Spatio-temporal behaviour of Nehnar Glacier from 1962 to 2017, Jhelum basin, Kashmir Himalayas, India
Mifta ul Shafiq, Zia Ul Islam, Irshad Ahmad Bhat, Pervez Ahmed
Abstract
Nehnar glacier is located in the Sindh sub-basin of the Jhelum River in the Kashmir Himalayas. We studied the dynamic response of the glacier (area, snout, Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA), specific mass balance, volume) using Survey of India (SOI) toposheets and Landsat imagery series from 1962 to 2017. The results show that this glacier has lost an area of 1.4 km2 (50.35%) during this period of 55 years. The snout position and ELA have risen significantly, with varying rates at different time intervals. The specific mass balance of the glacier changed from −2.3 cm water equivalent (w.e.) to −35.1 cm w.e. during this period, with a loss of glacier volume from 0.17 km3 to 0.07 km3. Annual mean maximum (Tmax) and mean minimum (Tmin) temperatures show significant increases, whereas an insignificant decrease in precipitation has been recorded from 1980 to 2016. The continuous glacier retreat will have a significant impact on streamflow, agriculture, and other sectors of the Kashmir Himalayas.