Effect of Nocturnal Precipitation on the Mass Balance of the Rikha Samba Glacier, Hidden Valley, Nepal

Abstract

60% of the total precipitation during the monsoon season in the ablution urea of the Rikha Samba glacier occurred at night in the form of snow. If this amount of precipitation occurred, in the daytime in the [orm of rain, the ablation of glacier ice would increase instead of melting of snow 'deposited on the glacier surface. If so, the altitude of the glacier terminus [s 70m higher than the present one; which corresponds to a 500m retreat of the terminus' from the present position on the slope. It can be concluded from these estimations that the present position of the terminus of the Rikha Samba glacier has II relation to the' tendency of precipitation in this area to occur frequently at night.