Recession of Milam Glacier, Kumaon Himalaya

• Published in: Current science (Bangalore) 2012-05, Vol.102 (10), p.1351-1352
• Main Authors: Raj, K. Babu Govindha, Kumar, K. Vinod, Mishra, Rakesh, Mukhtar, Muneer Ahmad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CORRESPONDENCE; Glacial lakes; Glacial melting; Glacial retreat; Glaciers; Moraines; Recessional moraines
• ISSN: 0011-3891

Here we report the field evidences observed at Milam glacier, Goriganga basin, Kumaon Himalaya during the glaciological expedition carried out in July 2011 and the observations from Resourcesat-2 LISS IV data. An earlier article super(1) on the recession of the Milam Glacier derived from satellite data had shown the glacier receded laterally by 1328 m from 1954 to 2006. An analysis carried out using the recently launched Resourcesat-2 LISS 4(5.8 m spatial resolution) data acquired on 30 October 2011 (Figure 1 a) showed some interesting results. The results are based on satellite data combined with in situ expedition carried out in the Goriganga valley. During the field studies, we observed that the earlier snout (2006) portion has now become a moraine dammed lake (Figure 1 b) with ice-cored moraines around, and the current snout has receded further back. The field GPS points overlaid on the satellite data confirm this observation. Figure 1 c shows the old snout converted to ice-cored moraine and the active snout in the background. The active snout is located on the right-hand side of the glacier front having an irregular tongue and melt water comes out through the cave located at right side of the tongue (Figure 1 a). The snout is visible as a large, dirty ice-wall covered with debris. The retreat measurements carried out using the latest satellite data show a shift of 120 m from the earlier snout position in 2006 (Figure 1 a). Naming convention of the glaciers in the Himalaya follows a pattern of giving the name of the habitation/village to the glacier which is closest to it. Field evidences shows that earlier Milam Glacier had extended up to Milam village, which is now at a distance of 5 km away from the present snout. The presence of a long lateral/medial moraine of 1 km length near the Milam village (Figure 1 d) confirms the earlier extent of the Milam glacier. The broad, U-shaped valley with many recessional moraines (Figure 1 e) from Milam village to the present snout and the lateral/medial moraine near the Milam village indicate that the glacier remained in this stretch for a long time. The use of satellite data in conjunction with field evidences shows that the Milam Glacier is in a state of continuous retreat since 1906, and the rate of recession has accelerated during the last decade.