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Believe it or not! There are only about a dozen scientists working on 9,575 glaciers in India under the aegis of the Geological Survey of India(GSI).Is the available data enough to conclude that the Himalayan glaciers are retreating alarmingly?
The opinion appears to be divided, while some experts believe that Himalayan glaciers are shrinking due to Global warming, there are others who have questioned that theory. V.K.Raina leading glaciologist and former deputy director general of the GSI, is among a group of experts who have debunked the theory of a glacial melt in the Himalayas.He said that research on Indian glaciers is negligible and that only remote sensing data forms the basis of the observations by the alarmists, not on the spot research, which is often critical.
According to him out of 9,575 glaciers in India, research has been conducted only on around 25 to 30. And, even the study of 200-year data shows that nothing abnormal has taken place in any of these glaciers. But few individuals are sensationalizing the issue of a glacial retreat. Dr. P.N.Razdan, in charge of the GSI’s northern region, agrees. “Glaciers are receding, but not alarmingly, even a glacier in Antarctica that we have been monitoring has receded only seven metres in the last 10 years,” he said.
However Raina does not believe that the Gangotri glacier is melting alarmingly. He maintains that the glaciers are undergoing natural changes, witnessed periodically. Recent studies in the Gangotri and Zanskar areas (Drung-Drung glaciers, Kagriz glaciers) have also shown no evidence of a major retreat, he said, and added that claims of global warming causing a glacial melt in the Himalayas are based on wrong assumptions. There are others who echoed similar views.
Dr. R.K.Ganjoo, director, Regional Centre for Field Operations and Research on Himalayan Glaciology-who is also supervising a study of glaciers in the Ladakh and Siachen areas- said nothing abnormal has been found in any glaciers that have been monitored by him. Another leading geologist, M.N. Koul of Jammu University, is also inclined to agree due to his own experiences as he studied and researched glaciers in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Dr R.K.Pachouri, chairman, Inter-Governmental panel of Climatic change, however, said the panel’s recently released fourth assessment report shows increased glacial retreat. This, he said, was due to the fact that the carbon dioxide radioactive forcing has increased by 20 per cent, particularly after 1995, and added that eleven of the last twelve years were among the warmest twelve years recorded so far.
Source: Hindustan Times
Compiled By: Saurav Chakraborty
The opinion appears to be divided, while some experts believe that Himalayan glaciers are shrinking due to Global warming, there are others who have questioned that theory. V.K.Raina leading glaciologist and former deputy director general of the GSI, is among a group of experts who have debunked the theory of a glacial melt in the Himalayas.He said that research on Indian glaciers is negligible and that only remote sensing data forms the basis of the observations by the alarmists, not on the spot research, which is often critical.
According to him out of 9,575 glaciers in India, research has been conducted only on around 25 to 30. And, even the study of 200-year data shows that nothing abnormal has taken place in any of these glaciers. But few individuals are sensationalizing the issue of a glacial retreat. Dr. P.N.Razdan, in charge of the GSI’s northern region, agrees. “Glaciers are receding, but not alarmingly, even a glacier in Antarctica that we have been monitoring has receded only seven metres in the last 10 years,” he said.
However Raina does not believe that the Gangotri glacier is melting alarmingly. He maintains that the glaciers are undergoing natural changes, witnessed periodically. Recent studies in the Gangotri and Zanskar areas (Drung-Drung glaciers, Kagriz glaciers) have also shown no evidence of a major retreat, he said, and added that claims of global warming causing a glacial melt in the Himalayas are based on wrong assumptions. There are others who echoed similar views.
Dr. R.K.Ganjoo, director, Regional Centre for Field Operations and Research on Himalayan Glaciology-who is also supervising a study of glaciers in the Ladakh and Siachen areas- said nothing abnormal has been found in any glaciers that have been monitored by him. Another leading geologist, M.N. Koul of Jammu University, is also inclined to agree due to his own experiences as he studied and researched glaciers in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Dr R.K.Pachouri, chairman, Inter-Governmental panel of Climatic change, however, said the panel’s recently released fourth assessment report shows increased glacial retreat. This, he said, was due to the fact that the carbon dioxide radioactive forcing has increased by 20 per cent, particularly after 1995, and added that eleven of the last twelve years were among the warmest twelve years recorded so far.
Source: Hindustan Times
Compiled By: Saurav Chakraborty
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