whole, the northern limb shows an overall surge of approximately 2278 m. between 1997 and 2009. The Central limb show pre-dominantly retreat phenomena upto 2001 and then after there is a continuous surge in the frontal part of this limb. Between 2005 and 2006 this frontal part has advanced by almost 500 m. and then again between 2006 and 2007, this has further surged by another 450 m. This limb starts to recede back between 2008 and 2009. The Southern limb also has a history of relative oscillations during the period of observation. This advances upto 1996 and then retreats back upto 1999. Between 1999 and 2000 this again advances by almost 370 m. where after the frontal part against recedes back. Between 2003 and 2004 this again shows surge while between 2004-05 and 2005-06 this again retreats back. From 2007 onwards this limb shows a continuous surge of approx. 400 m. The coalescence of northern and central limb of Chong Kumdan glacier has given rise to a very distinct medial moraine. The central limb pushes the northern limb upto 1997 where after the trend changes and the northern limb starts surging ahead and pushing the central limb. This is clearly demonstrated by the shifting of the medial moraine by approx. 2200 m. over a period between 1997 and 2009. Kichik Kumdan Glacier This glacier has a northern limb and southern limb. The 1975 topographical data shows that both limbs merge together to form a single snout. The northern limb shows a marked retreat of 0.53 m during 1990 to 1997. The frontal lobe of the glacier shows interesting phenomena. The 1975 topographical sheet demonstrates that the frontal lobe is pushing the Shyok River to the left bank. Between 1975 and 1990 this frontal part has 8
National Conference on Science of Climate Change and Earth’s Sustainability: Issues and Challenges ‘A Scientist-People Partnership’ 12-14 September, 2011, Lucknow receded by almost 750 m. Except for a small period of advance this lobate front shows a continuous retreat upto 1997. Between 1997 and 1999 this shows an abrupt surge of approx. 800 m. This further advances by another 400 m. upto the year 2000. Then after the frontal part starts receding back and except for a slight surge between 2003 and 2004 this frontal part continuously recedes back until 2009. On the whole the frontal part of Kichik Kumdan glacier shows an advanced stage in 1975, a retreat of almost 800 mtrs. between 1975 and 1990, an advance of approx. 1200 m. between 1997 and 2000, and then again a retreat of approx. 550 m. between 2000 and 2009. Aqtash Glacier This is a single limb glacier and the multidate satellite data indicates a sort of oscillatory behaviour in it’s frontal part. On the whole the glacier shows a retreat of approx. 300 m. between 1975 and 1992. Notwithstanding the minor retreats noticed in between, the frontal part shows a surge of more than 800 m. between 1993 and 2003. Then after this recedes back upto 2006 but then after this glacier again shows a continuous surge up-to 2009. On the whole, these four glaciers show a sort of cyclicity in their behavior. Each of these glaciers advance for a couple of years, remain standstill for some time and then retreat for another couple of years before again reverting back to the advancing position. This advance and retreat cyclicity has been continuously going on and perhaps the periodicity of the cyclicity is also well defined for each of these glaciers. However concrete evidences of a regular periodicity would be established only after a longer data set is analyzed. All these four glaciers of Shyok valley demonstrate independent characteristics and show no uniform trend or tendency. Since Shyok valley is a confined valley in the part of Karakoram Himalayas, it could be presumed that the overall climatic variations in the valley would be more or less of the same order. Moreover, the frontal part of these glaciers are also in the same elevation ranges and hence altitudinal variations is also not much. The causative factors for the surging phenomena in these four glaciers is hence still not well understood, but one aspect is quite clear that climate change is perhaps not the causative factor for the surging phenomena. A great more effort and investigations are required to be able to comprehend the reasons for this exceptional glacial phenomena. 9
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12-14 September, 2011, Lucknow - Earth Science India

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