Glaciers in the Himalaya are shrinking in response to climate change. We use a glacier model to explore how future changes in precipitation distribution will drive the evolution of Khumbu Glacier in Nepal until 2100 CE. We find that, when compared to the impacts of climate warming alone, the combined effect of warming and the resulting increase in precipitation (rain and snowfall) could offset up to half of the glacier loss expected by the end of this Century.

We designed and tested a system that can record and send data in near real time from extreme and remote locations, such as Mount Everest. Using solar power and satellite communication, the system worked reliably at high altitude, showing it can be applied in other remote regions. This approach will help scientists collect vital information on how the environment is changing in areas that are normally very difficult to study.

This study analyses the basal sliding and the hydrological drainage of Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan. The surface velocity was characterized by a spring speed-up, summer peak, and autumn speed-up. Snow melt has the largest impact on the spring speed-up, summer velocity peak, and the transition from inefficient to efficient drainage. Drainage from supraglacial lakes contributed to the fall speed-up. Increased summer temperatures will intensify the magnitude of meltwater and thus surface velocities.

Kyagar Glacier in the Karakoram is well known for its surge history and its frequent blocking of the downstream valley, leading to a series of high-magnitude glacial lake outburst floods. Using it as a test bed, we develop a new approach for quantifying surge behaviour using successive digital elevation models. This method could be applied to other surge studies. Combined with the results from optical satellite images, we also reconstruct the surge process in unprecedented detail.

Hazards from glaciers are becoming more likely as the climate warms, which poses a threat to communities living beneath them. We have developed a new camera system which can capture regular, high-quality 3D models to monitor small changes in glaciers which could be indicative of a future hazard. This system is far cheaper than more typical camera sensors yet produces very similar quality data. We suggest that deploying these cameras near glaciers could assist in warning communities of hazards.