Gangotri Glacier : New Study
A study by IIT Indore and international collaborators reveals that the Gangotri Glacier has lost 10% of its snowmelt flow over four decades due to climate change.
- Gangotri Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas and is the primary source of the Ganges, the largest river in India.
- It is situated in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand in the Garhwal Himalayas.
- It originates at the northern slope of the Chaukhamba range of peaks.
- It is fed by snow and ice from several peaks, including Shivling, Thalay Sagar, Meru, and Bhagirathi III.
- It lies at an altitude of around 4,000 meters bordering Tibet.
- The glacier is around 30 km in length and 4 km in width.
- Popularly known as Gaumukh, the terminus of the glacier resembles a cow’s mouth
- From its snout at Gaumukh, the Bhagirathi River emerges, which later joins the Alaknanda River to form the Ganges at Devprayag.
- The Gangotri Glacier holds immense religious significance in Hinduism and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year, who trek up to Gaumukh, the source of the Ganges.
