Application of an ablation gradient model to characterize annual glacier ice melt contribution to major rivers in High Asia

Brodzik, M. J. (1), R. L. Armstrong (1), S. J. S. Khalsa (1), T. H. Painter (2), A. Racoviteanu (1), K. Rittger (1)

Abstract
Ice melt from mountain glaciers can represent a significant contribution to freshwater hydrological budgets, along with seasonal snow melt, rainfall and groundwater. In the rivers of High Asia, understanding the proportion of glacier ice melt is critical for water resource management of irrigation and planning for hydropower generation and human consumption. Glaciers across the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan ranges are exhibiting heterogenous behaviors, with prevailing glacier thinning and area shrinkage. The impact of these changes on local water resources is not well understood. We investigate a straightforward, systematic method for estimating melt from the exposed ice areas of glaciers in five major river basins of High Asia.