Glacier surges in the Karakoram Himalaya (Central Asia)

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Author: Hewitt, Kenneth
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1969
• Subjects: Yukon; glacier; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e69-106; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e69-106

The Karakoram and Alaska–Yukon region between them account for perhaps 90% of the known surging glacier events. While modern research and information is available for the latter region, the Karakoram, though often referred to, remains virtually unknown except in a very general sense. The prime aim of this paper is to collate all the information that is available for the Karakoram from the usually old and inaccessible documents where it is found. It establishes eleven instances of surges with reasonable certainty and the probability of many more. The (rare) instances of detailed descriptions of the phenomena are quoted. A short discussion is given of the degree to which the information, and knowledge of the Karakoram environment, equate with various mechanisms put forward to explain surging glacier events.