High Mountain Asian glacier response to climate revealed by multi-temporal satellite observations since the 1960s

A satellite-based analysis spanning over six decades reveals that glacier mass loss rates have persistently increased across seven climatically distinct regions of High Mountain Asia, including the Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs). The study, published in Nature Communications, found that regional glacier mass budgets ranged from −0.40 ± 0.07 meters of water equivalent per year in Central and Northern Tien Shan to −0.06 ± 0.07 meters in Eastern Pamir, with significant temporal and spatial variability. Notably, the highest rates of mass loss were observed in Central Himalaya and Northern Tien Shan after 2015. The research attributes this trend primarily to rising summer temperatures, which now drive glacier retreat even in regions like Eastern Pamir that were previously balanced with climate conditions.

Bhattacharya, A., Bolch, T., Mukherjee, K., King, O., Menounos, B., Kapitsa, V., Neckel, N., Yang, W., & Yao, T. (2021). High Mountain Asian glacier response to climate revealed by multi-temporal satellite observations since the 1960s. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24180-y