Folie 1

1
CLAUDIO SMIRAGLIA Guglielmina
Diolaiuti Christoph Mayer Claudia Mihalcea Marco
Belò University of Milan Bavarian Academy of
Sciences Comitato Glaciologico Italiano EvK2CNR Tr
imble KARAKORAM-HIMALAYA AND ALPS TWO FOCAL
POINTS IN UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT GLACIER
SHRINKAGE
2

• Very few exact reports are known about the
  variations of Central Asiatic glaciers. But the
  glacierized area of High Asia amounts to more
  than 50 of all glacierized areas outside the
  polar zones and is 33 times larger than that of
  the European Alps. The study of its variations is
  important not only because of its large extent,
  but also because it may help to illuminate the
  problem of the correlations between climate and
  glacier variations. (Kick, 1962)
• The change or evolution of these glaciers is of
  great interest and importance for water
  resources, as well as for tourism, particulary
  for assessing the effect of global warming on
  runoff in Himalayan catchments. (Nakawo et al.,
  1999)
• A few worms crawling about the heads of the
  valley (Freshfield)

3
HIMALAYA

• Khumbu 1978-1995 10 m thickness reduction
  (KADOTA et al., 2000)
• North slope of Qomolangma (Mount Everest) and
  Xixiabangma average retreat rate since the 1960s
  5.59.5 ma1 and 4.05.2ma1. (REN JIAWEN et al.,
  2006)
• Western Himalaya, Naimonanyi area from 1976 to
  2003, glacier area decrease from 84.41km2 to
  77.29km2 glacier areas shrank by 0.17, 0.19 and
  0.77km2 a1, on average, during the periods
  197690, 199099 and 19992003, respectively,
  suggesting that glacier retreat has accelerated.
  (QINGHUA YE et al., 2006)
• Western Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh between 1999
  and 2004, specific mass balance of -0.7 to -0.85
  m/a (water equivalent) this rate of ice loss is
  twice higher than the long-term (1977 to 1999)
  mass balance record for Himalaya indicating an
  increase in the pace of glacier wastage.
  2000-2004 regression of the large glaciers whose
  terminal tongues reach the lowest levels (about
  4000 m) with a thinning of 8 to 10 m below 4400 m
  (BERTHIER et al., 2007)
• Changri Nup 1994-2005 140 m terminus reduction
  (SMIRAGLIA et al., 2007)
• Central Tibetan Plateau Geladandong mountain
  from 1969 to 2002 the total glacier area has
  decreased from 889km2 to 847 km2, a reduction of
  almost 43km2 (i.e. 4.8 decrease, or an average
  of 1.29km2 a1). The variation of glacier area
  suggestes accelerated retreat in recent years.
  The recession rates of glacier termini also
  increased. (QINGHUA YE et al., 2006)
• Chenab, Parbati and Baspa basins overall
  reduction in glacier area from 2077 sq. km in
  1962 to 1628 sq. km at present, an overall
  deglaciation of 21 (KULKARNI et al., 2007)
• Khumbu Himal the ice coverage decreased by about
  5 between 1962 and 2005, with the highest
  retreat rates occurring between 1992 and 2001
  downwasting rates, more than 20m (gt0.5ma1) near
  the transition zone between the active and the
  stagnant glacier parts of the debris-covered
  glacier tongues (BOLCH et al., 2008)
• Sagarmatha National Park from late 1950s to
  early 1990s overall decrease in glacier area (by
  4.9, from 403.9 to 384.6km2) (SALERNO et al.,
  2008)

4
In 1949, when I first saw the glacier, I felt
as if all my sins were washed away and I had
truly attained rebirth, the swami says. "But
now, it is impossible to experience that Ganga of
the past."
5
Terminus fluctuations
HIMALAYA GLACIER BENCHMARK CHANGRI NUP
m
Fluctuations of Changri Nup terminus (white
front) 1994-2005 (Smiraglia et al., 2007)
Years
6
By Salerno et alii, 2008
7
KARAKORAM

• by R. Rohoi, 2007

8
KARAKORAM

• Central Karakoram  between 1997 and 2002, 13
  glaciers advancing, some thickening  exceptional
  numbers of glacier surges (HEWITT, 2005)
• Panmah Glacier four tributaries of Panmah
  Glacier have surged in less than a decade, three
  in quick succession between 2001 and
  2005.(HEWITT, 2007)
• Batura stagnant terminus (SHRODER et al., 2007)
• Baltoro 1913-2004 stagnant terminus, downwasting
  and debris cover increase (MAYER et al., 2006
  SHRODER et al., 2007 SMIRAGLIA et al., 2008)
• Liligo  advance 1400 m 1986-1997 (DIOLAIUTI et
  al., 2003 BELO et al., 2008)
• Central Karakoram  no reduction in the ice cover
  in the last three decades since 1995 more than
  35 glaciers advancing, mid-glacier thickening in
  a dozen others, sudden increase in glacier surges
  (HEWITT, 2004 HEWITT, 2009)
• Karakoram most of the longer glaciers (Baltoro,
  Batura, Khurdopin) have been stagnant in the last
  century even some of the clean-type glaciers
  (Yazghil, Barpu) did not retreat significantly.
  Many glaciers have mainly shrinked by downwasting
  rather than by ice-frontal recession (ITURRIZAGA,
  2007)
• Our results reveal glacier advances and
  spatio-temporal clustering of surging glaciers.
  Satellite observations and climate data indicate
  advancing glaciers caused by climate (BISHOP,
  2009)
• This contrast in the behaviour of glaciers
  suggests a pattern of climatic change in the
  Karakoram different from that in the Himalayas
  (Archer and Fowler, 2004)

9
By K. Hewitt, 2009
10
KARAKORAM GLACIER BENCHMARKS BALTORO
11

12
Digital Terrain Model by indirect sources
Mayer, 2004
13

• 3370 m 8611 m a.s.l.
• 1500 km2 drainage area
• 524 km2 glacier area
• 372 km2 ablation area

14
V. Sella, 1909
C. Mayer, 2004
15
BALTORO
Desio, 1953
m
years
Terminus fluctuations
Mayer, 2004
16
KARAKORAM GLACIER BENCHMARK LILIGO
1984, C. Smiraglia

• 2004

2004, M. Belò
2008, M. Gaetani
17

• Liligo snout positions in 1971 (source Corona,
  left picture) and in 2001 (source ASTER, right
  picture)

18
(No Transcript)
19

• Information on comprehensive glacial survey
  is extremely scanty, and the accounts of
  occasional travellers and mountaineers over the
  years have little reliability. Maps are also
  misleading in their lack of distinctive
  indications for perennial snow and glacier
  cover. (Leher and Harvath (1975)
• Is that description of our overall knowledge of
  Himalayan glaciers still pertinent today?
• Actually now new projects and methodologies are
  available to help us!
• GLIMS, Inventory of glaciers (Nepal, Pakistan,
  India, China), AWSs, SHARE

20
Points to emphasize1) Zone of maximum
precipitation, 5,000-6,000 m asl, entirely within
glacier accumulation zone and 2,500 m o more
higher than in eastern Greater Himalaya of
Nepal2) Snow avalanching and glacier
nourishment at all elevations but prevailing in
accumulation zones3) Predominance of
ablation-enhanching clean/dusty/dirty ice in
largest areas of ablation zone ice heavy
ablation-reducing debris covers in lower ablation
zone
By K. Hewitt, 2009
21
Remote sensing as a tool to derive surface
temperature map and then debris thickness
distribution (by Mihalcea et al., 2008)

Calculated total ablation map (1-15 July, values
in m)
22
Field measurements to validate models
23
Accumulation rate measurement
supraglacial meteorological parameters to
validate energy distribution
24
FORNI GLACIER AN ALPINE BENCHMARK GLACIER

25
THE SHARE and CEOP AWS
The Forni AWS has been running since the summer
2005. The acquired data are permitting to
describe the glacier micro-meteorology, to
quantify incoming and outcoming energy fluxes and
surface albedo (high frequency measurements), to
measure the glacier katabatic wind, to measure
snow depth and duration.
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
The next step of the research on the Alps is to
install other AWSs on key glaciers to describe
their energy budget and to calculate their mass
balance. We are installing new AWSs on benchmark
glaciers located in the Western Alps (e.g.
Gigante Glacier, 3460 m asl, Mont
Blanc). Another important issue will be the
installation of AWS on the glacier accumulation
area to describe here albedo variability (linked
to black carbon) and coupling such measurements
with snow sampling. The AWS have also to be
equipped with GPS receiver to measure glacier
flow (as it was made on Morteratch Glacier by
IMAU).
29

• GLACIOLOGY NETWORK
• Himalaya Changri Nup Glacier
• Karakoram Baltoro Glacier, Liligo Glacier,
  Hinarche Glacier
• Alps Forni Glacier,
• Future topics
• Energy balance
• Hydrological balance
• Ice pinnacles and pond ablation
• Dust and fine debris effect on ablation
• High elevation accumulation
• Critical elevation for glacier climatic response

30
Thanks for your attention