Context Scientists have recently found that Nearly 20,000 years ago, a large Himalayan glacier “abruptly” changed course and over time fused into an adjacent glacier in present-day Pittoragarh, Uttarakhand.
This finding has been recorded in the Himalayas for the first time.
Cause of the change: Change in climate and tectonic movement.
Its accumulated debris caused it to turn from a north-eastern direction to a south-eastern course.
Methods used for the study: Remote sensing and an old survey map
The unnamed glacier lies in an extremely inaccessible region.
Young Himalayan region
Himalayan region is among the youngest mountain ranges in the world due to which the supporting underlying tectonic plates are not stable and frequently trigger earthquakes and landslides.
