Abstract
Lichenometry is an extremely useful technique in dating moraine ridge and recent glacier retreat in polar and alpine regions. The study relates the size of the lichen thallus to the minimum age of the exposure of the surface on which it grows which consequently helps in assessment of the age of the boulders. The Lichenometric studies are carried out in Kupup and Thangu area of eastern Himalaya in Sikkim and Thajiwas glacier in Ganderbal district of north western Himalaya of Jammu and Kashmir with the help of diameters of a common crustose lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum growing luxuriantly on exposed boulder. The Thajiwas glacier showed retreat of 200 m in 279 years while in Thangu and Kupup area of eastern Himalaya the retreat was estimated as 200 m in 100 and 91 years respectively. The rate of retreat was slightly more faster in eastern Himalayan (20 mm/century) than the north-western Himalaya region (18.5mm/century).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ARMSTRONG, R.A. (2005) Radial growth of Rhizocarpon section Rhizaocarpon lichen thalli over six years at Sonqualmine Pass in the Cascade Range, Washington State. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Res., v.37(4), pp.411–415.
BESCHEL, R. (1973) Lichens as a measure of the age of recent moraine. Arctic and Alpine Res., v.5, pp.303–309.
GUPTA, V., VAIDESWARAN, S.C. and DOBHAL, D.P. (2014) Colonization delay of Rhizocarpon geographicum: study from the Gangotri Glacier, Northwestern Himalaya. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.84, pp. 335–340.
HANSEN, E.S. (2008) The application of lichenometry in dating glacier deposits. Geogr.Tidsskr. Dan. Jour. Geog., v.108, pp.143–151.
HARRISON, S. and WINCHESTER, V. (2000) Nineteenth and twentieth century glacier fluctuations and climatic implications in the Arco and Colonia valley, Hielo Patagonia Norte, Chile. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Res., v.16, pp.53–64.
INNES, J.L. (1988) The use of lichens in dating in: Galun, M. (ed.) Handbook of lichenology vol III, CRC press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp, 75–91.
JOSHI, S. and UPRETI, D.K. (2010) Lichenometric studies in vicinity of Pindari Glacier in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, India. Curr. Sci., v.99(2), pp.231–235.
JOSHI, S., UPRETI, D.K., DAS, P. and NAYAKA, S. (2012) Lichenometery: a technique to date natural hazards. Earth Sci. India, v.4(2), pp.1–16.
MEHTA, M., DOBHAL, D.P., KESHARWANI K., PRATAP, B., KUMAR, A. and VERMA, A. (2014) Monitoring of glacier changes and response time in Chorabari Glacier, Central Himalaya, Garhwal, India. Curr. Sci., v.107(2), pp.281–289.
SMITH, D.J. and DESLOGER, J.R. (2000) Little ice age history of Tzeetsaytul Glacier, Tweedesmuir Provinical Park, British Columbia. Geograph. Physciq. Quaternairre, v.54, pp.135–141.
SOLOMINA, O. and CALKIN, P.E. (2003) Lichenometry as applied to moraines in Alaska U.S.A., and Kamchatka, Russia. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Res., v.35, pp.129–143.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bajpai, R., Singh, C.P., Shukla, P. et al. Preliminary lichenometric studies in Eastern and North-Western Himalaya. J Geol Soc India 87, 535–538 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-016-0427-4
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-016-0427-4