DOCSLIB.ORG

Assessment of Permafrost Distribution Maps in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region Using Rock Glaciers Mapped in Google Earth

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Assessment of Permafrost Distribution Maps in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region Using Rock Glaciers Mapped in Google Earth The Cryosphere, 9, 2089–2099, 2015 www.the-cryosphere.net/9/2089/2015/ doi:10.5194/tc-9-2089-2015 © Author(s) 2015. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Assessment of permafrost distribution maps in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region using rock glaciers mapped in Google Earth M.-O. Schmid1, P. Baral1, S. Gruber2, S. Shahi1, T. Shrestha1, D. Stumm1, and P. Wester1,3 1ICIMOD, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal 2Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada 3Water Resources Management group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands Correspondence to: M.-O. Schmid ([email protected]) Received: 30 July 2014 – Published in The Cryosphere Discuss.: 15 October 2014 Revised: 30 October 2015 – Accepted: 3 November 2015 – Published: 11 November 2015 Abstract. The extent and distribution of permafrost in the this study, the Permafrost Zonation Index is inferred to be a mountainous parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) re- reasonable first-order prediction of permafrost in the HKH. gion are largely unknown. A long tradition of permafrost re- In the central part of the region a considerable deviation ex- search, predominantly on rather gentle relief, exists only on ists that needs further investigations. the Tibetan Plateau. Two permafrost maps are available digi- tally that cover the HKH and provide estimates of permafrost extent, i.e., the areal proportion of permafrost: the manually delineated Circum-Arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground Ice 1 Introduction Conditions (Brown et al., 1998) and the Global Permafrost Zonation Index, based on a computer model (Gruber, 2012). Permafrost underlies much of the Earth’s surface and inter- This article provides a first-order assessment of these per- acts with climate, ecosystems, and human systems. The in- mafrost maps in the HKH region based on the mapping of teraction between permafrost, or its thaw, and human ac- rock glaciers. tivity is diverse and varies with environmental and societal Rock glaciers were used as a proxy, because they are vi- conditions. Examples include ground subsidence, vegetation sual indicators of permafrost, can occur near the lowermost change on pasture, slope instability, hydrological change, regional occurrence of permafrost in mountains, and can be damage to infrastructure, and special requirements for con- delineated based on high-resolution remote sensing imagery struction. This list is not exhaustive and it is likely that cli- freely available on Google Earth. For the mapping, 4000 mate change will bring about unexpected permafrost phe- square samples ( ∼ 30 km2) were randomly distributed over nomena and societal impacts in the future (cf. Gruber, 2012; the HKH region. Every sample was investigated and rock IPCC, 2014). A large proportion of the global permafrost re- glaciers were mapped by two independent researchers fol- gion is situated in mountain terrain. This includes densely lowing precise mapping instructions. Samples with insuffi- populated areas especially in the European Alps and Asian cient image quality were recorded but not mapped. high-mountain ranges. While permafrost in European moun- We use the mapping of rock glaciers in Google Earth as tains and its associated climate change impacts are compa- first-order evidence for permafrost in mountain areas with rably well investigated, little is known about permafrost in severely limited ground truth. The minimum elevation of many Asian mountain ranges. In this study, we focus on rock glaciers varies between 3500 and 5500 m a.s.l. within the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, which we use the region. The Circum-Arctic Map of Permafrost and as one way for delineating a study region in the mountains Ground Ice Conditions does not reproduce mapped condi- of South and Central Asia (Fig. 1). The HKH region in- tions in the HKH region adequately, whereas the Global Per- cludes mountains in parts of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, mafrost Zonation Index does so with more success. Based on India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan (Fig. 1). Comprised mostly of high-elevation rugged terrain, including the Ti- Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 2090 M.-O. Schmid et al.: Assessment of permafrost distribution maps in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region a. The Circum-Arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground Ice Conditions (cf. Heginbottom et al., 1993; Brown et al., 1998) published by the International Permafrost Asso- ciation (IPA map). It is based on manually delineated polygons of classes (continuous, discontinuous, spo- radic, isolated patches) of permafrost extent (Heginbot- tom, 2002). The map has been digitized and is avail- able digitally from the Frozen Ground Data Center at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Boul- der, Colorado, USA. b. The Global Permafrost Zonation Index (PZI), avail- able on a spatial grid of about 1 km resolution (Gruber, 2012). PZI is an index representing broad spatial pat- terns but it does not provide actual permafrost extent or probability of permafrost at a location. It is based on a mathematical formulation of permafrost extent as a function of mean annual air temperature, a 1 km dig- ital elevation model (DEM) and global climate data. The parameterization is based on rules similar to those employed for the IPA map. Additionally, the uncer- Figure 1. The HKH region as defined by ICIMOD which includes tainty range is explored (a) with three parameter sets high mountains in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, describing a best guess as well as conservative and anti- Nepal, and Pakistan. SRTM DEM version 4.1 from CGIAR at a conservative estimates of permafrost extent and (b) us- spatial resolution of 90 m (Jarvis et al., 2008) shown in the WGS84 ing spatial fields of air temperature derived from global coordinate system. climate reanalysis (NCAR-NCEP) and from interpo- lated station measurements (CRU TS 2.0). Uncertainty is expressed in the resulting map product with a “fringe betan Plateau, the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayan of uncertainty”, referring to a permafrost extent greater mountain ranges, more than half of its 4.5 million km2 are than 10 % in the coldest of the diverse simulations per- located above 3500 m a.s.l. As the source of the 10 largest formed. Asian river systems, the HKH region provides water, ecosys- tem services, and the basis for livelihoods to an estimated The application of either map in the mountainous parts of the population of more than 210 million people in the mountains HKH region is not straightforward, because (a) little informa- and 1.3 billion people when including downstream areas (Ba- tion on mountainous permafrost exists to establish their cred- jracharya and Shrestha, 2011). While glaciers and glacier ibility; (b) the range of environmental conditions in the HKH change have received considerable research attention in re- region is large and subject to conditions (such as monsoonal cent years (e.g., Bolch et al., 2012), large areas of permafrost summer precipitation, hyperaridity, or extreme elevation) for in the HKH region have barely or only partially been inves- which only limited knowledge exists; and (c) only few re- tigated. The Tibetan Plateau, as the only part of the HKH mote, high-elevation meteorological stations exist, usually in region, has a long tradition of permafrost research (Cheng valley floors, making the application of gridded climate data and Wu, 2007; Yang et al., 2010; Zhang, 2005); most of or the estimation of conditions in remote high-elevation ar- these studies, however, focus on a narrow engineering corri- eas error-prone. The required testing or calibration of models dor and/or on rather gentle relief. Ran et al. (2012) provide an (maps) of permafrost extent, unfortunately, is difficult and of- overview and comparison of the several Chinese permafrost ten avoided (Gruber, 2012), both for lack of data and for lack maps that include the Tibet Plateau and that reflect several of methods for comparing point observations such as bore- decades of research and development in this area. For loca- holes with spatial estimates of permafrost extent. tions with mountainous topography only sporadic informa- This study provides a first-order assessment of these two tion exists, especially along the southern flanks of the Hi- permafrost maps in the mountainous part of the HKH re- malayas (Owen and England, 1998; Shroder et al., 2000; gion. We use the qualifier “first-order” as only direct ob- Ishikawa et al., 2001; Fukui et al., 2007a; Regmi, 2008). servation of permafrost can provide a reliable evaluation. In Only two permafrost maps are available digitally that cover the absence of reliable information on permafrost in this re- the HKH region and provide estimates of permafrost extent, gion, such a first-order assessment is useful as it adds rel- i.e., the areal extend of permafrost: evant information on the approximate areas of permafrost occurrence. We use rock glaciers as a proxy, because they are visual indicators of permafrost, they can exist near the The Cryosphere, 9, 2089–2099, 2015 www.the-cryosphere.net/9/2089/2015/ M.-O. Schmid et al.: Assessment of permafrost distribution maps in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region 2091 lowermost regional occurrence of permafrost in mountains clearly defined and consequently we avoid this concept de- (Haeberli et al., 2006), and they can be delineated based on spite its prevalence in the literature. As an example, the data high-resolution remote
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Middle East Unit: Reading and Questions Part 1:​ Introduction Located at the Junction of Three Continents—​Europe​,​
    Middle East Unit: Reading and Questions Part 1: Introduction ​ Located at the junction of three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—the region ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ known as the Middle East has historically been a crossroads for conquerors, peoples, trade, and ideas as well as a transition zone for political and cultural interaction. Today the Middle East’s strategic location as a tricontinental hub, its vast petroleum reserves, its importance to Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike, and its many political disputes give it a global significance out of proportion to its size. The Middle East is a culturally, politically, and economically diverse region that extends for some 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) from west to east and some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from north to south. It is made up of several countries located on or near the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Although definitions vary, it is generally understood to encompass Egypt, Lebanon, ​ ​ ​ ​ Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Peninsula, which comprises Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The part of the region closest to Europe ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ formerly was known as the Near East, and some agencies still use that term instead of the Middle East to describe the entire region. 1. What are the 3 continents that house the “Middle East”? 2. What are they known for? 3. Label your map with the countries and bodies of waters in this text. Color the waters blue and the countries each a different color.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas
    Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas The State of Current Knowledge Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas The State of Current Knowledge Surender P. Singh Isabella Bassignana-Khadka Bhaskar Singh Karky Eklabya Sharma International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2011 i Published by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal Copyright © 2011 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) All rights reserved. Published 2011 ISBN 978 92 9115 220 9 (printed) 978 92 9115 221 6 (electronic) LCCN 2011-312015 Printed and bound in Nepal by Hill Side Press (P) Ltd., Kathmandu, Nepal Production team Greta Pennington Rana (Consultant editor) A Beatrice Murray (Consultant editor) Andrea Perlis (Senior editor) Punam Pradhan (Layout and design) Asha Kaji Thaku (Editorial assistant) Note This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. ICIMOD would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from ICIMOD. The views and interpretations in this publication are those of the author(s). They are not attributable to ICIMOD and do not imply the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or the endorsement of any product. This publication is available in electronic form at www.icimod.org/publications Citation: Singh, SP; Bassignana-Khadka, I; Karky, BS; Sharma, E (2011) Climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas: The state of current knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 2 the Hindu Kush-Himalayas: Searching for Viable Socioeconomic and Environmental Options
    Chapter 2 The Hindu Kush-Himalayas: Searching for Viable Socioeconomic and Environmental Options MAHESH BANSKOTA Deputy Director General ICIMOD, Kathmandu 2.1 Introduction The Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region has experienced both continental as well as cultural collisions between mainland Asia and the Indian sub-continent. It is one of the most diverse physical and cultural landscapes in the world. Within very short distances, components of almost all the principal ecosystems and a wide range of cultural systems of the world are found. In response to different environmental factors, each has also developed its own unique features. Yet, for all its biological and cultural diversity, it is among the least known of the world’s mountain systems. For centuries the only information coming out of these mountains was the experiences or impressions of a few travellers who were migrants, invaders, traders, or missionaries (Fürer-Haimendorf 1975; Hammerton 1984; Biddulph 1986). Mountain people themselves knew very little about each other. Barricaded by high mountains, swift rivers, and an array of dialects and customs, with the added impact of fierce competition for limited resources, they were also strangers to each other. The long history of isolation and conflicts in the region has made its inhabitants highly suspicious of outsiders and their motives. This is also experienced at times by central governments when they try to implement their development activities (Clarke 1987; Shrestha 1993; Bahuguna 1994). 57 Untitled-4 57 7/19/2007, 1:07 PM The traditional isolation of mountain areas is being increasingly broken by the wheels of technology, the increasing education of mountain people, and the expansion of modern commerce and communications.
    [Show full text]
  • The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Technical Paper
    The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Technical Paper The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region A summary of the science regarding glacier melt/ retreat in the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir, and Tien Shan mountain ranges 1 The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Mt Everest with Khumbu glacier - Sharad Joshi NOTE Data and information on the glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region are sparse and often contradictory. They lack consistency, multi-temporal recording, field-validation, and peer review, and there is a particular lack of data for the higher elevation glaciers. The paper presented here was prepared by Dr Richard L Armstrong as part of a larger USAID report (see inside back cover). It is being published by ICIMOD in its full form (with some updates) as a contribution to the ongoing discussions on this highly popular and important topic. We hope that the extensive literature survey and references, as well as the comparative analysis and analytical discussion, will be a useful resource for our readers, particularly for those of you trying to critically assess and establish the actual status of the cryosphere in the high mountains of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. We trust also that the publication will help our efforts to assess the actual and potential impacts of a changing climate on the snow and ice resources of the region. 2 The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region A summary of the science regarding glacier melt/retreat in the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir, and Tien Shan mountain ranges Richard L.
    [Show full text]
  • Modeling Wildfire Hazard in the Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas
    San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research Spring 2012 Modeling Wildfire Hazard in the Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas David Bylow San Jose State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses Recommended Citation Bylow, David, "Modeling Wildfire Hazard in the Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas" (2012). Master's Theses. 4126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.vaeh-q8zw https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4126 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses and Graduate Research at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MODELING WILDFIRE HAZARD IN THE WESTERN HINDU KUSH-HIMALAYAS A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Geography San José State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by: David Bylow May 2012 © 2012 David Bylow ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled MODELING WILDFIRE HAZARD IN THE WESTERN HINDU KUSH-HIMALAYAS by David Bylow APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY May 2012 Dr. Gary Pereira Department of Geography Dr. Craig Clements Department of Meteorology Dr. Jianglong Zhang University of North Dakota Dr. Yong Lao California State University Monterey Bay ABSTRACT MODELING WILDFIRE HAZARD IN THE WESTERN HINDU KUSH-HIMALAYAS by David Bylow Wildfire regimes are a leading driver of global environmental change affecting diverse ecosystems across the planet. The objectives of this study were to model regional wildfire potential and identify environmental, topological, and sociological factors that contribute to the ignition of regional wildfire events in the Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas.
    [Show full text]
  • The Status of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
    The Status of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region The Status of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Editors Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya Basanta Shrestha International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2011 Published by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal Copyright © 2011 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) All rights reserved. Published 2011 ISBN 978 92 9115 215 5 (printed) 978 92 9115 217 9 (electronic) LCCN 2011-312013 Printed and bound in Nepal by Sewa Printing Press, Kathmandu, Nepal Production team A Beatrice Murray (Consultant editor) Andrea Perlis (Senior editor) Dharma R Maharjan (Layout and design) Asha Kaji Thaku (Editorial assistant) Note This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. ICIMOD would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from ICIMOD. The views and interpretations in this publication are those of the author(s). They are not attribuTable to ICIMOD and do not imply the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or the endorsement of any product. This publication is available in electronic form at www.icimod.org/publications Citation: Bajracharya, SR; Shrestha, B (eds) (2011) The status of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region.
    [Show full text]
  • The Exploration of the Hindu Kush 1 99
    THE EXPLORATION OF THE HINDU KUSH 1 99 THE EXPLORATION OF THE HINDU KUSH BY BOLESLAW CHWASCINSKI (Six illustrat£ons: nos. 39-44) GENERAL ToPOGRAPHY OF THE RANGE HE huge range of the Hindu Kush extends right across the whole of Afghanistan. It is nearly 1300 km. in length but not all of it is of interest to mountaineers. The Hindu Kush originates at the head of the Taghdumbash Pamir, where two ranges the Mustagh and Sarikol join, at a point between the Wakhjir (4923 m.) and Kilik (4755 m.) Passes. From here the Hindu Kush forms in its entire length the watershed between the Oxus and Indus basins and runs in a direction a little south of west. From this point also, for about 300 km., the main ridge is the international boun­ dary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Between the Dorah (4554 m.) and Mandal (4663 m.) Passes, the boun­ dary lies along a subsidiary ridge and the main chain runs entirely in Afghanistan. After a further 300 km. the latter divides into two parallel ranges which successively bear different names. The southern range is first called Kuh-e-Baba (highest peak Shah-e-Foladi, 5143 m.), and later Band-e-Duakhan (highest peak 3753 m.), then Band-e-Baian (highest peak 3699 m.) and finally Kasa Murkh (highest peak 3525 m.). The northern range is at first known as the Kuh-e-Hissar (highest peak 423 I m.) and then Band-e-Baba (highest peak 3746 m.) and lastly Safed Kuh (highest peak 3084 m.). These ranges, gradually diminishing in altitude, ultimately form the low hills extending to Herat which are • called by the Afghans Siah Babuk and are known in European literature as the Paropamisus Mountains, the last link between the ancient (Greek) name of the whole Hindu Kush and the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • Why the Hindu Kush Himalaya Matters
    Sustainable Mountain Development RIO 2012 and beyond Why the Hindu Kush Himalaya matters How can the Hindu Kush Himalayas contribute to sustainable development? The HKH mountains abound with diverse natural resources. They provide valuable ecosystem goods and services including water, food, energy, biodiversity, and hydrological regulating functions to support the As the ‘water tower of Asia’, the Hindu Kush Hima- livelihoods of people living upstream and downstream. layan (HKH) mountains are the source of 10 major Mountain ecosystem goods and services support the live- river systems and provide vital ecosystem goods lihoods of more than 210 million mountain inhabitants. and services to more than 1.4 billion people. The region includes four global biodiversity hotspots, Case studies carried out in the HKH suggest that the 488 protected areas, 330 important bird areas, and people of the region can contribute to global sustain- 60 global eco-regions. Rangelands cover more than able development goals by embracing clean energy, 60 per cent of the region’s territory. However the re- community- based management of natural resources, gion is home to more than 40 per cent of the world’s ecotourism, organic farming, and integrated watershed poor people and faces extreme vulnerability and management to enhance and sustain the productivity of risks due to climate and global change. Progressive ecosystem goods and services. However, promotion of warming at higher altitudes has been three to five these solutions requires mountain-focused policies and times the global average; this warming has resulted strategies that take into account mountain specificities – in increased snow and glacial melt and increased fragility, marginality, inaccessibility and adaptability – and frequency of extreme events such as devastating involve the primary stakeholders in deciding priorities and floods and droughts which have exacerbated prob- implementing interventions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Revenge of Geography by Robert D
    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4862 Foreign Policy, May/June 2009 The Revenge of Geography By Robert D. Kaplan People and ideas influence events, but geography largely determines them, now more than ever. To understand the coming struggles, it’s time to dust off the Victorian thinkers who knew the physical world best. A journalist who has covered the ends of the Earth offers a guide to the relief map—and a primer on the next phase of conflict. When rapturous Germans tore down the Berlin Wall 20 years ago it symbolized far more than the overcoming of an arbitrary boundary. It began an intellectual cycle that saw all divisions, geographic and otherwise, as surmountable; that referred to “realism” and “pragmatism” only as pejoratives; and that invoked the humanism of Isaiah Berlin or the appeasement of Hitler at Munich to launch one international intervention after the next. In this way, the armed liberalism and the democracy-promoting neoconservatism of the 1990s shared the same universalist aspirations. But alas, when a fear of Munich leads to overreach the result is Vietnam—or in the current case, Iraq. And thus began the rehabilitation of realism, and with it another intellectual cycle. “Realist” is now a mark of respect, “neocon” a term of derision. The Vietnam analogy has vanquished that of Munich. Thomas Hobbes, who extolled the moral benefits of fear and saw anarchy as the chief threat to society, has elbowed out Isaiah Berlin as the philosopher of the present cycle. The focus now is less on universal ideals than particular distinctions, from ethnicity to culture to religion.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconnaissance Report on the Mw 7.5 Hindu Kush Earthquake of 26Th October 2015 and the Subsequent Aftershocks
    United Arab Emirates University Reconnaissance report on the Mw 7.5 Hindu Kush earthquake of 26th October 2015 and the subsequent aftershocks Technical Report by Najif Ismail, MEERI CPEng MIPENZ and Nouman Khattak MPEC 12/26/2015 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University PO Box 15551, Al Ain United Arab Emirates www.uaeu.ac.ae About authors Najif Ismail is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University. Najif obtained his PhD from the University of Auckland in 2012, having previously completed his BE (Hons) and ME from the University of Engineering and Technology Taxila. Najif also has finished a formal teaching qualification from the Otago Polytechnic. He was awarded the 2013 Best Doctoral Dissertation Award by the Masonry Society (USA) and the 2013 OP Staff Award for Excellence in Research. Najif has contributed to several reports including the one submitted to Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission, reporting the seismic performance of buildings during the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquake series. He has also served on the masonry subcommittee for 2013 revision of ASCE - 41 standards. Najif’s primary research interests are associated with seismic assessment and retrofit of concrete and masonry structures, and sustainable concrete technology. Over the last 1 year Najif has led a project considering the seismic assessment and retrofit of infilled concrete frame buildings, funded by the United Arab Emirates University research grant G00001603. Nouman Khattak is a Research Assistant at the United Arab Emirates University, working on the research project investigating seismic assessment and retrofit of infilled concrete frame buildings, funded through the United Arab Emirates University research grant G00001603.
    [Show full text]
  • Seismotectonic Map of Afghanistan, with Annotated Bibliography
    Prepared under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development Seismotectonic Map of Afghanistan, with Annotated Bibliography By Russell L. Wheeler, Charles G. Bufe, Margo L. Johnson, and Richard L. Dart Open-File Report 2005–1264 This report is USGS Afghanistan Project Product No. 011 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2005 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government This report has not been reviewed for stratigraphic nomenclature Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. iii Contents 1. Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................1 2. Introduction................................................................................................................................................1 2.1. Seismotectonic
    [Show full text]
  • The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Technical Paper
    The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Technical Paper The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region A summary of the science regarding glacier melt/ retreat in the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir, and Tien Shan mountain ranges 1 The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region Mt Everest with Khumbu glacier - Sharad Joshi NOTE Data and information on the glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region are sparse and often contradictory. They lack consistency, multi-temporal recording, field-validation, and peer review, and there is a particular lack of data for the higher elevation glaciers. The paper presented here was prepared by Dr Richard L Armstrong as part of a larger USAID report (see inside back cover). It is being published by ICIMOD in its full form (with some updates) as a contribution to the ongoing discussions on this highly popular and important topic. We hope that the extensive literature survey and references, as well as the comparative analysis and analytical discussion, will be a useful resource for our readers, particularly for those of you trying to critically assess and establish the actual status of the cryosphere in the high mountains of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. We trust also that the publication will help our efforts to assess the actual and potential impacts of a changing climate on the snow and ice resources of the region. 2 The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region The Glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region A summary of the science regarding glacier melt/retreat in the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir, and Tien Shan mountain ranges Richard L.
    [Show full text]