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Modelling glacier-bed overdeepenings and possible future lakes for the glaciers in the Himalaya—Karakoram region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2016

A. Linsbauer ,
H. Frey ,
W. Haeberli ,
H. Machguth ,
M.F. Azam  and
S. Allen
A. Linsbauer*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
H. Frey
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
W. Haeberli
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
H. Machguth
Affiliation:
Centre for Arctic Technology, Danish Technical University, Lyngby, Denmark
M.F. Azam
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India IRD/UJF- Grenoble I/CNRS/G-INP, LGGE UMR 5183, LTHE UMR 5564, Grenoble, France
S. Allen
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
*
Correspondence: Andreas Linsbauer <[email protected]>
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Abstract

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Surface digital elevation models (DEMs) and slope-related estimates of glacier thickness enable modelling of glacier-bed topographies over large ice-covered areas. Due to the erosive power of glaciers, such bed topographies can contain numerous overdeepenings, which when exposed following glacier retreat may fill with water and form new lakes. In this study, the bed overdeepenings for ~28 000 glaciers (40 775 km2) of the Himalaya-Karakoram region are modelled using GlabTop2 (Glacier Bed Topography model version 2), in which ice thickness is inferred from surface slope by parameterizing basal shear stress as a function of elevation range for each glacier. The modelled ice thicknesses are uncertain (±30%), but spatial patterns of ice thickness and bed elevation primarily depend on surface slopes as derived from the DEM and, hence, are more robust. About 16 000 overdeepenings larger than 104m2 were detected in the modelled glacier beds, covering an area of ~2200 km2 and having a volume of ~120km3 (3-4% of present-day glacier volume). About 5000 of these overdeepenings (1800 km2) have a volume larger than 106m3. The results presented here are useful for anticipating landscape evolution and potential future lake formation with associated opportunities (tourism, hydropower) and risks (lake outbursts).

Keywords

glacial geomorphologyglaciological model experimentsprocesses and landforms of glacial erosion
Type
Paper
Information
Annals of Glaciology , Volume 57 , Issue 71 , March 2016 , pp. 119 - 130
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016

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