Back to news
29 Sep 2015 | News

Thana Glacier Mass Balance measurement and monitoring in Chamkhar Chu Basin, Bhutan

1 min Read

70% Complete

 

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), with the support of Government of Norway in collaboration with the Department of Hydro-Met Services (DHMS) of Bhutan, is implementing the ‘Monitoring and assessment of changes in glaciers, show and glacio-hydrology in the Hindu Kush Himalayas with a special focus on strengthening the capacity of DHMS of Royal Government of Bhutan,’ known as a Cryosphere Monitoring Programme in Bhutan (CMP-B). The goal of the CMP-B is to improve knowledge and understanding on the cryosphere by analysing changes in the glaciers, snow and glacio-hydrology in relation to the impacts of climate changes for water resources management in the region.

Thana Glacier is selected for long-term mass balance monitoring and research as a first benchmark glacier of Bhutan. The glacier is located in the Chamkhar Valley (28⁰-01’N, 90⁰-36’E). Approximately 5 km long, the glacier is of the valley type with an altitudinal range from 5250 m to 5700 m above sea level with a gentle slope facing southeast.

Six glaciologists from ICIMOD, Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) and DHMS in Bhutan carried out an annual research expedition on Thana Glacier, Chamkharchu Basin Bhutan from 7 to 24 September, 2015.  The expedition extended stake networks; collected data on stake measurements, photographs and other details; collected stake locations with differential GPS two cross sections taken at ablation area and lakes water level of surrounding lakes; set up reflector corners; set up benchmarks to acquire high resolution stereo images; carried out discharge measurements taken at lower outlet of glacier; and rechecked and evaluated all the Hydro-Met sites.

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 Contents

Continue exploring this topic

The time is right to apply research findings in the Upper Indus Basin Network and expand into all four riparian countries

The Upper Indus Basin Network (UIB-N), which began in 2010 as a diverse group of researchers in Pakistan conducting important ...

26 May 2015 News
ICIMOD raises mountain issues at World Water Forum

The 7th World Water Forum was held from 12-17 April 2015 in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, ...

25 Jun 2018 SERVIR-HKH
Capacity building on Earth observation leads to Afghanistan’s first glacier inventory

In Afghanistan, glaciers serve as the headwaters of the Amu Darya River Basin and contribute to the Indus River Basin. ...

18 Aug 2020 News
Larger glaciers in the Hindu Kush are behaving like glaciers in the Karakorum

Findings from a recent study show that the larger glaciers in the Hindu Kush region of ...

8 Apr 2016 News
38 Open Access Papers on Glaciology in High Mountain Asia

A special thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology has recently been published by Cambridge University Press (link). The thirty-eight ...

12 Mar 2015 News
Second Workshop on HKH Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP)

More than 20 experts, social scientists, senior officials from various organizations, development practitioners and ...

27 Jul 2016 News
Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region Under Development

A consultative preparatory process for a Himalayan Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (HCREEE) was launched on 27 July ...

11 Feb 2020 Atmosphere Initiative
Reliable data generation through improved air quality monitoring skills within the HKH

Rising emissions of air pollutants from urban, industrial, and rural sources have been steadily affecting the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) ...