2011
  • Non-ICIMOD publication

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Glaciers and Glacial Lakes under Changing Climate in Pakistan

  • Chaudhry, Q. Z.
  • Dahe, Q.
  • Hyder, K. W.
  • Mahmood, A.
  • Summary

The Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindukush lofty mountain ranges meet each other in Pakistan hosting more than 5000 glaciers in Pakistani geographical limits which feed snow/ice melt water to the Indus River System together with summer monsoon. Due to global warming, frozen water resources have been losing their reserves at an unprecedented rate, not only, reducing the ice mass but increasing the number and extent of glacial lakes. Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are the devastating mountain hazards which have started occurring with increased frequency during the recent years. An alarming increasing temperature trend in northern parts of Pakistan during the last decade which surpassed all the past records has enhanced the snow/ice melt rate and given rise to lake formation process some of which are potentially dangerous for outburst. Due to increase in temperature, the snowline has shifted upward causing migration of biodiversity and lower elevation glaciers have started melting faster. Snow used to occur now in late winter and disappears in early summer, hence, reducing the residency period to complete metamorphic processes for conversion into ice. Ponding of melt water underneath and around the terminal moraine need continuous monitoring to understand their supraglacial behavior and to assess the potential danger of outburst on scientific basis for development of an early warning mechanism. An initiative of The Mountain Institute (TMI) in collaboration of ICIMOD toward Global Glacial Lake Partnership is a step forward to manage such lakes to mitigate the potential losses due to their outburst.

  • Published in:
    Pakistan Journal of Meteorology, 8 (15)
  • Language:
    English
  • Published Year:
    2011
  • External Link:
    External link