Applications of glacial geomorphological and lichenometric studies for reconstructing the Late Holocene glacial history of the Hoksar valley, Kashmir Himalaya, India

ABSTRACT

In this study, the lichenometry studies of the Hoksar Glacier valley in Kashmir Himalaya, India supported by the extensive ground- and remote sensing-based glacial geomorphological mapping enabled the identification of the six episodes of glacier advances in the valley. Field-based geomorphologic evidence suggests that the glacial episode 1 (GEI) experienced the most extensive glaciation in the Hoksar valley extending ∼1 km down the valley (altitude 3565 m) from the current snout position of the Hoksar Glacier (altitude 3680m). Lichenometric dating of the moraines suggests that the GE1 episode is chronologically the oldest (∼480 ± 25 years) and GE6 episode the youngest (∼245 ± 10 years). The mean equilibrium line altitude (ELA) during the GE1 episode was calculated as 3755 ± 4 m compared to the observed present ELA position of 4060 ± 5 m, an upward shift of 305 m observed during the period. The spatio-temporal changes of the Hoksar Glacier during different episodes of the glacier advances until 2018 showed that the glacier area has shrunk from ∼212 ha during the GE1 to 100 ha at present losing an area of 112 ha (52%) during the period mainly as a result of the recent climate change. The recent observed glacier recession (1980–2018) is much higher (11 000 m² a⁻¹) compared to the past recession (1300 m²a⁻¹). The study provides valuable insights about the glacier recession in the Kashmir Himalayan region during the Late Holocene where knowledge about the past glacial history on a regional scale is generally poorly investigated.

KEYWORDS:

• Glacial geomorphology
• Late Holocene
• glacier chronology
• Hoksar Glacier
• lichenometry
• equilibrium line altitude (ELA)

Acknowledgments

The research work was conducted as part of the grants received from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India for the sponsored research projects titled ‘Centre of Excellence for Glacial studies in Western Himalaya’. The financial assistance received from the Department under the project to accomplish the research is thankfully acknowledged. We also express our gratitude to the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions on the earlier versions of the manuscript which improved the quality of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Khalid Omar Murtaza

Khalid Omar Murtaza is a researcher in Department of Geoinformatics, University of Kashmir. His research interests include Glaciology, Glacial-geomorphology and Geoinformatics.

Shakil Ahmad Romshoo

Shakil Ahmad Romshoo is a Professor and Dean Research of University of Kashmir. His research interests include Hydrology, Glaciology, Geoinformatics and Climate Change.