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Geography
Pradeep Kumar

07/08/21 09:15 AM IST

Glaciers in Zanskar Valley

In news

The Pensilungpa Glacier (PG), located in Zanskar, Ladakh, is retreating, and a recent study has attributed the retreat to an increase in the temperature and decrease in precipitation during winters.

About the study
  • Since 2015, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun, has been working on various aspects on glaciology, i.e., glacier health (mass balance) monitoring, dynamics; discharge, past climatic conditions, speculation for future climate change and its impact on glaciers in this region.
  • A team of scientists from the institute ventured to study the less explored region of the Himalayas, i.e., Zanskar, Ladakh.
  • The study  suggests that due to continuous rise in the air temperature in line with the global trend, the melting would increase, and it is possible that the precipitation of summer periods at higher altitudes will change from snow to rain, and that may influence the summer and winter pattern. 
  • The study also points at the significant influence of debris cover on the mass balance and retreat of the glacier's endpoint, especially in summer. Furthermore, the mass balance data for the last 3 years (2016–2019) showed a negative trend with a small accumulation area ratio.
Source: PIB

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