Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Science and Geopolitics of The White World pp 143–159Cite as

Regional Climate Changes Over Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya Region

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

The Hindukush-Karakoram Himalaya, one of the largest mountain chains of the world with some of the highest peaks, comprises of regions of diverse climatic and hydrological regimes. In line with the global temperature rise, the model data sets, in spite of its being scare and not highly reliable, show a significant warming trend over the western parts of the Himalaya, while in other parts this positive trend is not significant, statistically. The former region has also recorded a positive trend of precipitation in the recent past in both the June to September summer monsoons and as well as in the winter (December to February) season; corresponding to the increase in the snow cover over some parts. A general decrease in the glacial mass has been reported by many studies which show that glaciers have retreated and lost their mass. However, in the central Karakoram, snow cover has increased in recent times (also called Karakoram anomaly).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ageta Y, Higuchi K (1984) Estimation of mass balance components of a summer-accumulation type glacier in the Nepal Himalaya. Geogr Annaler. Ser A. Phys Geogr 66 A:249–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Ageta Y (1996) Characteristics of mass balance of summer-accumulation type glaciers in the himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. Zeitschrift fur Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie 32:61–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Asahi K, Kadota T, Naito N, Ageta Y (2006) Variations of small glaciers since the 1970s to 2004 in Khumbu and Shorang regions, eastern Nepal. Data Rep 4:109–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Bajracharya SR, Mool PK (2006) Impact of global climate change from 1970s to 2000s on the glaciers and glacial lakes in Tamor Basin, eastern Nepal. Unpublished report for ICIMOD, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhutiyani MR, Kale VS, Pawar NJ (2010) Climate change and the precipitation variations in the northwestern Himalaya: 1866–2006. Int J Climatol 30(4):535–548

    Google Scholar 

  • Bocchiola D, Diolaiuti G (2013) Recent (1980–2009) evidence of climate change in the upper Karakoram, Pakistan. Theoret Appl Climatol 113(3–4):611–641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolch T, Kulkarni A, Kääb A, Huggel C, Paul F, Cogley JG, Stoffel M (2012) The state and fate of Himalayan Glaciers. Science 336(6079):310–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaturvedi RK, Kulkarni A, Karyakarte Y, Joshi J, Bala G (2014) Glacial mass balance changes in the Karakoram and Himalaya based on CMIP5 multi-model climate projections. Clim Change 123(2):315–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahe Q, Shiyin L, Peiji L (2006) Snow cover distribution, variability, and response to climate change in western China. J Clim 19(9):1820–1833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dimri AP, Dash SK (2012) Wintertime climatic trends in the western Himalayas. Clim Change 111(3–4):775–800

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobhal DP, Gergan JT, Thayyen RJ (1999) Recession of Dokriani Glacier, Garhwal Himalaya’—An overview. A Himal Perspect, Symposia on snow, ice and glaciers in geological survey India, pp 30–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujita K, Nuimura T (2011) Spatially heterogeneous wastage of Himalayan glaciers. Proc Natl Acad Sci 108(34):14011–14014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler HJ, Archer DR (2005) Hydro-climatological variability in the upper indus basin and implications for water resources. Reg Hydrol Impacts Clim Change—Impact Assess Decis Mak 295:131–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurung DR, Kulkarni AV, Giriraj A, Aung KS, Shrestha B, Srinivasan J (2011) Changes in seasonal snow cover in Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. Cryosphere Discuss 5(2):755–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghimire S, Choudhary A, Dimri AP (2015) Assessment of the performance of CORDEX-South Asia experiments for monsoonal precipitation over the Himalayan Region during present climate: part I. Clim Dyn 1–24. doi:10.1007/s00382-015-2747-2

  • Hewitt K (2005) The Karakoram anomaly? glacier expansion and the ‘Elevation Effect’. Karakoram Himalaya. Mountain Res Develop 25(4):332–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Immerzeel WW, Droogers P, De Jong SM, Bierkens MFP (2009) Large-scale monitoring of snow cover and runoff simulation in Himalayan River Basins using remote sensing. Remote Sens Environ 113(1):40–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Immerzeel WW, Van Beek LP, Bierkens MF (2010) Climate change will affect the asian water towers. Sci 328(5984):1382–1385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC (2001) Climate Change, 2001, The scientific basis. Contribution of working group I to the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, pp 892

    Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: Synthesis Report. IN: Pachauri, RK, Reisinger A (eds) Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Geneva, Switzerland, p 104

    Google Scholar 

  • Kääb A, Berthier E, Nuth C, Gardelle J, Arnaud Y (2012) Contrasting patterns of early twenty-first-century glacier mass change in the Himalayas. Nat 488(7–412):495–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kulkarni AV, Rathore BP, Alex S (2004) Monitoring of glacial mass balance in the Baspa basin using accumulation area ratio method. Curr Sci 86(1):185–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Kulkarni A, Patwardhan S, Kumar KK, Ashok K, Krishnan R (2013) Projected climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region by using the high-resolution regional climate model PRECIS. Mt Res Dev 33(2):142–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar V, Jain SK (2010) Trends in seasonal and annual rainfall and rainy days in Kashmir Valley in the last century. Quatern Int 212(1):64–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matny L (2000) Melting of Earth’s ice cover reaches new high. In: Worldwatch NewsBrief, 06 Mar 2000

    Google Scholar 

  • Menon S, Koch D, Beig G, Sahu S, Fasullo J, Orlikowsk D (2010) Atmospheric chemistry and physics black carbon aerosols and the third polar ice cap. S Atmos Chem Phys 10:4559–4571. doi:10.5194/acp-10-4559-2010. www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/4559/2010/

  • Miller JD, Immerzeel WW, Rees G (2012) Climate change impacts on glacier hydrology and river discharge in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas: a synthesis of the scientific basis. Mt Res Dev 32(4):461–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra V (2015) Climatic uncertainty in Himalayan water towers. J Geophys Res: Atmos 120(7):2689–2705

    Google Scholar 

  • Mittermeier RA, Gil RP, Hoffman M, Pilgrim J, Brooks T, Mittermeier CG, Lamoreux J, da Fonseca GAB (2005) Hotspots revisited: Earth’s biologically richest and most endangered ecoregions. CEMEX, Mexico City (Mexico)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee S, Joshi R, Prasad RC, Vishvakarma SC, Kumar K (2014) Summer monsoon rainfall trends in the Indian Himalayan region Theoretical and Applied Climatology 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Palazzi E, Hardenberg J, Provenzale A (2013) Precipitation in the Hindu Kush Karakoram Himalaya: observations and future scenarios. J Geophys Res: Atmos 118(1):85–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Philip G, Sah MP (2004) Mapping repeated surges and retread of glaciers using IRS-1C/1D data: a case study of Shaune Garang glacier, northwestern Himalaya. Int J Appl Earth Obs Geoinf 6(2):127–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pu Z, Xu L, Salomonson VV (2007) MODIS/Terra observed seasonal variations of snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau Geophys Res Lett 34(6)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajbhandari R, Shrestha AB, Kulkarni A, Patwardhan SK, Bajracharya SR (2015) Projected changes in climate over the Indus River Basin using a high resolution regional climate model (PRECIS). Clim Dyn 44(1–2):339–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salerno F, Buraschi E, Bruccoleri G, Tartari G, Smiraglia C (2008) Glacier surface-area changes in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal, in the second half of the 20th century, by comparison of historical maps. J Glaciol 54(187):738–752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha AB, Devkota LP (2010) Climate change in the Eastern Himalayas: observed trends and model projections. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) pp 1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh SP, Bassignana-Khadka I, Karky BS, Sharma E (2011) Climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas: the state of current knowledge. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh RB, Sen Roy S (2002) Climate variability and hydrological extremes in a Himalayan catchment. In: ERB and Northern European FRIEND Project 5 Conf., Slovakia

    Google Scholar 

  • Thakur VC, et al. (1991) Report on Gaumukh. The snout of the Gangotri Glacier

    Google Scholar 

  • Vohra CP (1981) Note on recent glaciological expedition in Himachal Pradesh. Geol Surv India 6:26–29 Special Publication

    Google Scholar 

  • Yatagai A, Arakawa O, Kamiguchi K, Kawamoto H, Nodzu MI, Hamada A (2009) A 44-year daily gridded precipitation dataset for Asia based on a dense network of rain gauges. Sola 5:137–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

    D. Kumar, A. Choudhary & A. P. Dimri

Authors
  1. D. Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Choudhary
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. P. Dimri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. P. Dimri .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dr Raja Ramanna Chair Professor, NIAS, Hon Distinguished Professor, ISRO HQ Dr Raja Ramanna Chair Professor, NIAS, Bangalore, India

    Prem Shankar Goel

  2. Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) , New Delhi, India

    Rasik Ravindra

  3. LIGHTS Research Foundation , New Delhi, India

    Sulagna Chattopadhyay

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kumar, D., Choudhary, A., Dimri, A.P. (2018). Regional Climate Changes Over Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya Region. In: Goel, P., Ravindra, R., Chattopadhyay, S. (eds) Science and Geopolitics of The White World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57765-4_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation