Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Modelling of Meteorological Parameters for the Chorabari Glacier Valley, Central Himalaya, India


Affiliations
1 Centre for Glaciology, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun 248 001, India
2 Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun 248 001, India
 

In the present study, we have developed empirical relationships to estimate meteorological parameters at the glacier altitude from the data on non-glacier altitude. Meteorological data collected from automatic weather station at Chorabari Glacier from November 2011 to May 2013 are analysed and empirical equations for air temperature, relative humidity and incoming global radiation are proposed. The dataset of one year (November 2011-October 2012) is used in the calibration of models, while data for the next seven months (November 2012-May 2013) are employed to validate the models. Moreover, an analytical study is also conducted on incoming diffuse radiation (estimated through the established model for India). Further, a relationship is established to correlate the diffuse component of two sites. Variation trend of meteorological parameters with altitude is found to be different for each of the parameters, viz. quadratic for air temperature, logarithmic for relative humidity, and linear for global and diffuse radiation. Performance of the generated equations is tested through various statistical methods. The study reveals that developed correlations are able to give a good match with in situ measurements.

Keywords

Clearness Index, Empirical Models, Global and Diffuse Radiation, Meteorology.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Houghton, J. T. et al., Climate change 2001: the Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2001.

  • Bolch, T. et al., The state and fate of Himalayan glaciers. Science, 2012, 336(6079), 310–314.

  • Karakoti, I., Kesarwani, K., Mehta, M. and Dobhal, D. P., Extended T-index models for glacier surface melting. Theor. Appl. Climatol., 2016; doi:10.1007/s00704-016-1753-6.

  • Mehta, M., Dobhal, D. P., Kesarwani, K., Pratap, B., Kumar, A. and Verma, A., Monitoring of glacier changes and response time in Chorabari Glacier, Central Himalaya, Garhwal, India. Curr. Sci., 2014, 107(2), 281–289.

  • Zemp, M., Hoelzle, M. and Haeberli, W., Six decades of glacier mass balance observations: a review of the worldwide monitoring network. Ann. Glaciol., 2009, 50, 101–111.

  • Kesarwani, K., Dobhal, D. P., Durgapal, A. and Mehta, M., High altitude meteorology and cloud cover conditions: a study from Chorabari glacier catchment, Central Himalaya, India. Himalayan Geol., 2015, 36(2), 134–142.

  • Kesarwani, K., Dobhal, D. P., Durgapal, A., Karakoti, I. and Mehta, M., Surface energy and mass balance on the ablation zone of Chorabari Glacier, Central Himalaya, India. In Geostatistical and Geospatial Approaches for the Characterization of Natural Resources in the Environment: Challenges, Processes and Strategies (ed. Raju, N. J.), Springer, 2016, pp. 881–885; doi:10.1007/978-3-319-18663-4_136.

  • Overlemans, J., Glaciers and Climate Change. Balkema, Lisse, 2001.

  • Kuhn, M, Climate and Glaciers, IAHS Publications, 1981, vol. 131, pp. 3–20.

  • Schöner, W., Auer, I. and Bohm, R., Climate variability and glacier reaction in the Austrian eastern Alps. Ann. Glaciol., 2000, 31(1), 31–38.

  • Greene, A. M., A time constant for hemisphere glacier mass balance. J. Glaciol., 2005, 51(174), 353–362.

  • Greuell, W. and Smeets, C. J. J. P., Variations with elevation in the surface energy balance on the Pasterze (Austria). J. Geophys. Res., 2001, 106, 31717–31727.

  • Kulkarni, A. V., Mass balance of Himalayan glacier using AAR and ELA methods. J. Glaciol., 1992, 38, 101–104.

  • Kargel, J. S. et al., Multispectral imaging contributions to global land ice measurements from space. Remote Sensing Environ., 2005, 99, 187–219.

  • Berthier, E., Arnaud, Y., Kumar, R., Ahmed, S., Wagon, P. and Chevallier, P., Remote sensing estimates of glacier mass balances in the Himachal Pradesh (Western Himalaya, India). Remote Sensing Environ., 2007, 108(3), 327–338.

  • Dobhal, D. P., Gergan, J. T. and Thayyen, R. J., Mass balance studies of Dokriani glacier from 1992 to 2000, Garhwal Himalaya, India. Bull. Glaciol. Res., 2008, 25, 9–17.

  • Bhambri, R. and Bolch, T., Glacier mapping: a review with special reference to the Indian Himalayas. Prog. Phys. Geogr., 2009, 33(5), 672–704.

  • Das, S. K., Dobhal, D. P. and Juyal, N., Variability of aerosol optical depth and recent recessional trend in Dokriani Glacier, Bhagirathi Valley, Garhwal Himalaya. Curr. Sci., 2010, 99(12), 1816–1821.

  • Bhambri, R., Bolch, T., Chaujar, R. K. and Kulshreshtha, S. C., Glacier changes in the Garhwal Himalaya, India, from 1968 to 2006 based on remote sensing. J. Glaciol., 2011, 57(203), 543–556.

  • Mehta, M., Majeed, Z., Dobhal, D. P. and Srivastava, P., Geomorphological evidences of post-LGM glacial advancements in the Himalaya: a study from Chorabari Glacier, Garhwal Himalaya, India. J. Earth Syst. Sci., 2012, 121(1), 149–163.

  • Kesarwani, K. et al., Meteorological observations at Chorabari and Dokriani glaciers, Garhwal Himalaya, India. J. Indian Geol. Cong., 2012, 1, 125–128.

  • Bhambri, R., Bolch, T. Y., Kawishwar, P., Dobhal, D. P., Srivastava, D. and Pratap, B., Heterogeneity in glacier response in the upper Shyok valley, northeast Karakoram. Cryosphere, 2013, 7, 1385–1398; doi:10.5194/tc-7-1385-2013.

  • Dobhal, D. P., Mehta, M. and Srivastava, D., Influence of debris cover on terminus retreat and mass changes of Chorabari Glacier, Garhwal region, central Himalaya, India. J. Glaciol., 2013, 59(217), 961–971; doi:10.3189/2013JoG12J180.

  • Negi, H. S., Saravana, G., Rout, R. and Snehmani, Monitoring of great Himalayan glaciers in Patsio region, India using remote sensing and climatic observations. Curr. Sci., 2013, 105(10), 25.

  • Azam, M. F., Wagon, P., Vincent, C., Ramanathan, A., Linda, A. and Singh, V. B., Reconstruction of the annual balance of Chhota Shigri glacier, Western Himalaya, India, since 1969. Ann. Glaciol., 2014, 55(66), doi:3189/2014AoG66A104.

  • Bahuguna, I. M. et al., Are the Himalayan glaciers retreating? Curr. Sci., 2014, 106(7,10), 1008–1013.

  • Baral, P. et al., Preliminary results of mass-balance observations of Yala Glacier and analysis of temperature and precipitation gradients in Langtang Valley, Nepal. Ann. Glaciol., 2014, 55(66); doi:10.3189/2014AoG66A106.

  • Pratap, B., Dobhal, D. P., Mehta, M. and Bhambri, R., Influence of debris cover and altitude on glacier surface melting: a case study on Dokriani Glacier, central Himalaya, India. Ann. Glaciol., 2015, 56(70); doi:10.3189/2015AoG70A971.

  • Karakoti, I., Das, P. K. and Singh, S. K., Predicting monthly mean daily diffuse radiation for India. Appl. Energy, 2012, 91, 412–425.

  • Valdiya, K. S., Paul, S. K. and Chandra, T., Tectonic and lithological characterization of Himadri (Great Himalaya) between Kali and Yamuna rivers, Central Himalaya. Himalayan Geol., 1999, 20, 1–17.

  • Iqbal, M., An Introduction to Solar Radiation, Academic Press, New York, London, 1983.


Abstract Views: 339

PDF Views: 124




  • Modelling of Meteorological Parameters for the Chorabari Glacier Valley, Central Himalaya, India

Abstract Views: 339  |  PDF Views: 124

Authors

Indira Karakoti
Centre for Glaciology, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun 248 001, India
Kapil Kesarwani
Centre for Glaciology, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun 248 001, India
Manish Mehta
Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun 248 001, India
D. P. Dobhal
Centre for Glaciology, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun 248 001, India

Abstract


In the present study, we have developed empirical relationships to estimate meteorological parameters at the glacier altitude from the data on non-glacier altitude. Meteorological data collected from automatic weather station at Chorabari Glacier from November 2011 to May 2013 are analysed and empirical equations for air temperature, relative humidity and incoming global radiation are proposed. The dataset of one year (November 2011-October 2012) is used in the calibration of models, while data for the next seven months (November 2012-May 2013) are employed to validate the models. Moreover, an analytical study is also conducted on incoming diffuse radiation (estimated through the established model for India). Further, a relationship is established to correlate the diffuse component of two sites. Variation trend of meteorological parameters with altitude is found to be different for each of the parameters, viz. quadratic for air temperature, logarithmic for relative humidity, and linear for global and diffuse radiation. Performance of the generated equations is tested through various statistical methods. The study reveals that developed correlations are able to give a good match with in situ measurements.

Keywords


Clearness Index, Empirical Models, Global and Diffuse Radiation, Meteorology.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv112%2Fi07%2F1553-1560