Brief Communication: On the magnitude and frequency of Khurdopin glacier surge events

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: D. J. Quincey, A. Luckman
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2014
• Subjects: geo; envir; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-571-2014; http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/571/2014/tc-8-571-2014.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/c21dbbaf5d20424a905a486f90eadafb

The return periods of Karakoram glacier surges are poorly quantified. Here, we present evidence of an historic surge of the Khurdopin Glacier that began in the mid-1970s and peaked in 1979. Measured surface displacements reached >5 km a−1, two orders of magnitude faster than during quiescence. The Khurdopin Glacier next surged in the late 1990s, equating to a return period of 20 years. Surge evolution in the two events shows remarkable similarity suggesting a common trigger. Surge activity in the Karakoram needs to be better understood if accurate mass balance assessments of Hindu-Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya glaciers are to be made.