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

Findings and learnings from the WeACT project in the Upper Koshi Basin

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are one of the most serious natural hazards in mountain regions, including the Upper Koshi ...

14 Dec 2015 Atmosphere Initiative
Motivating Journalists on Atmospheric Issues

  Twenty eight highly motivated journalists from eight countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region —Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, ...

24 Sep 2015 News
Landslide early warning system for Chittagong Metropolitan area, Bangladesh

Every year, the rainy season in the Chittagong Metropolitan Area (CMA), Bangladesh brings news of human causalities and property damage ...

14 Mar 2018 REDD+
ICIMOD Delegation Observes REDD + Activities in Mizoram, India

Mizoram’s forest cover is the highest of any state in India but it is severely degraded. The International Centre for ...

1 Dec 2016 KSL
Kailash Promoted as a Transboundary Brand at the 14th National Handicraft Trade Fair in Kathmandu

[caption id="attachment_7820" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The launch of the allo community training manual[/caption] The Kailash ...

29 Jun 2022 News
Koshi resource book focusing on ecosystems, water management, and governance launched

We recently launched a resource book – The Koshi River Basin: Insights into biophysical, socioeconomic, and governance ...

17 Aug 2018 HUC
Yunnan University Hosts Second HUC Water Group Meeting

Established in November 2017, the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) Thematic Working Group on Water (Water Group) is a regional initiative ...