Khumbu Glacier: A Region in Peril

The Himalayan Research Center (HRC) was a proud organizer of Research Result Dissemination Meeting for the EverDrill Project (Everest Region Drilling Program), held on 10thJune, 2019. The meeting was the culmination of three years of research (2016 – 2019) in the Khumbu region. The research was a collaboration between Himalayan Research Center, Nepal Geographical Society,Kathmandu University,University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield and Aberystwyth University. It was a successful example of partnership between international and local research parties.



The result dissemination meeting started with Dr Dhananjay Regmi, chairperson of the Himalayan Research Center, giving a presentation about the necessity of research in the Himalayan region, known as the "Third Pole" due to the amount of ice stored there, the region's research history and the current status. He reiterated the importance of glaciers in the Himalayan region, watershed for the entire Indian subcontinent, and need for streamlining research in the region to avoid duplication (as researchers are attracted to more popular regions) and cover more area to give a better picture of the current status and to predict the future better. Dr Regmi's presentation was followed by an introduction to glaciers by Mr Tenzing Sherpa. He gave the audience a quick course on the life and workings of glaciers and the impact the climate change has brought to the glaciers in the Himalayan region. This presentation acted as a short appetizer to prepare the audience for the main course.

As the main event, Dr Duncan Quincey, Lead Principal Investigator of the EverDrill Project and Associate Professor at University of Leeds, presented the findings of the three-year research in the Khumbu region. The main finding of the research was that 56% of ablation area of Khumbu glacier was comprised of warm ice and the coldest ice was only -3.3 °C, which was higher than expected for the glacier at the altitude of 5200 m. Researchers found that the warming rate of ice in the glacier was 0.5°C per decade, meaning the whole of Khumbu region is in peril. Most of the ice was warmer than the air temperature, meaning even the slightest increase of the air temperature may lead to acceleration of the glacier melt, meaning catastrophic consequences for the region. Floods and droughts are likely to be common and increase in the glacial lake growth leads to increase in Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) hazard. The glaciers in the region, which play an important role as a watershed, may cease to exist in near future.

To get the data, the research team used a special equipment that produced a pressurised jet of hot water to drill 27 boreholes to almost 200 meters into the glacial ice at five different sites, at the height up to 5200 metres. Temperature sensors were installed into those holes and were left to collect data for several months.

Towards the end of the meeting, Mr Yogesh Bhattarai, MP representing Taplejung( where Mt Kanchanjunga is located), said the need for the all concerned parties to focus on the solving the problem of climate change. Dr Narendra Khanal, chairman of Nepal Geological Society, raised the issue of temperature increase, which may lead to catastrophe in the Khumbu region. The meeting ended with interaction between the researchers and audience members in a nice reception.