Lake surface area variations in the North-Eastern sector of Sagarmatha National Parck (Nepal) at the end of the 20th century by comparison of historical maps
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2008
Citazione:
Lake surface area variations in the North-Eastern sector of Sagarmatha National Parck (Nepal) at the end of the 20th century by comparison of historical maps / G. Tartari, F. Salerno, E. Buraschi, D. Bruccoleri, C. Smiraglia. - In: JOURNAL OF LIMNOLOGY. - ISSN 1723-8633. - 67:2(2008), pp. 139-154.
Abstract:
The purpose of the present work was to investigate variations in the surface areas of lakes in the north-east sector of Sagarmatha
National Park (Nepal) at the end of the 20th century, through comparison of the Mount Everest maps based on a survey done in the
early 1980s, and the official Map of Nepal based on a survey done at the beginning of the 1990s. The analysis of the changes
occurring between the 1980s and the 1990s in the surface areas and distribution of lakes in the north-east sector of SNP reveals that
lake areas substantially increased, by 15.4 (-5.5; +5.7)% (median 12.5%), within hydrographic basins that included a certain
amount of glacial cover. In fact, 96% of the lakes whose surface area increased are located in glacial basins. Conversely, the
majority of the lakes without glacial cover in their catchment showed a reduction in surface area, and in many cases disappeared
(83% of the lakes that disappeared were situated in basins without glaciers). This different behaviour of these two types of lakes,
though observed over a short time span, would appear to be consistent with the consequences of temperature increases recorded
from the beginning of 1980s on a global and local scale. The digital tool produced (Limnological Information System, LIS) as part of
this work is intended to provide a useful platform for extending the analysis to entire area of SNP, as well as for subsequent
comparisons based on earlier maps or more recent satellite images.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
Sagarmatha National Park ; lakes cadastre ; Mount Everest ; GIS
Elenco autori:
G. Tartari, F. Salerno, E. Buraschi, D. Bruccoleri, C. Smiraglia
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