Itanagar: The Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS), in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), on Saturday launched the ‘North Khangri Glacier Expedition’ in the Mago Chu basin, located beneath the Gorichen mountains of Arunachal Pradesh.
The mission, which will run from November 5 to 15, aims to study glacier mass balance, dynamics, the influence of glacial lakes, and assess the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Researchers said the study will offer valuable insights into the headwater basins of the Brahmaputra River, a critical yet lesser-explored region of the Indian cryosphere.
Director of CESHS Tage Tage highlighted that despite Arunachal Pradesh hosting an extensive glaciated terrain, scientific research on its glaciers remains minimal. “The Arunachal Himalaya remains one of the least explored ‘white spots’ of the Indian cryosphere. Very few glaciers have been studied in detail to understand their climatic response, mass balance, and long-term dynamics,” he said.
The research team includes scientists and engineers from CESHS — Er. Nyelam Sunil, Er. Vikram Singh, Er. Romik Tato, and Solai Yun; from NCPOR — Dr. Sandeep Kumar Mondal and Talawar Raghavendra Chandrappa; from Nagaland University — Dr. Manasi Debnath and Samikcha Rai; and from NERIST — Abhishek Pratap Singh and Chewang Thupte.
According to CESHS, the Arunachal Himalaya houses 161 glaciers spanning around 223 square kilometres across four major basins — Manas, Subansiri, Kameng, and Dibang, which form the vital headwaters of the Brahmaputra River system. Yet, none of these glaciers have been systematically monitored for long-term field-based studies.
Highlighting the hydrological significance, CESHS stated that these basins form the primary headwaters of the Brahmaputra river system, vital for sustaining water security and human settlements downstream.
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The findings from this expedition are expected to offer valuable insights into the climate–cryosphere–hydrology relationship, improving long-term understanding of glacier health and water resources in one of the least explored Himalayan frontiers.
