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Bharatiya Vaigyanik evam Audyogik Anusandhan Patrika (BVAAP) >
BVAAP Vol.20 [2012] >
BVAAP Vol.20(1) [June 2012] >
| Title: | MELT – Runoff delaying charateristics of Gangotri glacier |
| Authors: | Kumar, Naresh
Arora, Manohar
Kumar, Rakesh
Singh, Hukam |
| Issue Date: | Jun-2012 |
| Publisher: | NISCAIR-CSIR, India |
| Abstract: | Most of the Himalayan basins have considerable snow and
glacier covered areas. The melt contribution in such rivers augments their
flows in the lean season, thereby reducing the variations in water
availability. Depending upon the prevailing climatic conditions the runoff
contribution from the glaciers in the Himalayan rivers starts in May after
depletion of accumulated seasonal snow. Usually melt contribution from these
glaciers continues till October. The melt water generated in the glacierized
basin appears as runoff at the snout of glacier with a time-lag.
Changes in delaying characteristics of the runoff over
the melt season can be understood by studying the variation in time to peak (tp) and
timelag (te) between melt generation and its emergence as runoff.
In the recent study, the runoff delaying characteristics of the Gangotri
Glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas (glacierized area 286 km2; drainage
area 556 km2) have been studied. For the purpose, hourly discharge
and temperature data were collected near the snout of the glacier (approx
4000m) for the entire ablation period (May–October, 2004). The diurnal
variations in the hydrograph and temperature observed
under clear weather provided useful information for this study. In the early
stages of the ablation period, poor drainage network and stronger storage
characteristics of the glaciers due to the presence of seasonal snow cover
resulted in a much delayed response of melt water, providing a higher te and tp. A comparison of runoff delaying parameters with
discharge ratio clearly indicated that changes in time-lag and time to peak are
inversely correlated with variations in discharge. |
| Page(s): | 135-140 |
| CC License: |  CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India |
| ISSN: | 0975-2412 (Online); 0771-7706 (Print) |
| Source: | BVAAP Vol.20(1) [June 2012]
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