Context:
- Scientists are studying ice cores from the Pamir Mountains (Tajikistan) to understand why glaciers in this region have resisted melting, unlike most glaciers worldwide.
- The research is part of an international scientific effort to identify mechanisms that could help slow or prevent global glacier loss amid accelerating climate change.
Key Highlights:
Scientific Study / Research Details:
- Japanese scientist Yoshinori Iizuka from Hokkaido University is leading the research.
- Ice cores were drilled from the Kon-Chukurbashi ice cap at an altitude of 5,810 metres.
- Two ice columns, each about 105 metres long, were extracted:
- One stored in an underground ice core sanctuary in Antarctica
- One transported to the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Sapporo
Unique Phenomenon – Pamir-Karakoram Anomaly:
- The Pamir Mountains are among the only regions globally where glaciers:
- Have not retreated significantly
- Have even grown slightly
- This phenomenon is known as the Pamir–Karakoram anomaly.
- Scientists suspect increased precipitation over the last century played a key role.
Climate Change Context:
- A study published in Nature Climate Change (December 15) warns that:
- Thousands of glaciers may disappear annually in coming decades
- Only a small fraction may survive by the end of the century unless global warming is curbed
- Glacier loss threatens:
- Freshwater availability
- Ecosystem stability
- Mountain communities
Significance / Applications:
- Understanding why Pamir glaciers resist melting may:
- Help refine climate and glaciological models
- Inform adaptation and mitigation strategies
- Offer insights to protect other vulnerable glaciers globally
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Issue: Rapid global glacier retreat due to climate change.
- Key Region: Pamir Mountains, Central Asia (Tajikistan).
- Scientific Term: Pamir–Karakoram Anomaly.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Facts & Concepts:
- Ice cores preserve climate records such as temperature, snowfall, and atmospheric composition.
- Glaciers act as natural freshwater reservoirs.
- Conceptual Clarity:
- Difference between glacier retreat and glacier mass balance.
- Role of precipitation vs temperature in glacier stability.
- Way Forward:
- Strengthen international cooperation in cryosphere research
- Integrate findings into climate adaptation policies
- Aggressive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- Protect glacier-fed river basins through regional planning
UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):
- GS Paper I: Physical Geography – Glaciers, Climate Systems
- GS Paper III: Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Risk
- GS Paper II: International Scientific Cooperation