Glacial geomorphology and recent glacial recession of the Harmukh Range, NW Himalaya

• Published in: Quaternary international Vol. 575-576; pp. 236 - 248
• Main Authors: Murtaza, Khalid Omar, Dar, Reyaz A., Paul, Omar Jaan, Bhat, Nisar A., Romshoo, Shakil A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20-02-2021
• Subjects: ELA; Glacial-landforms; Kashmir Himalaya; Overdeepening; Remote sensing; Trimlines; Glacial-landforms; Overdeepening; Trimlines; ELA; Kashmir Himalaya; Remote sensing
• ISSN: 1040-6182; 1873-4553
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2020.08.044

A comprehensive description of the glaciation and glacial geomorphology of the Harmukh range, northwest Himalaya is reported first time in this study. The geomorphic system of the range is dominated by glaciation and provides an excellent opportunity to assess the glacial fluctuations from the Late Quaternary to the present. Using a time series of the satellite data from 1992 to 2018, the glacier area, snout and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) changes of the existing glaciers in the Harmukh Range were estimated. The glacier cover has receded from 7.47 ± 0.58 km2 in 1992 to 6.24 ± 0.62 km2 in 2018, a deglaciation of 16.46 ± 0.24%. The glaciers showed an upward shift in ELA from 47 m to 80 m during the last two and a half decade. The observations revealed that, other than the climatic factors, the ELA change and glacier recessions are influenced by the glacier size, mean altitude, and the aspect of the glaciers. Further, the high-resolution Google Earth images, supplemented by field observations, were used for mapping various glacial-geomorphic landforms. The nature of glacial grooves, overdeepenings, the height of the lateral moraine deposits and trimlines indicated appreciable thickness of the former glaciers. The pattern of the glaciated valleys revealed that the area has predominantly experienced alpine type of glaciation with most of the glaciers centred on the Harmukh peak. Based on the shape and the number of lateral moraine ridges present, it is suggested that the area has witnessed three major glacial advances. By tracing the outer limits of the glacial valleys, moraine boulders, and ice scoured terrain, it was estimated that the glaciers in the range covered 629 km2 during the glacial maxima. The presence of numerous rock glaciers and debris-free cirque glaciers on the north-eastern slopes of the range indicated a strong climatic and topographical control on the pattern, situation and extent of glaciers. However, there is a need for detailed field-based mapping of the glacial-geomorphology and geochronological study in order to better understand the nature and extent of paleo-glaciation, the observed glacier recession and the past climatic variations in this hitherto understudied glaciated region of the Kashmir Himalaya.