J&K glaciers melting at 'significant' rate, study finds

Glaciers in Jammu, Kashmir and Lakh are melting at a "significant" rate, according to a first-of-its-kind study which used satellite data to find that over 1,200 glaciers in Himalayan region saw an annual reduction in mass of 35 centimetres (cm) on aver between 2000 and 2012. study, published in journal Scientific Reports, was carried over Jammu, Kashmir, and Lakh region, including areas across Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC), and in all 12,243 glaciers were studied for thickness and mass changes.

"In general, it was observed that glaciers in Pir Panjal range are melting at higher rate -- more than one metre per year while as glaciers in Karakoram range are melting relatively at slower rate, around 10 cms per year," ted Professor Shakil Ahm Romshoo, corresponding author of study.

"Some glaciers are even vancing or stable in Karakoram range. In or mountain ranges like Greater Himalayan range, Zanaskar range, Shamabari range, Leh ranges, glaciers are undoubtedly melting but rate of melting is variable," Romshoo, Dean of Research at University of Kashmir in Srinagar, told PTI.

research team, including Tariq Abdullah and Irfan Rashid, both from Geoinformatics Department, University of Kashmir, used two satellite observations me in 2000 by NASA and in 2012 by German ncy DLR. y employed this data to determine glacier thickness changes over entire Upper Indus Basin, comprising of over 12,000 glaciers.

"re is such data (satellite observations) available in world after 2012. This is a first of its kind study in region and provides a very good idea about what is happening to glaciers in region," Romshoo explained.

Till date, he said, only six to seven glaciers have been studied in region for thickness and glacial mass changes using field observations. researchers ted that while glacier melting is a continuous process and shrink in area of glaciers is being estimated routinely, thickness and mass changes are t possible always because of lack of satellite data. re are also limitations and challenges associated with field-based studies in mountaius Himalaya, y said.

team ted that during one dece of observation in this study, region has lost about 70.32 gigatonne of glacier mass, which is "quite significant." Romshoo ted that continued melting of glaciers will have significant verse impacts on every sector of ecomy in region and beyond, particularly in downstream areas which are alrey water-scarce.

"It is pertinent to mention here that waters emanating from this region are shared between neighbouring countries in South Asia," professor at Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir, ded.

kwledge generated about glacier thickness changes across different mountain ranges in data-scarce Himalayan region is vital for determining sustainability of water resources in south Asian region, according to researchers. Melting of glaciers in Jammu, Kashmir and Lakh is going to impact water, food and energy security with consequent verse effect on dependent livelihoods, y ted. researchers explained that main drivers of glacial melt in Himalayan region are increasing temperatures and decreasing sw precipitation, resulting from greenhouse gas emissions from industrialisation and increasing use of fossil fuels world over.

Romshoo ted that though re is "almost industrialisation" in Jammu, Kashmir and Lakh Himalaya, mountaius region is facing brunt of climate change happening globally. A study, published in journal Climatic Change on July 29, found that Jammu, Kashmir and Lakh may witness a temperature increase of up to 6.9 degrees Celsius by end of century due to climate change, warning that glaciers in this Himalayan region could shrink by 85 per cent if projections come true. latest study was conducted as part of Department of Science and Techlogy (DST) research project "Centre of Excellence for glacial research in western Himalaya. 

(Im Credits: PTI)