Journal of Mountain Science Vol 1 No 1 (2004): 3-17 http://www.imde.ac.cn/journal Article ID: 1672-6316 (2004) 01-0003-15 The Pleistocene Glaciation in the Karakoram- Mountains: Reconstruction of Past Glacier Extensions and Ice Thicknesses Matthias Kuh le Geographical Institute University of Göttingen, Department of Geography and High Mountain Geomorphology, Goldschmidtstr. 5,37077 Göttingen, Germany E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract: Geomorphological and Quaternary- 1 Introduction: Aim of the Study and geological field- and laboratory data (Fig.1) are Characteristics of the Investigation introduced and interpreted with regard to the Area maximum Ice Age (LGM) glaciation of the Central- and South Karakoram in the Braldu-, Basna-, Shigar- and Indus valley system as well as on the Deosai Before the author visited the area of this study plateau between the Skardu Basin and the Astor (Fig.1 and 2), he had investigated neighboring valley (Fig.2). These data result from two research topographically and climatically representative key expeditions in the years 1997 and 2000. They show areas from 1986 to 1996 and in 1999. His that between c. 60 and 20 Ka the Central Karakorum investigations were focused on the question if these and its south slope were covered by a continuous c. areas were glaciated or not and if so, how extended 125,000 km² sized ice stream network. This ice and thick the past ice covers were, situated in the stream network flowed together to a joint parent western Himalaya including Zansgar Himal and glacier, the Indus glacier. The tongue end of the Indus Nanga Parbat (Fig.1 hatched) massif, in the glacier reached down to 850 ~ 800 m a.s.l.