Reconstruction of post-little ice age glacier recession in the Lahaul Himalaya, north-west India

ABSTRACT

Understanding past glaciation and deglaciation is vital for assessing present-day glacier dynamics and response to climate change. We focus on reconstructing past glacier fluctuations in Lahaul, north-west India, a region located between arid Ladakh and the humid the Pir-Panjal range. We focus specifically on six glaciers in the Miyar and Thirot catchments of varying size, aspect and debris cover. To reconstruct past terminus fluctuations of these glaciers, we used repeat terrestrial photography and historical archives as data sets and mapped the terminus positions and latero-terminal moraines in the field along with glacier terminus mapping from high to medium resolution satellite images (e.g. Corona, Hexagon, Landsat and LISS IV). Results show that since the little ice age, all the studied glaciers have experienced terminus retreat and area loss, with average values of 1.46 and 0.9 km², respectively. Precipitation data show a statistically significant decreasing trend during the last century with an increasing trend in annual average maximum (T_max) and minimum (T_min) temperature. This warming trend is more statistically significant for T_min. Although total ice loss at the six studied glaciers is considerable (5.48 km²), this varies both spatially (i.e. from glacier to glacier) and temporally. We attribute this variability to topographic controls such as glacier hypsometry and another non-climatic factor, i.e. varying degree of debris cover.

KEYWORDS:

• Himalaya
• little ice age
• climate change
• glacier recession
• Lahaul

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Science and Engineering Research Board [grant number SERB/F/1731/2014-15].

Notes on contributors

Sanjay Deswal

Sanjay Deswal is an Assistant Professor of Geography, Government College Chhara, Haryana, India. His specialization includes Glacial Geomorphology and Quaternary history.

Milap Chand Sharma

Milap Chand Sharma is a professor of Geography at the Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. His expertise is Glacial Geomorphology and Climate Change.

Rakesh Saini

Rakesh Saini is an assistant professor at the Department of General & Applied Geography, Dr. Hari Singh Gour Central University, Sagar, India. His major research areas are: Applied geomorphology and climate studies.

Pritam Chand

Pritam Chand is an assistant professor at the Department of Geography, School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India. His expertise is Remote Sensing and Glacial studies.

Satya Prakash

Satya Prakash is an assistant professor at the Department of Geography, Govt. College Chowari, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India. His research areas include geomorphological mapping and geo-hazards.

Pawan Kumar

Pawan Kumar is an assistant professor at Department of Geography, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani, Haryana, India. he works in the field of Remote sensing and mapping.

Iestyn David Barr

Iestyn David Barr is a Reader at School of Science and Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom. He is a glaciologist and works on the interactions between glaciers and volcanoes.

Syed Umer Latief

Syed Umer Latief is an assistant professor at Department of Geography, Amar Singh College Srinagar, J&K, India. His spatialization is glacier mapping and natural hazards.

Padma Dalal

Padma Dalal is an assistant professor of geography at the Department of Geography, Government College Sampla (Rohtak), Haryana, India. Her expertise are Remote Sensing and Disaster Management.

I. M. Bahuguna

I. M. Bahuguna is Scientist ‘G’ at Cryosphere Sciences Division, Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, India. His expertise are Applied remote sensing and cryospheric studies.