Beijing: Glaciers in parts of the Karakoram range have shown growth in recent years, which contrasts with their receding trend in other parts of the Himalayas, a British journal has claimed.
The research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, used satellite data to assess the state of the glaciers in the central Karakoram mountains between 1999 and 2008, and found that the glaciers, to the west of the Himalayan region, grow by about 11 centimetres.
This phenomenon is not consistent with the trend that most glaciers across the world are receding due to global warming, the study said.
Glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland and parts of the Himalayas next to the Karakoram have been confirmed retreating by scientific observations.
The reason for this growth is still unclear to the scientists at National Centre for Scientific Research and the University of Grenoble.
"Right now we believe that it could be due to a very specific regional climate over Karakoram because there have been meteorological measurements showing increased winter precipitation; but that's just a guess at this stage," lead researcher Julie Gardelle said.
Experts believe that frequent avalanches in the Karokaram region results in the formation of a gravel layer on the glaciers, which plays the role of thermal insulation, preventing the glacier from warming.
Though most parts of the region are inaccessible, there has been a general recognition that the observations need to be stepped up in order to clarify what is going on, the research said.
The research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, used satellite data to assess the state of the glaciers in the central Karakoram mountains between 1999 and 2008, and found that the glaciers, to the west of the Himalayan region, grow by about 11 centimetres.
This phenomenon is not consistent with the trend that most glaciers across the world are receding due to global warming, the study said.
The reason for this growth is still unclear to the scientists at National Centre for Scientific Research and the University of Grenoble.
Advertisement
Experts believe that frequent avalanches in the Karokaram region results in the formation of a gravel layer on the glaciers, which plays the role of thermal insulation, preventing the glacier from warming.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
How Rise In Ocean Temperatures Is Threatening Marine Life "Increasingly Likely" 2024 Could Be Hottest On Record: EU Climate Monitor July 2024 Sees 2 Warmest Days Ever Becomes Second Hottest Month On Record Mamata Banerjee's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan "Prove With Pics Crime Scene Intact": Court To Bengal Over Hospital Vandalism Trump, Musk, And The Importance Of 'Exaggeration' In Storytelling India Post GDS Merit List 2024 To Be Released Soon US Court Calls Google Monopolist, Says It Violates Competition Law Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.