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New findings concerning the Pleistocene Glaciation of the Leh Basin, Ladakh (34°03′ N/77°38′ E)

New findings concerning the Pleistocene Glaciation of the Leh Basin, Ladakh (34°03′ N/77°38′ E) Like for most parts of High Asia, researches concerning the Pleistocene landscape evolution of the Leh Basin (34°03′ N/77°38′ E) have also left contradictions. To push this topic, three up to now unexplored Ladakh Range tributaries of the Leh Basin (Stagmo-, Arzu- and Nang-Valley) have been investigated. U-shaped profiles, transfluence passes, moraine mantled and glacially rounded peaks and ridges, roches moutonnées, glacial flank polishings and ground moraines document the former glaciation of the study area. The ice fillings of these tributaries reached a minimum thickness up to 540 m. Even at the valley outlets and on the orographic right side of the Leh Basin, the glaciation was more than 350 m thick. Based on these empirically extracted results, theoretical snow line considerations lead to the conclusion that the whole Leh Basin was filled up by a former Indus-Valley glacier. An ice injection limited to the nourishment areas of the Ladakh Range valleys could not have caused the reconstructed ice cover (down to 3236 m a.s.l.), which is proved by extended ground moraine complexes. Only an Indus ice stream network (most likely during the LGP), nourished by inflowing glaciers of the Ladakh- and Stok Range, explains the widespread existence of the glacial sediments at the outlets of the investigated valleys. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Mountain Science Springer Journals

New findings concerning the Pleistocene Glaciation of the Leh Basin, Ladakh (34°03′ N/77°38′ E)

Achenbach, Hermann
Journal of Mountain Science , Volume 7 (4) – Nov 9, 2010
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References (23)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by Science Press, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Subject
Earth Sciences; Earth Sciences, general; Geography, general; Environment, general; Ecology
ISSN
1672-6316
eISSN
1993-0321
DOI
10.1007/s11629-010-2027-x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Like for most parts of High Asia, researches concerning the Pleistocene landscape evolution of the Leh Basin (34°03′ N/77°38′ E) have also left contradictions. To push this topic, three up to now unexplored Ladakh Range tributaries of the Leh Basin (Stagmo-, Arzu- and Nang-Valley) have been investigated. U-shaped profiles, transfluence passes, moraine mantled and glacially rounded peaks and ridges, roches moutonnées, glacial flank polishings and ground moraines document the former glaciation of the study area. The ice fillings of these tributaries reached a minimum thickness up to 540 m. Even at the valley outlets and on the orographic right side of the Leh Basin, the glaciation was more than 350 m thick. Based on these empirically extracted results, theoretical snow line considerations lead to the conclusion that the whole Leh Basin was filled up by a former Indus-Valley glacier. An ice injection limited to the nourishment areas of the Ladakh Range valleys could not have caused the reconstructed ice cover (down to 3236 m a.s.l.), which is proved by extended ground moraine complexes. Only an Indus ice stream network (most likely during the LGP), nourished by inflowing glaciers of the Ladakh- and Stok Range, explains the widespread existence of the glacial sediments at the outlets of the investigated valleys.

Journal

Journal of Mountain Science – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 9, 2010

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