GLACIER MASS BALANCE TRAINING AT YALA GLACIER, NEPAL

 Dr. Sushant S. Naik attended training in Glacier Mass Balance at the Yala Glacier in the Langtang Valley, central Nepal from 28^th April to 15^th May, 2009, organised by UNESCO. Glacier mass balance studies are concerned with changes in the mass of a glacier and the distribution of these changes in space and time. Such studies form an important link in the chain of events connecting advances and retreat of glaciers with climatic changes.

 The highest and lowest altitudes and the area of the Yala glacier are 5749 m and 5094 m a.s.l., 2.5 km², respectively. To reach the glacier it required 7 days of trekking and overnight stays were in shared tents. Two and half days were spent for training on the glacier itself. The main practical part on Yala Glacier included the installation techniques of stakes on glacier using steam drill, measurement techniques of mass balance by stake method and safety measures while working on a glacier. Such techniques could be useful in monitoring glaciers from the Antarctic and Arctic region.