Reyaz Ahmad Dar

Morphotectonic and lithostratigraphic analysis of intermontane Karewa Basin of Kashmir Himalayas, India

Morpho-tectonic study plays an important role in deciphering the effects of tectonic activity in the geomorphic evolution of the drainage basins. Romushi watershed forms one of the major watersheds of the intermontane Karewa Basin of Kashmir Valley. The Karewa sediments are characterized by glacio-fluvio-lacustrine deposits capped by the aeolian loess. The geomorphic, morphometric and lithostratigraphic studies of these cap deposits have been carried out to elucidate the effect of tectonics on the geomorphic evolution of Romushi Watershed. Geomorphic mapping was carried out using GPS measurements, DEM at 30m resolution, Topographic Position Index (TPI) model, topographic maps, LANDSAT TM Imagery and field data. Morphometric and morphotectonic analyses in GIS environment were used to calculate various geomorphic indices (Mountain Front Sinuosity Index, Bifurcation Ratio, Asymmetry Factor, River Profile, etc). These indices reveal that the tectonic uplift observed in the region due to Himalayan orogeny coupled with mass movement and aeolian deposition have dominated the landscape evolution of intermontane Karewa Basin of Kashmir throughout the Late Quaternary Period. Additional data from lithostratigraphic measurements were analyzed to understand the geomorphic evolution of intermontane Karewa Basin. The data revealed that the basin has experienced differential uplift and erosion rates from time to time in the geological past. This was corroborated by the results from the morphometric and morphotectonic analysis.

Implications of Shrinking Cryosphere Under Changing Climate on the Streamflows in the Lidder Catchment in the Upper Indus Basin, India

Abstract Lidder tributary in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) of the Himalayas, an important source of surface and ground water, is experiencing clear indications of climate change. In the basin, minimum, maximum, and average temperatures are showing a significant increasing trend in all the four seasons. Precipitation is showing insignificant decrease over time in the basin. However, the proportion of snow is decreasing and correspondingly, the proportion of rains is increasing. The temperature projections also show increasing trends for the end of this century. The time-series analysis of the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) shows a depletion of the snow-cover in the region. Furthermore, during the past 51 years, the glacier area in the basin has decreased from 46.09 km2 in 1962 to 33.43 km2 in 2013, a depletion of 27.47%. As a result of glacier recession in the basin, the streamflow fed predominantly by snowmelt and glacier melt, is showing a statistically significant decline since the mid-1990s. The declining streamflows have potential to adversely affect agriculture, energy production, tourism, and even domestic water supplies. The Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) was tested for estimating the runoff from this glaciated basin on an operational basis. The average simulated runoff 11.94 m3 s-1 at the outlet is in concordance with the average measured runoff 13.51 m3 s-1 showing R2 of 0.82. The model could thus be used for snowmelt runoff estimation, on an operational basis, for judicious utilization of the depleting water resources in the region.

Sustainability of winter tourism in a changing climate over Kashmir Himalaya

Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in less snow, receding glaciers, increasing temperatures, and decreasing precipitation. Climate change is also a severe threat to snow-related winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. The change in climate will put further pressure on the sensitive environment of high mountains. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to know the impact of climate change on the snow precipitation, water resources, and winter tourism in the two famous tourist resorts of the Kashmir Valley. Our findings show that winters are getting prolonged with little snow falls on account of climate change. The average minimum and maximum temperatures are showing statistically significant increasing trends for winter months. The precipitation is showing decreasing trends in both the regions. A considerable area in these regions remains under the snow and glacier cover throughout the year especially during the winter and spring seasons. However, time series analysis of LandSat MODIS images using Normalized Difference Snow Index shows a decreasing trend in snow cover in both the regions from past few years. Similarly, the stream discharge, comprising predominantly of snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant declining trend despite the melting of these glaciers. The predicted futuristic trends of temperature from Predicting Regional Climates for Impact Studies regional climate model are showing an increase which may enhance snow-melting in the near future posing a serious threat to the sustainability of winter tourism in the region. Hence, it becomes essential to monitor the changes in temperature and snow cover depletion in these basins in order to evaluate their effect on the winter tourism and water resources in the region.

Climatic, geomorphic and anthropogenic drivers of the 2014 extreme flooding in the Jhelum basin of Kashmir, India

ABSTRACT The 2014 extreme flooding in Kashmir, with the peak discharge exceeding 115,000 cfs and the Jhelum River overflowing its banks, was triggered by the complex interplay of atmospheric disturbances causing widespread extreme rainfall for 7 days preceding the event. We used multisource data in GIS environment; satellites, hydro-meteorological, socioeconomic and field data, to assess the role of various factors in the flooding. The event was aggravated by the geomorphic setup of the Valley. Tributaries in the south, characterized by high gradient, decreased time of runoff concentration and increased flood peakedness with short lag, almost simultaneously discharge enormous volumes of floodwaters into the Jhelum around Sangam. Owing to the flat gradient of the Jhelum from Sangam downstream (<5o), floods historically inundate vast areas in the stretch. The situation was exacerbated by the anthropogenic drivers, such as extensive urbanization of the floodplain, loss of wetlands, and decreased channel capacity due to the siltation from the deforested mountainous landscapes. The dilapidated flood control infrastructure and the institutional inability to manage the enormity of the event made the situation worst causing unprecedented damage to the infrastructure in the basin with the capital city Srinagar inundated up to ∼30ft for more than a week.