Earth: Karakoram Glaciers Buck Global, Regional Trends

Alexandria, VA — Resting in the Karakoram Range between northern Pakistan and western China, the Karakoram glaciers are stumping scientists. Unlike most mountain glaciers, the Karakoram glaciers, which account for 3 percent of the total ice-covered area in the world, excluding Greenland and Antarctica, are not shrinking. On the contrary, a team of French glaciologists has recently confirmed that these glaciers on average have remained stable or may have even grown slightly in recent years.

Although all glacial regions evolve in unique ways, why are these glaciers bucking the global trend? The answer to this question could have major implications for local water supplies and glacial hazards, and could help glaciologists better understand how glaciers react on a regional scale. To find out more, read the story “Karakoram Enigma” at EARTH Magazine.

Read this story and more in the July issue of EARTH Magazine, available online now at http://www.earthmagazine.org. Find out why Louisiana is drowning; get trapped by geology in Utah; and learn how egg laying may have led to the dinosaurs’ decline.

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