ESA CS XECV Glaciers Karakoram Anomaly (2024 - 2027)

With this proposal for a Cross-ECV activity, we propose an investigation of a widely recognized cryospheric and climatic singularity, the so-called ‘Karakoram Anomaly’ (KA). The KA is expressed by air temperatures that do not increase (e.g. Fowler and Archer 206), glaciers that do not retreat but are stable or even advancing (Hewitt 2011), and glacier mass balances that were close to zero or even positive over the past 20 years (e.g. Hugonnet et al. 2021). On a 50-year time scale and confirmed by studies from Bolch et al. (2017) and Zhou et al. (2017) for the time before 2000, this is the only larger region on Earth where glaciers have gained mass.

Lead: University of Zurich

Project Team: University of Zurich, GUIO, ETH Zurich, ENVEO, GAMMA, Uni Bristol, DWD, CLS