Abstract:
The climate and hydrology of the Western
Himalayas is complex and a function of snow and glacier
melt, land use, topography, and Indian summer and winter
monsoon dynamics. Improving our knowledge about these
processes is important from societal and agricultural points
of view. In this study, an observational analysis is carried out
to assess the changing climatic trends and the associated interannual
variability in winter temperature and precipitation at
three glacierized regions of Western Himalayas having distinctly
different sub-regional characteristics. In situ observations
of 23 years (1985–2007) are used. These observations
are passed through rigorous statistical quality control checks.
Results show higher interannual variability with increasing
temperature trends in the glacierized regions of the Siachen
(Karakoram Range) and Chotasigri (Great Himalayan Range).
Karakoram Range has higher warming trends than the Great
Himalayan Range. In case of precipitation, an overall decrease
in precipitation is observed with contrasting trends in the last
decade. Nino3.4 index is positively correlated with winter
precipitation with similar interannual variability. In addition,
at Siachen temperature and precipitation show strong negative
correlation, and precipitation to spell length correlation is opposite
at Siachen and Chotasigri.
