Glacier response in Chandra Valley during Last Glacial Maxima

Abstract

During the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM), geomorphological data show suppressed glaciation with a minor advance of 10km in several regions across the Himalayas relative to major glaciation in several parts of the world. This supports the hypothesis that the Indian Summer Monsoon(ISM) was weakened during the LGM, which counterbalanced the colder climate. Recently a major glaciation (>100km) was reported in the Chandra basin during the LGM period. This led to a new hypothesis that the Himalayan glaciers responded positively to the colder climate, similar to the other glaciers. This study explores whether a small change in ELA can cause an extended glaciation using the SIA(Shallow Ice Approximation) model.