Ladakh’s Chelong catchment becomes high-tech hub for glacier research

Srinagar, Oct 15: In a landmark scientific collaboration, researchers from India and the European Union (EU) have launched an ambitious project to study the rapidly changing Himalayan cryosphere—the region of ice, snow, and permafrost that sustains millions of lives across South Asia.

The 9-million CryoSCOPE project (Cryosphere Science Concluding in new Observations and Productive Exploitation) brings together leading institutions from India and Europe to monitor and model glaciers, snow, and permafrost across the Himalaya, Alps, Finnish Lapland, Iceland, and Svalbard. Coordinated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and co-funded by India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences under the EU’s Horizon Europe framework, the Indian consortium includes IIT-Madras, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Roorkee, and the University of Kashmir.

In India, CryoSCOPE research focuses on the Chelong catchment in the Panikhar region of Ladakh, extending across the western Himalaya. A network of automatic weather stations, stream gauges, turbidity sensors, permafrost monitors, and high-altitude time-lapse cameras is being established to continuously track snow depth, glacier mass balance, river discharge, sediment transport, permafrost conditions, and local meteorology.

“We established Chelong, a small catchment of about 150 km², as a supersite,” said Dr Chandan Sarangi, Associate Professor at IIT-Madras and Principal Investigator of the Indian consortium. “Two time-lapse cameras record hourly changes in glacier surfaces and snow depth, helping us track daily and seasonal melt dynamics.”

The University of Kashmir, with its expertise in remote sensing and field-based cryospheric monitoring, is a key partner. Dr Irfan Rashid, Associate Professor in Geoinformatics, said, “CryoSCOPE strengthens high-altitude observatories and builds capacity among local researchers and students to monitor snow, glaciers, permafrost, and glacial lakes at high spatial and temporal scales, a first-of-its-kind setup in the Himalaya.”

The western Himalaya is experiencing accelerated glacier retreat, snow droughts, and permafrost degradation, raising water security and hazard concerns. CryoSCOPE integrates satellite observations with on-ground measurements to develop models for cryospheric hydrology, high-altitude meteorology, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and regional climate.

Experts highlight that current climate models are poorly tuned for Himalayan conditions. Dr Sarangi said, “CryoSCOPE will generate robust datasets to improve understanding of snow, ice, and water interactions under climate change.” Dr Rashid added that aerosol loading, wind shifts, and precipitation variability—factors crucial for Kashmir and Ladakh—will also be studied.

The project will run for four years, with data shared with policymakers, scientists, and government agencies to strengthen resilience against flash floods, avalanches, GLOFs, and water scarcity. Dr Rakesh Hooda of the Finnish Meteorological Institute emphasised that CryoSCOPE will help local communities and governments develop mitigation strategies and disaster-resilient infrastructure.

University leaders and local authorities lauded the initiative. Prof. M. Sultan Bhat, Dean Research, University of Kashmir, said, “This reinforces the University’s engagement with global science.” Vice Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan called it a demonstration of the University’s growing global footprint. Deputy Commissioner Kargil Rakesh Kumar highlighted the project’s relevance to GLOF hazard management, while LAHDC Counsellor Agha Ainul Huda praised its citizen-centric approach.

CryoSCOPE promises scientific insights, student training, technology exchange, and long-term environmental monitoring, positioning the consortium as a key hub in global climate research.