169
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. S. Goel et al. (eds.), Climate Change and the White World,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21679-5_12
Glacier Melt Water Characteristics
of Hamtah Glacier, Lahaul and Spiti
District, Himachal Pradesh, India
S. P. Shukla, Rakesh Mishra, and Ajai Kumar
Abstract Himalayan glaciers are considered as water towers of Asia. These water
towers provide water to the perennial rivers emanating from the Himalaya. In order
to understand the process of generation of glacier melt from a glacier, its appearance
at the snout including the quantum vis-à-vis ablation season, glacier discharge measurement was undertaken on Hamtah glacier, Lahaul & Spiti district, Himachal
Pradesh. Highest and lowest average daily discharge values for three common
observation fortnights, viz. Aug_II, Sep_I and Sep_II, were found to be 0.25 × 10
6
m
3
and 0.20 × 10
6
m
3
recorded in 2003 and 2002, respectively.
Hourly melt water discharge data was collected during August – September
period spanning over 8 years, from 2000 to 2007 using area-velocity technique. The
data were analysed to understand the role of meteorological parameters and surface
ablation from the glacier. The studies indicate close linkages with temperature and
surface ice ablation.
The discharge variations during day-night time were also studied to understand
the storage characteristics of the glacier. The study revealed that there is no significant lag between ice melt generation and its release into the glacier melt stream
suggesting lack of any storage in the melt channel drainage network.
Keywords Melt water discharge · Diurnal variation · Ablation
S. P. Shukla (*)
Polar Studies Division, Geological Survey of India, Faridabad, India
R. Mishra
PSS-PM: Technical Coordination, Geological Survey of India, Shillong, India
A. Kumar
PSS-PM: Monitoring-7, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. S. Goel et al. (eds.), Climate Change and the White World,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21679-5_12
Glacier Melt Water Characteristics
of Hamtah Glacier, Lahaul and Spiti
District, Himachal Pradesh, India
S. P. Shukla, Rakesh Mishra, and Ajai Kumar
Abstract Himalayan glaciers are considered as water towers of Asia. These water
towers provide water to the perennial rivers emanating from the Himalaya. In order
to understand the process of generation of glacier melt from a glacier, its appearance
at the snout including the quantum vis-à-vis ablation season, glacier discharge measurement was undertaken on Hamtah glacier, Lahaul & Spiti district, Himachal
Pradesh. Highest and lowest average daily discharge values for three common
observation fortnights, viz. Aug_II, Sep_I and Sep_II, were found to be 0.25 × 10
6
m
3
and 0.20 × 10
6
m
3
recorded in 2003 and 2002, respectively.
Hourly melt water discharge data was collected during August – September
period spanning over 8 years, from 2000 to 2007 using area-velocity technique. The
data were analysed to understand the role of meteorological parameters and surface
ablation from the glacier. The studies indicate close linkages with temperature and
surface ice ablation.
The discharge variations during day-night time were also studied to understand
the storage characteristics of the glacier. The study revealed that there is no significant lag between ice melt generation and its release into the glacier melt stream
suggesting lack of any storage in the melt channel drainage network.
Keywords Melt water discharge · Diurnal variation · Ablation
S. P. Shukla (*)
Polar Studies Division, Geological Survey of India, Faridabad, India
R. Mishra
PSS-PM: Technical Coordination, Geological Survey of India, Shillong, India
A. Kumar
PSS-PM: Monitoring-7, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata, India