Study Finds Uttarakhand Glaciers Retreating 23 Metres Annually

A recent study mapping 34 years of glacier retreat in Uttarakhand reveals an average annual shrinkage of 23.23 metres. The research highlights significant variation in retreat rates among glaciers in the Indian Central Himalaya, influenced by factors such as debris cover and glacier characteristics.

The study reports that retreat rates range from about 3.7 metres per year for relatively stable or heavily debris-covered glaciers like Bhagirathi in Uttarkashi district and Satopanth in Chamoli district, to as much as 88 metres per year for the clean-ice Khatling Glacier in Tehri Garhwal. It notes that regional warming is driving widespread deglaciation, but physical features such as debris cover, glacier geometry, and slope orientation can either accelerate or slow down ice loss.

With glacier lengths projected to shrink significantly in the coming decades, the study calls for enhanced and methodologically consistent monitoring of the region’s glaciers to better understand and manage the impacts of climate change.