The Chhota Shigri Glacier lies on the northern slope of the main ridge of the
Pir Panjal Range of the inner
Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
s, east of the
Rohtang Pass (H.P.). The high, steep ridges and mountain terrain provide an ideal condition for the development of this glacier.
Geography
The Chhota Shigri Glacier is covering about area. The total drainage area of Chhota Shigri Glacier stream is approximately . There is very high gradient from
accumulation zone to
ablation area and
snout
A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. In many animals, the structure is called a muzzle, rostrum, or proboscis. The wet furless surface around the nostrils of the nose of many mammals is c ...
. The glacier meltwater drains out in a single confined stream and meets the
Chandra
Chandra ( sa, चन्द्र, Candra, shining' or 'moon), also known as Soma ( sa, सोम), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) and ...
River. Lateral
moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...
s are present all along the body of the glacier up to the accumulation zone. This glacier is one of the best recorded in terms of mass budget studies among the other glaciers in the entire Himalayan region. Since 2002,
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties and r ...
in New Delhi is monitoring the glaciers for its mass balance and different hydrological aspects on an annual basis.
See also
*
List of glaciers of India
The Himalayan region of India is home to some of the most notable glaciers in the world including Siachen Glacier, second largest non-polar glacier on earth and the largest in India. The following list is of the most important glaciers in India. ...
References
Glaciers of Himachal Pradesh
Geology of India
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