scholarly journals Estimating the characteristics of runoff inflow into Lake Gojal in ungauged, highly glacierized upper Hunza River Basin, Pakistan

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiqiang Zhang ◽  
Min Xu ◽  
Junli Xu ◽  
Qiudong Zhao ◽  
Stefan Hagemann
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Hunza River

scholarly journals Status of Major Glaciers of Hunza River Basin, Under Changing Climatic Conditions of Pakistan Over the Period of (1990-2018)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajid Ali ◽  
Garee Khan ◽  
Wajid Hassan ◽  
Javed Akhter Qureshi ◽  
Iram Bano
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
Hunza River

Abstract Ice masses and snow of Hunza River Basin (HRB) are an important primary source of fresh water and lifeline for downstream inhabitants. Changing climatic conditions seriously put an impact on these available ice and snow masses. These glaciers may affect downstream population by glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) and surge events due to climatic variation. So, monitoring of these glaciers and available ice masses are important. This research delivers an approach for selected glaciers of the Hunza river basin. An attempt is made in this study using Landsat (OLI, ETM, ETM+, TM), digital elevation model (DEM), Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing techniques (RS&GIS) techniques. We delineated 27 glaciers within HRB from the period of 1990-2018. These glaciers' total area is about 2589.75 ±86km 2 in 1990 and about 2565.12 ±68km 2 in 2018. Our results revealed that from 2009 to 2015, glacier coverage of HRB advanced with a mean annual advance rate of 2.22±0.1 km 2 a -1 . Conversely, from 1994 to 1999, the strongest reduction in glacier area with a mean rate of - 3.126±0.3km 2 a -1 is recorded. The glaciers of HRB are relatively stable compared to Hindukush, Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau (TP) region of the world. The steep slope glacier's retreat rate is more than that of gentle slope glaciers, and the glaciers below elevation of 5000 m above sea level change significantly. Based on climate data from 1995-2018, HRB shows a decreasing trend in temperature and increasing precipitation. The glacier area's overall retreat is due to an increase in summer temperature while the glacier advancement is induced possibly by winter and autumn precipitation.

scholarly journals Risks of Glaciers Lakes Outburst Flood along China Pakistan Economic Corridor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Saifullah ◽  
Shiyin Liu ◽  
Muhammad Adnan ◽  
Muhammad Ashraf ◽  
Muhammad Zaman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Hunza River

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through the Hunza River basin of Pakistan. The current study investigates the creation and effects of end moraine, supra-glacial, and barrier lakes by field visits and remote sensing techniques along the CPEC in the Hunza River basin. The surging and moraine type glaciers are considered the most dangerous type of glaciers that cause Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the study basin. It can be concluded from the 40 years observations of Karakoram glaciers that surge-type and non-surge-type glaciers are not significantly different with respect to mass change. The recurrent surging of Khurdopin Glacier resulted in the creation of Khurdopin Glacial Lake in the Shimshal valley of the Hunza River basin. Such glacial lakes offer main sources of freshwater; however, when their dams are suddenly breached and water drained, catastrophic GLOFs appear and pose a great threat to people and infrastructure in downstream areas. This situation calls for an in-depth study on GLOF risks along the CPEC route and incorporation of GLOF for future policy formulation in the country for the CPEC project so that the government may take serious action for prevention, response to GLOFs, and rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas.

Spatial distribution of debris cover and its impacts in the Hunza River Basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Shiyin Liu ◽  
Xin Wang
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Indus River ◽  
Total Runoff ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Debris Cover ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Hydrological System ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Hunza River

<p>Hunza River is an important tributary of the Indus River, which contributes ~12% of the total runoff in the upper Indus River. 25% of Hunza River basin is covered by glaciers. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) connecting Pakistan and China goes from the Khunjerab Pass and down to the Gilgit, which is an important section of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor in the high mountains. Many glaciers in this region are extensively covered by supraglacial debris, which strongly influences glacier melting and its spatial pattern. Changes in these glaciers may threaten the stability of the highway subgrade through meltwater floods, unpredictable behaviors of glacier terminals as well as potential outburst floods of glacier lakes near glaciers. Therefore, predicting runoff, response to climate change and risk of outburst floods of debris-covered glaciers requires different treatment to that of clean glaciers in the Hunza River Basin. In this study, we estimate the thermal resistance of the debris layer for the whole basin based on ASTER images. Our results reveal that debris-covered glaciers account for 69% and 30% of the total number and area in the basin. Using a physically-based debris-cover effect assessment model, we find different debris-cover effects on different glaciers, with important implications for the morphology and evolution of glacier hydrological system and associated hazards.</p>

The source and fate of sediment and mercury in Hunza River basin, Northern Areas, Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kivanc Biber ◽  
Shuhab D. Khan ◽  
Mohammad T. Shah
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Northern Areas ◽  
Hunza River

scholarly journals Agricultural water management challenges in the Hunza River Basin: Is a solar water pump an alternative option?*

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhav Prasad Dhakal ◽  
Amjad Ali ◽  
Muhammad Zafar Khan ◽  
Nisha Wagle ◽  
Ghulam Muhammad Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Pump ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Agricultural Water Management ◽  
Solar Water ◽  
Alternative Option ◽  
Solar Water Pump ◽  
Hunza River

scholarly journals Brief Communication: Glaciers in the Hunza Catchment (Karakoram) are in balance since the 1970s

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Bolch ◽  
Tino Pieczonka ◽  
Kriti Mukherjee ◽  
Joseph Shea
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Mass Budget ◽  
Term Stability ◽  
Balanced Budgets ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
Hunza River

Abstract. Previous geodetic estimates of mass changes in the Karakoram revealed balanced budgets or a possible slight mass gain since the year ~ 2000. Indications for longer-term stability exist but no mass budget analyses are available before 2000. Here, we show that glaciers in the Hunza River basin (Central Karakoram) were on average in balance since the 1970s based on analysis of stereo Hexagon KH-9, SRTM, ASTER and Cartosat-1 data. Heterogeneous behaviour and frequent surge activities were also characteristic for the period before 2000.

Hypsometric properties of mountain landscape of Hunza River Basin of the Karakoram Himalaya

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1881-1891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siddique Ullah Baig ◽  
Adnan Ahmad Tahir ◽  
Ahmad Din ◽  
Humaira Khan
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mountain Landscape ◽  
Hunza River

scholarly journals Snow cover dynamics and hydrological regime of the Hunza River basin, Karakoram Range, Northern Pakistan

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 2821-2860 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Tahir ◽  
P. Chevallier ◽  
Y. Arnaud ◽  
B. Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Snow Cover ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Indus River ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Basin Area ◽  
Hunza River

Abstract. A major proportion of flow in the Indus River is contributed by its snow- and glacier-fed river catchments situated in the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush ranges. It is therefore essential to understand the cryosphere dynamics in this area for water resource management. The MODIS MOD10A2 remote-sensing database of snow cover products from March 2000 to December 2009 was selected to analyse the snow cover changes in the Hunza River basin (the snow- and glacier-fed sub-catchment of the Indus River). A database of daily flows for the Hunza River at Dainyor Bridge over a period of 40 years and climate data (precipitation and temperature) for 10 years from three meteorological stations within the catchment was made available to investigate the hydrological regime in the area. Analysis of remotely sensed cryosphere (snow and ice cover) data showed a slight expansion of snow cover in the area in contrast to most of the regions in the world where glaciers are melting rapidly. This increase in snow cover may be the result of an increase in winter precipitation caused by westerly circulation. The impact of global warming is not effective because a large part of the basin area lies under high altitudes where the temperature remains negative throughout most of the year.

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