After a four hour long trek bhojwasa the final camping spot in gangotri when a brown fractured pile of rocks finally came in to view it was hard to believe that this was the month of the glacier from which the holy ganga emerged gaumukh the snout of the gangotri glacier named after its shape like a mouth of a cow has retreated by over 3kilometres since 1817 says glaciologist milap chand sharma of jawaharlal nehru university
It was nearly two centuries ago that the retreat of the glacier was first documented by john hodgson a survey of indian geologist with 10 indian states reeling under drought and the country facing a severe water crisis two weak monsoons the story retreating freshwater sources such as worrying and though a 3 kilometer retreat over a period of two centuries might seem insignificiant at the first glance data shows that the rate of retreat has increased sharply since 1971 the rate of retreat is 22 metres per year
LESS ICE FORMATION
THE retreat Points to lesser ice formation each year than its current rate of melting a process that is a continuing say scientist at the national institute of hydrology roorkee winter precipitation is when the glacier recieves adequate snow and ice for maintaining itself about 10-15 spells of winter snow as part of western disturbances feed the glacier but last year gangotri recieved very little snow fall we have also observed more rainfall and a slight temperature rise in the region both of which transfier heat on the glacier warning it professor manohar arora scientist nih explained
In summer themelting point of glacier feeds the bhagi rathi river the source scream of ganga a week ago when this correspondent scaled 4255 metres to reach the glacier the day time temperature was about 15 degree celsius bhagi rathi river was swollen with water how ever dwindling snow fall level have also affected the volume of water dis charged during summer into the river compared to peak levels small lake have formed top of the glacier as you beyond gaumukh to words tapovan eminent conservationist itwas the blast of one such glacial lake in chorabari that led to the june 2013 flood disaster in kedrenath she said worriedly adding if such fast pace of melting continuously here as well such disaster cannot be ruled out
CAVING IN
earlier the gangotri glacier appeared as a convex shape structure from a top tapovan the meadow at the base of shiviling peak beyond gaumukh but now the glacier appear to be caving in and is concave shape
It was nearly two centuries ago that the retreat of the glacier was first documented by john hodgson a survey of indian geologist with 10 indian states reeling under drought and the country facing a severe water crisis two weak monsoons the story retreating freshwater sources such as worrying and though a 3 kilometer retreat over a period of two centuries might seem insignificiant at the first glance data shows that the rate of retreat has increased sharply since 1971 the rate of retreat is 22 metres per year
LESS ICE FORMATION
THE retreat Points to lesser ice formation each year than its current rate of melting a process that is a continuing say scientist at the national institute of hydrology roorkee winter precipitation is when the glacier recieves adequate snow and ice for maintaining itself about 10-15 spells of winter snow as part of western disturbances feed the glacier but last year gangotri recieved very little snow fall we have also observed more rainfall and a slight temperature rise in the region both of which transfier heat on the glacier warning it professor manohar arora scientist nih explained
In summer themelting point of glacier feeds the bhagi rathi river the source scream of ganga a week ago when this correspondent scaled 4255 metres to reach the glacier the day time temperature was about 15 degree celsius bhagi rathi river was swollen with water how ever dwindling snow fall level have also affected the volume of water dis charged during summer into the river compared to peak levels small lake have formed top of the glacier as you beyond gaumukh to words tapovan eminent conservationist itwas the blast of one such glacial lake in chorabari that led to the june 2013 flood disaster in kedrenath she said worriedly adding if such fast pace of melting continuously here as well such disaster cannot be ruled out
CAVING IN
earlier the gangotri glacier appeared as a convex shape structure from a top tapovan the meadow at the base of shiviling peak beyond gaumukh but now the glacier appear to be caving in and is concave shape
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