Surface Morphology in the Ablation Area of the Khumbu Glacier

Abstract

The surface morphology of the ablation area of the Khumbu Glacier in east Nepal was surveyed and the details were mapped. The ablation area includes a bare ice area as well as a debris-covered area. Of the complex surface morphologies, large debris-covered cones, large hollows, and irregular uneven surfaces can be identified. The irregular uneven surfaces are subdivided into eleven mor-phological units according to the morphological elements such as relative relief, directional features of ridges, and distribution of ice cliffs, lakes, and streams. The surface morphology change both in transverse and in longitudinal direction of the glacier.