147
3.3 Himalaya
A detailed mass balance study was initiated by GSI on Himalayan glaciers in 1974.
Gara glacier in Himachal Pradesh was taken for the study with a view to understand
the importance of mass balance and its input in various fields of development and
their interaction with climate and hydrological system. Department of Science and
Technology (Govt. of India) launched an all India coordinated programme on
Himalayan glaciers in 1986. Under this programme Chhota Shigri glacier, Himachal
Pradesh was selected for detailed study in multidisciplinary mode. In second phase
1990 onwards Dokriani glacier in Garhwal and Nardu glacier in Himachal were
taken up for detailed studies with special emphasis on mass balance studies. The
overall results of the mass balance studies before 2000 are compiled in Table 3.
Considering immensity of Himalaya, the number of monitored glaciers for mass
balance is very sparse. There are more than 9500 glaciers (GSI 2009) in Himalaya
out of which only twelve glaciers were monitored under long time for mass balance
Table 3 Mean annual net balance of studied glacier in Himalaya before 2000
Region
(India)
Name of glaciers
Period
Surface
mass
balance
References
Western
Himalaya
Gara glacier, Baspa
Basin
1974–83
−0.27
Raina et al. (1977) and
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Gor Garang, Baspa
Basin
1976–85
−0.38
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Shaune Garang, Baspa
Basin
1981–91
−0.42
GSI (1992)
Shaune Garang, Baspa
Basin
1981–92
−0.42
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Kolahoi, Jhelum Basin 1983–84
−0.27
Kaul (1986)
Neh Nar, Jhelum Basin 1975–84
−0.43
GSI (1999, 2001)
Rulung, Zanskar range 1979–81
−0.42
Srivastava (2001) and
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Shishram, Jhelum
Basin
1983–1984
−0.29
Kaul (1986)
Chhota Shigri
1986–89
−0.21
Dobhal (1992)
Central
Himalaya
Tipra Bank, Garhwal
Himalaya
1981–88
−0.14
Gautam and Mukherjee
(1989)
Dunagiri, Garhwal
Himalaya
1984–90
−1.04
GSI (1991)
Dokriani, Garhwal
Himalaya
1992–
951,997–
2000
−0.32
Dobhal et al. (2008)
Eastern
Himalaya
Changmekhangpu,
Sikkim, India
1979–86
−0.26
GSI (2001)
Glacier Response to Climate in Arctic and Himalaya During Last Seventeen Years…
3.3 Himalaya
A detailed mass balance study was initiated by GSI on Himalayan glaciers in 1974.
Gara glacier in Himachal Pradesh was taken for the study with a view to understand
the importance of mass balance and its input in various fields of development and
their interaction with climate and hydrological system. Department of Science and
Technology (Govt. of India) launched an all India coordinated programme on
Himalayan glaciers in 1986. Under this programme Chhota Shigri glacier, Himachal
Pradesh was selected for detailed study in multidisciplinary mode. In second phase
1990 onwards Dokriani glacier in Garhwal and Nardu glacier in Himachal were
taken up for detailed studies with special emphasis on mass balance studies. The
overall results of the mass balance studies before 2000 are compiled in Table 3.
Considering immensity of Himalaya, the number of monitored glaciers for mass
balance is very sparse. There are more than 9500 glaciers (GSI 2009) in Himalaya
out of which only twelve glaciers were monitored under long time for mass balance
Table 3 Mean annual net balance of studied glacier in Himalaya before 2000
Region
(India)
Name of glaciers
Period
Surface
mass
balance
References
Western
Himalaya
Gara glacier, Baspa
Basin
1974–83
−0.27
Raina et al. (1977) and
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Gor Garang, Baspa
Basin
1976–85
−0.38
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Shaune Garang, Baspa
Basin
1981–91
−0.42
GSI (1992)
Shaune Garang, Baspa
Basin
1981–92
−0.42
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Kolahoi, Jhelum Basin 1983–84
−0.27
Kaul (1986)
Neh Nar, Jhelum Basin 1975–84
−0.43
GSI (1999, 2001)
Rulung, Zanskar range 1979–81
−0.42
Srivastava (2001) and
Sangewar and Siddiqui
(2007)
Shishram, Jhelum
Basin
1983–1984
−0.29
Kaul (1986)
Chhota Shigri
1986–89
−0.21
Dobhal (1992)
Central
Himalaya
Tipra Bank, Garhwal
Himalaya
1981–88
−0.14
Gautam and Mukherjee
(1989)
Dunagiri, Garhwal
Himalaya
1984–90
−1.04
GSI (1991)
Dokriani, Garhwal
Himalaya
1992–
951,997–
2000
−0.32
Dobhal et al. (2008)
Eastern
Himalaya
Changmekhangpu,
Sikkim, India
1979–86
−0.26
GSI (2001)
Glacier Response to Climate in Arctic and Himalaya During Last Seventeen Years…