Parkachik Glacier : Study
A new study by scientists of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has found that three glacial lakes are likely to form around Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh due to rapid ice melt.
- The Parkachik glacier is one of the largest glaciers in the Suru River valley, covering an area of 53 square km and is 14 km long.
- The Suru River valley is a part of the southern Zanskar Ranges in the western Himalayas.
- There are two main reasons for the rapid melting of the glacier.
- The first is global warming and increasing temperatures in the region.
- The second is that it is at a lower altitude than other glaciers in the Zanskar region.
- Zanskar is a high altitude semi-desert lying on the Northern flank of the Great Himalayan Range.
- This mountain range acts as a climatic barrier protecting Ladakh and Zanskar from most of the monsoon, resulting in a pleasantly warm and dry climate in the summer.
