Seasonal advancement in surging glaciers in the Karakoram Range 

  • IASbaba
  • May 11, 2020
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Seasonal advancement in surging glaciers in the Karakoram Range 

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Geographical phenomenon

In News:

  • Recently, scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have observed a seasonal advancement in surging or surge-type glaciers in the Karakoram Range. 
  • WIHG is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th MAY 2020

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Important value additions:

Surging or Surge-type glaciers

  • These are short-lived events where a glacier can advance and move at velocities up to 100 times faster than normal. 
  • They cluster around a few areas. 
  • High concentrations of surging glaciers occur in Svalbard, the Canadian Arctic islands, Alaska and Iceland.  
  • They also represent 40% of the total glaciated area of the Karakoram range.
  • These can lead to the destruction of villages, roads and bridges.
  • Therefore, monitoring of glacier surges is important. 

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 11th MAY 2020

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