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Decrease In Himachal’s Snow Cover

  • 14 Jul 2020

  • A recent mapping of Himachal's snow cover has shown a marginal decrease in the total area which may affect the runoff patterns during the summers.
  • The report released by the State Centre on Climate Change, Himachal Pradesh Council for Science Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE) said the decrease has been estimated at around 0.72 per cent of the total area under snow.
  • Most of the major rivers such as Chenab, Beas, Parvati, Baspa, Spiti, Ravi, Satluj and its perennial tributaries originating from the Himalayas depend upon the seasonal snow cover for their discharge dependability.
  • Besides this, the snow cover also helps in controlling the accumulation and ablation patterns of the glaciated regions in the state.

Ablation

  • The ice sheets lose material by several processes, including surface melting, evaporation, wind erosion (deflation), iceberg calving, and the melting of the bottom surfaces of floating ice shelves by warmer seawater. This process is called Ablation.