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Nature study maps 219 hanging glaciers in Uttarakhand
A recent study published in Nature reports that the Alaknanda basin in the Garhwal Himalayas contains 219 hanging glaciers. The finding is in the news due to the mapped count of hanging glaciers in Uttarakhand and their associated hazard potential.
Hanging Glaciers:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Definition | Hanging glaciers comprise ice masses perched on steep slopes that can detach and trigger massive avalanches. |
| Formation | Hanging glaciers occur when a major valley glacier system retreats and thins, leaving tributary glaciers in smaller valleys high above the shrunken central glacier surface. |
| Related landform term | If the entire system has melted and disappeared, the empty high valleys are called hanging valleys. |
| Hazards | Hanging glaciers pose a significant risk of break-offs, and break-offs can trigger secondary hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). |
| Climate sensitivity | Glaciers in high-elevation alpine environments are highly sensitive to climate variability and warming. |
| Himalaya warming note | In the Himalaya, warming over the past 2 decades exceeds the global average, resulting in accelerated glacier retreat. |