Melting of Ladakh glacier could variety a few glacial lakes: Research
Accelerated melting of the Himalayan Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh could give increase to three glacial lakes with an regular depth ranging in between 34 and 84 metres, researchers have discovered.
Parkachik Glacier is one of the biggest glacier in the Suru River valley, which is a aspect of the Southern Zanskar Ranges, western Himalaya.(AP/ Representative graphic)
These lakes could be a potential source of glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, the experts from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, stated.
Parkachik Glacier is just one of the greatest glacier in the Suru River valley, which is a section of the Southern Zanskar Ranges, western Himalaya. The Zanskar Assortment, aspect of the Himalayas, lies in the union territory of Ladakh.
The glacier’s yearly melting charge was 6 occasions quicker concerning 1999 and 2021 (22 several years) than that calculated from 1971 to 1999 (28 many years), the researchers located utilizing satellite data to identify its glacial retreat from 1971-2021. The conclusions are posted in the journal Annals of Glaciology.
The research attributed the accelerated glacial retreat to ongoing weather warming, which also triggers area morphological or geological adjustments to glaciers.
Speedier glacial retreat, along with area morphological adjustments, have been recognized to consequence in the forming of new glacial lakes and expansion of current types, a probable source of glacial lake outburst floods.
Glacial lakes are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the melancholy created by the glacier.
In this review, the researchers have discovered a few probable overdeepening websites for lake development on the glacier at diverse elevations. The lake location of each of these lakes could range from 43 to 270 hectares.
They explained, however, that the expansion and reduction of these lakes depended on the dynamics of the glacier.
The study’s area ice velocity estimation suggested a slowing down, resulting in an increase of debris protect on the glacier surface area, or the ablation zone, it mentioned.
