Vulnerable to heat, Himalayan glaciers rapidly melting: report

Pakistani scientists contradict the foreign scientists’ claim about the growing mountain mass.

ISLAMABAD:

Contrary to the claim of some foreign scientists about the Karakoram ranges showing mass gain, Pakistani scientists have presented their own research. Earlier, the satellite data analyzed by Julie Gardelle of the University of Grenobale, France suggested that the Karakoram glaciers – in contrast to worldwide decline in mountain glaciers – have increased about 0.11m and 0.22m per year between 1999 and 2008.

“Our conclusion that Karakoram glaciers had a small mass gain at the beginning of the 21st century indicates that those central glaciers are not representative of the Himalayas,” scientists reported in the latest issue of the Nature Geoscience journal.

However, Pakistani experts contradicted the claim, saying that it is based on satellite data of the glaciers only of the high altitude of above 6,000 metres, without any field visit to the low altitude glaciers as majority of the glaciers at Karakoram ranges lie below 4,000 metres.

Dr Ghulam Rasool, an expert in Pakistan Met Department said that based on just a satellite data without field visits to the whole Karakoram glaciers, the information could mislead the Pakistani policymakers. “This study does not apply to those glaciers which are at the hit of heat and are melting at a fast pace,” he maintained. The Himalayan glaciers are rapidly melting and Eastern Himalayan is most vulnerable glacier to the heat, followed by Hindukash and Karakoram, he added.

“The researchers have only monitored the high altitude glaciers through satellite without paying field visits to the low altitude glaciers at Karakoram, where the majority of the glaciers lie,” he said. The low altitude glaciers are more at the hit of heat because of being uncovered from snow, he added. In future, he said, the melting rate will further increase because of uncovered of glaciers from snow at the lower altitude.

Dr Chaudhry Inayatullah, another expert on climate issues, said “Monitoring of the glaciers through satellite picture gives a closer look. It basically shows length and width of the glacier and not the depth of the ice. Glaciers also move which change the size of the glacier.” He added that important point is monitoring of the glaciers mass balance of the volume of the ice which is deposited. “Without field studies, uncertainty for the data remains there”, he maintained.

He added that it is important to monitor the glaciers mass balance of the volume of the ice which is deposited. “Without field studies, uncertainty for the data remains,” he maintained.

There is nothing to look forward about the growing glaciers, said Inayatullah. “If the accumulation of the ice is there, then it is at very high altitudes, which means that this ice will not melt at any way due altitude and thus of no use as far as water is concerned”, he said. “Measurements indicate that the contribution of Karakoram glaciers to sea-level rise was −0.01mm per year for the period from 1999 to 2008,” the report says.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2012.