fujita_etal_2001a.html
Bulletin of Glaciological Research 18 (2001) 31-35
©Japanese Society of Snow and Ice
Glaciological observations on Rikha Samba Glacier in Hidden Valley, Nepal Himalayas, 1998 and 1999.
Koji FUJITA1,
Fumio NAKAZAWA1 and
Birbal RANA2
1 Institute for Hydrospheric-Atmospheric
Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 Japan
2 Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Ministry of Science
and Technology, His Majesty's Government of Nepal, P.O. Box 406,
Nepal
Abstract
Glacier fluctuation, surface flow velocity and mass balance were observed at Rikha Samba Glacier in Hidden Valley, 1998 and 1999, which was selected as the representative glacier in the west Nepal Himalayas. The glacier terminus has shown a continuous retreat since 1974, and the retreat rate possibly increased in the 1990s. The analysis of surface flow velocity for one year, which was first obtained, suggests the large contribution of basal sliding. The flow speeds in 1998/99 were similar to those in 1974 though the glacier thickness has diminished. Mass balance and meteorological variables were also first observed for one year from October 1998. The finding of a large negative mass balance may support the shrinkage of the glacier. Preliminary results are presented in this paper.
