scholarly journals Melting of the Chhota Shigri Glacier, Western Himalaya, Insensitive to Anthropogenic Emission Residues: Insights from Geochemical Evidence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarwar Nizam ◽  
Indra S Sen ◽  
Tanuj Shukla ◽  
David Selby
Keyword(s):  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Anthropogenic Emission ◽  
Geochemical Evidence ◽  
Chhota Shigri Glacier

Wintertime surface energy balance of a high-altitude seasonal snow surface in Chhota Shigri glacier basin, Western Himalaya

2017 ◽  
Vol 462 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Soheb ◽  
Alagappan Ramanathan ◽  
Arindan Mandal ◽  
Thupstan Angchuk ◽  
Naveen Pandey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Balance ◽  
Surface Energy ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Snow Surface ◽  
Seasonal Snow ◽  
Chhota Shigri Glacier

scholarly journals Reconstruction of the annual mass balance of Chhota Shigri glacier, Western Himalaya, India, since 1969

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (66) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Farooq Azam ◽  
Patrick Wagnon ◽  
Christian Vincent ◽  
Alagappan Ramanathan ◽  
Anurag Linda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
Temperature Index ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Chhota Shigri Glacier ◽  
Decadal Scale ◽  
Climatic Drivers ◽  
Precipitation Records ◽  
Significant Mass Loss

AbstractThis study presents a reconstruction of the mass balance (MB) of Chhota Shigri glacier, Western Himalaya, India, and discusses the regional climatic drivers responsible for its evolution since 1969. The MB is reconstructed by a temperature-index and an accumulation model using daily air-temperature and precipitation records from the nearest meteorological station, at Bhuntar Observatory. The only adjusted parameter is the altitudinal precipitation gradient. The model is calibrated against 10 years of annual altitudinal MB measurements between 2002 and 2012 and decadal cumulative MBs between 1988 and 2010. Three periods were distinguished in the MB series. Periods I (1969-85) and III (2001-12) show significant mass loss at MB rates of -0.36±0.36 and -0.57±0.36mw.e.a-1 respectively, whereas period II (1986-2000) exhibits steady-state conditions with average MBs of -0.01 ±0.36mw.e.a–1. The comparison among these three periods suggests that winter precipitation and summer temperature are almost equally important drivers controlling the MB pattern of Chhota Shigri glacier at decadal scale. The sensitivity of the modelled glacier-wide MB to temperature is -0.52 m w.e. a–1 °C–1 whereas the sensitivity to precipitation is calculated as 0.16mw.e.a-1 for a 10% change.

scholarly journals Modelling 60 years of glacier mass balance and runoff for Chhota Shigri Glacier, Western Himalaya, Northern India

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (240) ◽  
pp. 618-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARKUS ENGELHARDT ◽  
AL. RAMANATHAN ◽  
TRUDE EIDHAMMER ◽  
PANKAJ KUMAR ◽  
OSKAR LANDGREN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Global Radiation ◽  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Mass Balance Model ◽  
Glacier Melt ◽  
Chhota Shigri Glacier

ABSTRACTGlacier mass balance and runoff are simulated from 1955 to 2014 for the catchment (46% glacier cover) containing Chhota Shigri Glacier (Western Himalaya) using gridded data from three regional climate models: (1) the Rossby Centre regional atmospheric climate model v.4 (RCA4); (2) the REgional atmosphere MOdel (REMO); and (3) the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). The input data are downscaled to the simulation grid (300 m) and calibrated with point measurements of temperature and precipitation. Additional input is daily potential global radiation calculated using a DEM at a resolution of 30 m. The mass-balance model calculates daily snow accumulation, melt and runoff. The model parameters are calibrated with available mass-balance measurements and results are validated with geodetic measurements, other mass-balance model results and run-off measurements. Simulated annual mass balances slightly decreased from −0.3 m w.e. a−1 (1955–99) to −0.6 m w.e. a−1 for 2000–14. For the same periods, mean runoff increased from 2.0 m3 s−1 (1955–99) to 2.4 m3 s−1 (2000–14) with glacier melt contributing about one-third to the runoff. Monthly runoff increases are greatest in July, due to both increased snow and glacier melt, whereas slightly decreased snowmelt in August and September was more than compensated by increased glacier melt.

scholarly journals Osmium isotope and trace elements reveal melting of Chhota Shigri Glacier, western Himalaya, insensitive to anthropogenic emission residues

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarwar Nizam ◽  
Indra Sekhar Sen ◽  
Tanuj Shukla ◽  
David Selby
Keyword(s):  
Western Himalaya ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Trace Element Geochemistry ◽  
Element Geochemistry ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Elemental Ratios ◽  
Inorganic Particles ◽  
Ice Surface ◽  
Chhota Shigri Glacier ◽  
Process Understanding

Abstract. The western Himalaya glaciers seasonally melt, in part, controlled by the presence of ice surface impurities in the form of dust, organic, and inorganic particles. The hitherto knowledge that dark-colored impurities on the ice surface are a mechanistic driver of heat absorption and thus enhancing ice mass wasting makes understanding the concentrations, origin, and pathways of emission residues on the glacier surface a global concern to conserve the Himalayan ice mass that provides water to more than one billion people. Yet, the source, origin, and pathways of metal impurities on the ice surface of Himalayan glaciers remain poorly constrained. Here, we present major and trace element geochemistry, rhenium-osmium (Re-Os) isotopes composition of cryoconite – a dark-colored aggregate of mineral and organic materials – on the ablation zone of the Chhota Shigri Glacier (CSG) considered as a benchmark glacier for process understanding in the western Himalaya. We find that the cryoconite possesses elemental ratios and crustal enrichment factor that reveal a predominant crustal source. Further, the 187Os/188Os composition in cryoconite varies from non-radiogenic (0.36) to radiogenic (1.31) compositions. Using a three-component isotope mixing model we show that the Os in cryoconite is dominantly derived from local rocks with negligible input from anthropogenic Os sources. Given that the CSG has limited debris cover (~ 3.4 %) and the near absence of anthropogenically derived particles; our results suggests that dark-colored surficial deposits of anthropogenic dust particles are not one of the significant drivers of glacier melting in the western Himalaya, as observed elsewhere.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document