GLACIAL FLUCTUATIONS IN THE KAROLA PASS, EASTERN LHAGOI KANGRI RANGE, SINCE THE LAST GLACIAL MAXIMUM

Mountain glaciers are sensitive to climate change, especially in climatic transition zones. We investigated Late Quaternary glacial history in two valleys around the Karola Pass of the eastern Lhagoi Kangri Range, central Himalaya, using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be surface exposure dating. Four glacial events were dated to 0.36±0.09 to 0.13 ± 0.02 ka (LIA = Little Ice Age), 2.5±0.2 ka (Neoglacial), 9.7±0.4 to 8.2±0.4 ka (Early Holocene), and 23.1±0.9 to 16.3±0.7 ka (LGM-LG, LGM = Last Glacial Maximum; LG = Late Glacial). Glacial events in the Karola Pass were broadly synchronous with those from other areas in central Himalayas.

Glacier extents and volumes have been reduced successively since the LGM-LG, when the ratios of glacier extent and volume compared to their present values were 2.15 and 2.48 in the Gangbu Valley, 2.52 and 3.61 in the Karola West Valley, respectively. Equilibrium line altitude (ELA) values dropped 425 m, 340 m, 325 m and 210 m in the Gangbu Valley, and 345 m, 310 m, 195 m and 115 m in the Karola West Valley, respectively, during the LGM-LG, Early Holocene, Neoglacial, and LIA, respectively, compared to the present values.Climate cooling drove glacial advances during LGM and Lateglacial, abrupt cooling and the increased Indian monsoon precipitation resulted in glacier expansions during the early-middle Holocene, in addition, the cold and wet environment was the reason for Neoglacial and LIA glacial advances.