The role of the Indian summer monsoon and the mid-latitude westerlies in Himalayan glaciation: review and speculative discussion

Benn, Douglas I.; Owen, Lewis A.

doi:10.1144/gsjgs.155.2.0353

Cited by 418 publications

(282 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…However, in 1995 the data for the Himalayan-Tibetan region were too sparse to demonstrate with confidence the degree of synchrony or asynchrony from region to region within Asia. Benn and Owen (1998), using newly published ages, were able to demonstrate that during the last glacial cycle glacial advances were indeed not synchronous throughout the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. Rather, in some areas glaciers reached their maxima at the global LGM, whereas in others glaciers were most extensive at ca.…”

Section: Timing Of Glaciationmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Two climatic systems dominate this vast region: the midlatitude westerlies and the South Asian monsoon (Benn and Owen, 1998;Fig. 2).…”

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in western Tibet (Owen and Benn, 2005). The seasonal distribution of precipitation creates glaciers of the summer accumulation type, with maxima in accumulation and ablation occurring more or less simultaneously during the summer, in most of the region (Ageta and Higuchi, 1984;Owen and Derbyshire, 1989;Benn and Owen, 1998;Ageta and Kadota, 1992;Kulkarni, 1992;Nijampurkar and Rao, 1992). The summer accumulation maximum reflects high precipitation during the summer monsoon, when moisture-bearing air masses originating over the Indian Ocean bring snow to high altitudes in the Himalaya and western Tibet (Yasunari and Inoue, 1978;Higuchi et al, 1982;Ageta and Higuchi, 1984).…”

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Glacier ablation is also at a maximum during the summer, when high temperatures result from direct solar heating, advected sensible heat, and latent heat released by condensation during deep atmospheric convection (Webster, 1987a,b). In contrast, winters are cold and relatively dry, although heavy snowfalls can occur in association with westerly winds, particularly in the western parts of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen (Inoue, 1978;Benn and Owen, 1998). Glacier accumulation occurs by direct snowfall, blowing snow and avalanching.…”

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relative importance of these three processes varies considerably between glaciers. Avalanching plays an important role in many catchments due to the widespread occurrence of high, steep mountain sides that capture, but cannot retain snowfall (Benn and Owen, 1998;Benn and Lehmkuhl, 2000). Continuous, thick debris cover insulates the underlying ice, and can significantly reduce ablation (Inoue, 1977).…”

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quaternary glaciation of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen

Owen

Caffee

Finkel

et al. 2008

J Quaternary Science

205

141

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Glacial geological evidence from throughout the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen is examined to determine the timing and extent of late Quaternary glaciation in this region and its relation to similar changes on a global scale. The evidence summarised here supports the existence of expanded ice caps and extensive valley glacier systems throughout the region during the late Quaternary. However, it cannot yet be determined whether the timing of the extent of maximum glaciation was synchronous throughout the entire region or whether the response was more varied. The lack of organic material needed for radiocarbon dating has hindered past progress in glacial reconstruction; however, application of optically stimulated luminescence and terrestrial cosmogenic radionuclide methods has recently expanded the number of chronologies throughout the region. Limits to the precision and accuracy available with these methods and, more importantly, geological uncertainty imposed by processes of moraine formation and alteration both conspire to limit the time resolution on which correlations can be made to Milankovitch timescales (several ka). In order to put all studies on a common scale, well-dated sites have been re-evaluated and all the published terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide ages for moraine boulders and glacially eroded surfaces in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen have been recalculated. Locally detailed studies indicate that there are considerable variations in the extent of glaciation from one region to the next during a glaciation. Glaciers throughout monsoon-influenced Tibet, the Himalaya and the Transhimalaya are likely synchronous both with climate change resulting from oscillations in the South Asian monsoon and with Northern Hemisphere cooling cycles. In contrast, glaciers in Pamir in the far western regions of the Himalayan-Tibet orogen advanced asynchronously relative to the other regions that are monsooninfluenced regions and appear to be mainly in phase with the Northern Hemisphere cooling cycles. Broad patterns of local and regional variability based on equilibrium-line altitudes have yet to be fully assessed, but have the potential to help define changes in climatic gradients over time.

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Section: Timing Of Glaciationmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Two climatic systems dominate this vast region: the midlatitude westerlies and the South Asian monsoon (Benn and Owen, 1998;Fig. 2).…”

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Physical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Quaternary glaciation of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen

Owen

Caffee

Finkel

et al. 2008

J Quaternary Science

205

141

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Timing of Late Quaternary glaciations in the Himalayas of northern Pakistan

2000

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Timing of Late Quaternary glaciations in the Himalayas of northern Pakistan

2000

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Optically stimulated luminescence dating of Late Quaternary glaciogenic sediments was undertaken in critical areas of the Himalayas of northern Pakistan in order to examine the timing of glaciation. The dates demonstrate that several glaciations occurred during the last glacial cycle. In Swat, the Grabral 2 Stade and the Kalam I Stade were dated at ca. 77 ka and ca. 38 ka, respectively. The error on the former date is large and it is conceivable that the moraines may have formed during the early part of Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 rather than during Oxygen Isotope Stage 4. The Kalam I Stade, however, clearly represents a glaciation during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3. The oldest moraines and those at the lowest altitude in the Indus valley at Shatial have an age of ca. 60 ka. These also relate to a major glacial advance during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3. A younger series of moraines, the Jalipur Tillite, and glaciofluvial sands at Liachar in the Indus valley, and moraines at Rampur-Tarshing have ages of ca. 27 ka, ca. 21-23 ka and ca. 15 ka, respectively. These dates show that glaciers also occupied parts of the Indus valley during Oxygen Isotope Stage 2. These dates and the morphostratigraphy show that glaciation in the Pakistani Himalaya was more extensive during the early part of the last glacial cycle and that the local last glacial maximum in Pakistan was asynchronous with the maximum extent of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets.

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The role of the Indian summer monsoon and the mid-latitude westerlies in Himalayan glaciation: review and speculative discussion

Cited by 418 publications

References 54 publications

Quaternary glaciation of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen

Quaternary glaciation of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen

Timing of Late Quaternary glaciations in the Himalayas of northern Pakistan

Timing of Late Quaternary glaciations in the Himalayas of northern Pakistan

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