26 Ongoing variations of Himalayan and Karakoram glaciers as witnesses of global changes: recent studies on selected glaciers

A Hydrometeorological Perspective on the Karakoram Anomaly Using Unique Valley‐Based Synoptic Weather Observations

“…The combined effect can be to alter the mass balance of the glacier in a positive direction (Hewitt, , ). The observational records presented here indicate that there is a coherent interplay of meteorological variables at the regional scale, which combines with nonclimatic factors such as extreme vertical topographic gradients (Hewitt, ), heavy debris cover (Smiraglia et al, ), steepness and thermal characteristics (Hewitt, , ; Kapnick et al, ; Quincey et al, ; Rankl et al, ) of the ice mass, to contribute to glacier growth and/or surges. While valley floor observations are sometimes considered to be insufficient in terms of longevity, suffering from statistically insignificant trends and presenting contradictory signals due to local variations in elevation, slope, and aspect (Bhutiyani et al, ; Fowler & Archer, ; Kapnick et al, ), the instrumental records available for the eastern Hindukush, western Karakoram, and northwestern Himalaya centered in northern Pakistan (presented here) show an integrated signal with all locations indicating similar trends in hydroclimatic change at the regional scale.…”

“…Existence of this anomalous behavior, particularly in the Karakoram ranges (Armstrong, 2010;Bolch et al, 2012;Cogley, 2012Cogley, , 2016Fowler & Archer, 2006;Gardelle et al, 2012;Hewitt, 2007;Immerzeel et al, 2015;Immerzeel et al, 2012;Kapnick et al, 2014;Kozhikkodan Veettil et al, 2016;Kumar et al, 2015;Morgan, 2014;Mukhopadhyay et al, 2014;Quincey et al, 2011;Rankl et al, 2014;Smiraglia et al, 2007;Soncini et al, 2015;Tahir et al, 2011), could perhaps be thought of as a simple matter of "cause" (temperature) and "effect" (melting) (Hewitt, 2014), especially since Karakoram temperatures have remained out of phase with hemispheric temperature trends for the past five centuries (Zafar et al, 2016). However, interpretation of the Karakoram anomaly has been complicated by the lack of long-term field programs focusing on glacier mass balance and by a scarcity of up-to-date, near-glacier climate data (Gardelle et al, 2012).…”

Chemical and biological response of two small lakes in the Khumbu Valley, Himalayas (Nepal) to short-term variability and climatic change as detected by long-term monitoring and paleolimnological methods

“…The glaciers of SNP, like those of the Himalayas in general, exhibit characteristic morphological features (Smiraglia et al, 2007). Nearly all are 'black glaciers', known also as D-type or debris-covered glaciers; these are glaciers in which the ablation zone is almost entirely covered by surface debris significantly altering the energy exchanges between the ice and the atmosphere.…”

Future Hydrological Regimes in the Upper Indus Basin: A Case Study from a High-Altitude Glacierized Catchment

“…The mountain range of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayas (HKH), known as the ''third pole'' of our planet (e.g., Smiraglia et al 2007;Kehrwald et al 2008;Minora et al 2013), contains a large amount of glacier ice, delivering water for agriculture, drinking, and power production. According to recent estimates, more than 50% of the water flowing in the upper Indus basin, in northern Pakistan, is due to snow and ice melt (Immerzeel et al 2010).…”