Basic studies for assessing the impacts of the global warming on the Himalayan cryosphere, 1994-1996

Abstract

A three-year project has been carried out to obtain basic knowledge for assessing the impact of the recent global warming on the Himalayas, of which many glaciers and permafrost are considered very vulnerable to the warming. The field study was made both in the Nepal Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau from 1994 to 1996 under a collaboration between Japanese, Nepalese and Chinese scientists. It was found that many glaciers in the area were shrinking. Detailed process of individual glacier was also studied, in particular on debris covered glaciers for which the melting process has been poorly understood so far. Many of wood and snow/ice samples have been collected for reconstructing the recent climate change over the area.