Back to news
16 May 2017 | News

Successful Spring Field Mission to Yala Glacier, Langtang, Nepal

Scientists from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) carried out mass balance measurements on Yala Glacier as part of the larger spring field campaign in the Langtang Valley. The goal was to measure how much snow accumulated on the glacier over the winter months. As in previous winters, snow accumulation dominated over ice and snow melt. The team experienced heavy snowfall during their stay at the Yala Glacier Base Camp and had to organize their work accordingly.

0 mins Read

70% Complete

View Slideshow (13 photos with caption)

At Yala Glacier, a positive mass balance (more accumulated snow than melt) during the winter measurement period from November to April is common. However, scientists expect that the majority of the winter snow on the glacier and additionally glacier ice will melt in the summer months, resulting in a negative mass balance (glacier mass loss) for the entire measurement year. Glaciers are excellent climate indicators. In the past decades, Yala Glacier has continuously been shrinking and retreating. After a detailed analysis the glaciologists will know how the past winter compares to the previous ones, and what that means for the glacier.

The researchers also climbed over rock glaciers with huge boulders and rocky ridges to locate temperature sensors buried under ground or drilled into rock walls. These sensors measure the ground surface temperatures (GST) and give an indication for the possible occurrence of permafrost deeper in the ground. Earlier measurements showed interesting annual GST courses with very low but also rather high temperatures. The researchers downloaded GST data from loggers placed on Tsergo Ri in autumn 2013, as well as other sites at later dates.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

13 Dec 2017 News
Field excursion to Sikkim’s spring revival sites

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) organized a filed excursion for 15 Bhutanese representatives to spring revival sites ...

6 Jan 2017 News
ICIMOD Participates in International Mountain Day 2016 Celebrations in Pakistan

[caption id="attachment_7725" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The Chief Minister and Provincial Minister presiding over the ...

22 Jan 2016 News
Partnering for Better Livelihoods in Upper Indus

‘Agricultural Water, Energy and Hazard Management in the Upper Indus Basin for Improved Livelihood’, a special project in Upper Hunza, ...

22 Sep 2015 News
Policy conference supports action on adaptation

Experts working across the Indus River Basin came together during a ...

13 Jul 2015 Atmosphere Initiative
ICIMOD supports helicopter relief and rescue missions

Within hours after the earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, help from overseas started arriving at Kathmandu airport. Soon ...

Draft FABKA roadmap highlights future as an independent legal entity

Also in October 2019, members conducted the 4th FABKA meeting in Pokhara where, following rigorous discussions, a roadmap was developed ...

24 Oct 2018 HKPL
Bam-e-Dunya: a network to bolster conservation efforts on the roof of the world

This historic agreement lays the foundation for long-term collaboration and exchange to conserve fragile ecosystems and help mountain communities adapt ...

8 Jun 2016 Livelihoods
Nepal’s Allo Value Chain Goes Green

More and more products and services today pass through a global value chain to reach consumers. The goal of optimising ...