Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India
Abstract In the north-western Himalaya, the distribution of modem glaciers and snowlines in the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges adjacent to the Indus River valley suggests comparable climatic conditions prevail in the two ranges. Similarly, the positions of terminal moraines and reconstructed equilibrium-...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1985
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006389 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006389 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000006389 2024-06-23T07:54:15+00:00 Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India Burbank, Douglas W. Fort, Monique B. 1985 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006389 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006389 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 31, issue 108, page 143-149 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 1985 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006389 2024-06-12T04:04:53Z Abstract In the north-western Himalaya, the distribution of modem glaciers and snowlines in the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges adjacent to the Indus River valley suggests comparable climatic conditions prevail in the two ranges. Similarly, the positions of terminal moraines and reconstructed equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) indicate equivalent magnitudes of Neoglacial and Late Glacial advances in both ranges. However, the terminal positions and reconstructed ELAs from the late Pleistocene maximum advances are at least 400 m lower in the Ladakh Range than in the nearby Zanskar Range. These differences do not appear to reflect either climatic or tectonic controls. Rather, they are caused by an unusual bedrock configuration in the Zanskar Range, where vertical strata of indurated sandstones and conglomerates, and narrow steep-walled canyons cut through them, created a bulwark that effectively precluded significant down-valley advance. Without recognition of this physical impedance to glacial advance, uncritical reconstructions would greatly overestimate the altitude of the ELA in the Zanskar Range. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Bulwark ENVELOPE(163.550,163.550,-78.283,-78.283) Ela ENVELOPE(9.642,9.642,63.170,63.170) Journal of Glaciology 31 108 143 149 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract In the north-western Himalaya, the distribution of modem glaciers and snowlines in the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges adjacent to the Indus River valley suggests comparable climatic conditions prevail in the two ranges. Similarly, the positions of terminal moraines and reconstructed equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) indicate equivalent magnitudes of Neoglacial and Late Glacial advances in both ranges. However, the terminal positions and reconstructed ELAs from the late Pleistocene maximum advances are at least 400 m lower in the Ladakh Range than in the nearby Zanskar Range. These differences do not appear to reflect either climatic or tectonic controls. Rather, they are caused by an unusual bedrock configuration in the Zanskar Range, where vertical strata of indurated sandstones and conglomerates, and narrow steep-walled canyons cut through them, created a bulwark that effectively precluded significant down-valley advance. Without recognition of this physical impedance to glacial advance, uncritical reconstructions would greatly overestimate the altitude of the ELA in the Zanskar Range. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Burbank, Douglas W. Fort, Monique B. |
spellingShingle |
Burbank, Douglas W. Fort, Monique B. Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India |
author_facet |
Burbank, Douglas W. Fort, Monique B. |
author_sort |
Burbank, Douglas W. |
title |
Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India |
title_short |
Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India |
title_full |
Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India |
title_fullStr |
Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bedrock Control on Glacial Limits: Examples from the Ladakh and Zanskar Ranges, North-Western Himalaya, India |
title_sort |
bedrock control on glacial limits: examples from the ladakh and zanskar ranges, north-western himalaya, india |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1985 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006389 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000006389 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(163.550,163.550,-78.283,-78.283) ENVELOPE(9.642,9.642,63.170,63.170) |
geographic |
Bulwark Ela |
geographic_facet |
Bulwark Ela |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 31, issue 108, page 143-149 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000006389 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
108 |
container_start_page |
143 |
op_container_end_page |
149 |
_version_ |
1802646336423591936 |