Are Karakoram glaciers unaffected by global warming? Indian scientists may have the answer
In contrast to the global trend, central Karakoram glaciers have surprisingly remained unchanged or even slightly increased in the last few decades
Karakoram ranges circled in red; Source - GoI
Indian scientists studying the “Karakoram anomaly” claim to have found the reason behind the stability (and at times increase) of the Karakoram glaciers in the Himalayas, while glaciers around the world are melting rapidly due to global warming.
The Karakoram ranges, in Kashmir, India, are strategically located with several countries/regions in close vicinity – Tibet (China), Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Though forming a small part of the mighty Himalayas (about 500km in length), the ranges are most heavily glaciated and home to the second (Siachen) and third (Biafo) longest glaciers in the world (ex.polar regions). It is the place where several perennial rivers (mainly Sindhu or Indus) originate and millions of people depend on them for water and agriculture. K2, the world’s second highest peak, is in the Karakoram ranges.
In a study published in the American Meteorological Society’s Journal of Climate, Dr. Pankaj Kumar, Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, said his team’s research has concluded that while rising temperatures have impacted the glaciers in the Himalayas, including Karakoram, the recent revival of Western Disturbances (WDs) has more than compensated for the loss by resulting in increased precipitation over the past few decades.
Glaciologists have often attributed the anomaly to possibility of rubbles or some layers on the Karakoram glaciers that may be shielding them from the sun. However, Dr. Kumar found this peculiar because the behaviour seemed to be confined to a very small region, with only Kunlun ranges being another example of showing similar trends in the whole of Himalaya.
His team claims that the recent revival of WDs – winds blowing from the west which seem to converge at the Karakoram range — has triggered and sustained the Karakoram Anomaly since the beginning of the 21st century.
Aaquib Javed, a Ph.D. student of Dr. Kumar and lead author of the study, said, “WDs are the primary feeder of snowfall for the region during winters. Our study suggests they constitute about around 65% of the total seasonal snowfall volume and about 53% of the total seasonal precipitation, easily making them the most important source of moisture. The precipitation intensity of WDs impacting Karakoram has increased by around 10% in last two decades, which only enhances their role in sustaining the regional anomaly.”
While previous studies focused on temperature, Dr. Kumar’s team, perhaps for the first time, looked at the impact of precipitation. Dr. Kumar’s calculations show that contribution of WDs in terms of snowfall volume over the core glacier regions of Karakoram have increased by about 27% in recent decades, while precipitation received from non-WD sources have significantly decreased by around 17%, which buttress his claims.
“The anomaly provides a very bleak but nonetheless a ray of hope towards delaying the inevitable. After recognising the importance of WDs in controlling the anomaly, their future behaviour might very well decide the fate of Himalayan glaciers as well,” Dr. Kumar said.
The study was supported by the Climate Change Programme of the Department of Science and Technology, India.
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