Karakoram

Karakoram

Karakoram

Major mountain range spanning the borders between India, Pakistan and China

This article is about the mountain range. For the medieval city in Mongolia, see Karakorum. For the highway, see Karakoram Highway. For the tract, see Trans-Karakoram Tract. For the rock band, see Karakoram (band).
Not to be confused with Karakum.

The Karakoram (/ˌkɑːrəˈkɔːrəm, ˌkær-/)[1] is a mountain range in the Kashmir region spanning the border of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwestern extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the jurisdiction of Gilgit-Baltistan, which is controlled by Pakistan. Its highest (and the world's second-highest) peak, K2, is located in Gilgit-Baltistan. It begins in the Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan) in the west, encompasses the majority of Gilgit-Baltistan, and extends into Ladakh (controlled by India) and Aksai Chin (controlled by China).

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The Karakoram is the second-highest mountain range on Earth and part of a complex of ranges that includes the Pamir Mountains, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas.[2][3]

The range contains 18 summits higher than 7,500 m (24,600 ft) in elevation, with four above 8,000 m (26,000 ft):[4][5][6] K2 (8,611 m (28,251 ft) AMSL) (the second-highest peak on Earth), Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II.

The range is about 500 km (311 mi) in length and is the most glaciated place on Earth outside the polar regions. The Siachen Glacier (76 km (47 mi) long) and Biafo Glacier (63 km (39 mi) long) are the second- and third-longest glaciers outside the polar regions.[7]

The Karakoram is bounded on the east by the Aksai Chin plateau, on the northeast by the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and on the north by the river valleys of the Yarkand and Karakash rivers beyond which lie the Kunlun Mountains. At the northwest corner are the Pamir Mountains. The southern boundary of the Karakoram is formed, west to east, by the Gilgit, Indus and Shyok rivers, which separate the range from the northwestern end of the Himalaya range proper. These rivers flow northwest before making an abrupt turn southwestward towards the plains of Pakistan. Roughly in the middle of the Karakoram range is the Karakoram Pass, which was part of a historic trade route between Ladakh and Yarkand that is now inactive.

The Tashkurghan National Nature Reserve and the Pamir Wetlands National Nature Reserve in the Karalorun and Pamir mountains have been nominated for inclusion in UNESCO in 2010 by the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO and have been tentatively added to the list.[8]

Name

The black gravel of Karakoram mountains, as seen near Pakistan's Biafo Glacier

Karakoram is a Turkic term meaning black gravel. The Central Asian traders originally applied the name to the Karakoram Pass.[9] Early European travellers, including William Moorcroft and George Hayward, started using the term for the range of mountains west of the pass, although they also used the term Muztagh (meaning, "Ice Mountain") for the range now known as Karakoram.[9][10] Later terminology was influenced by the Survey of India, whose surveyor Thomas Montgomerie in the 1850s gave the labels K1 to K6 (K for Karakoram) to six high mountains visible from his station at Mount Haramukh in Kashmir Valley.

In traditional Indian geography the mountains were known as Krishnagiri (black mountains), Kanhagiri and Kanheri.[11]

Exploration

Due to its altitude and ruggedness, the Karakoram is much less inhabited than parts of the Himalayas further east. European explorers first visited early in the 19th century, followed by British surveyors starting in 1856.

The Muztagh Pass was crossed in 1887 by the expedition of Colonel Francis Younghusband[12] and the valleys above the Hunza River were explored by General Sir George K. Cockerill in 1892. Explorations in the 1910s and 1920s established most of the geography of the region.

The name Karakoram was used in the early 20th century, for example by Kenneth Mason,[9] for the range now known as the Baltoro Muztagh. The term is now used to refer to the entire range from the Batura Muztagh above Hunza in the west to the Saser Muztagh in the bend of the Shyok River in the east.

Hunza Valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region administered by Pakistan

Floral surveys were carried out in the Shyok River catchment and from Panamik to Turtuk village by Chandra Prakash Kala during 1999 and 2000.[13][14]

Geology and glaciers

The Karakoram is in one of the world's most geologically active areas, at the plate boundary between the Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate.[15] A significant part, somewhere between 28 and 50 percent, of the Karakoram Range is glaciated covering an area of more than 15,000 square kilometres or 5,800 square miles,[16] compared to between 8 and 12 percent of the Himalaya and 2.2 percent of the Alps.[17] Mountain glaciers may serve as an indicator of climate change, advancing and receding with long-term changes in temperature and precipitation. The Karakoram glaciers are slightly retreating,[18][19][20] unlike the Himalayas where glaciers are losing mass at significantly higher rate, many Karakoram glaciers are covered in a layer of rubble which insulates the ice from the warmth of the sun.[21] Where there is no such insulation, the rate of retreat is high.[22]

Ice Age

In the last ice age, a connected series of glaciers stretched from western Tibet to Nanga Parbat, and from the Tarim basin to the Gilgit District.[23][24][25] To the south, the Indus glacier was the main valley glacier, which flowed 120 kilometres (75 mi) down from Nanga Parbat massif to 870 metres (2,850 ft) elevation.[23][26] In the north, the Karakoram glaciers joined those from the Kunlun Mountains and flowed down to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in the Tarim basin.[25][27]

While the current valley glaciers in the Karakoram reach a maximum length of 76 kilometres (47 mi), several of the ice-age valley glacier branches and main valley glaciers, had lengths up to 700 kilometres (430 mi). During the Ice Age, the glacier snowline was about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) lower than today.[25][26]

Highest peaks

Highest Karakoram peaks in the Baltoro region as seen from International Space Station
75km
50miles
Gasherbrum V
48
Gasherbrum V
Rimo III
47
Rimo III
Apsarasas Kangri I
46
Apsarasas Kangri I
Diran
45
Diran
Muztagh Tower
44
Muztagh Tower
K6
43
K6
Yutmaru Sar
42
Yutmaru Sar
Baintha Brakk
41
Baintha Brakk
Crown Peak
40
Crown Peak
Baltoro Kangri
39
Baltoro Kangri
Yazghil Dome South
38
Yazghil Dome South
Sherpi Kangri
37
Sherpi Kangri
Rimo I
36
Rimo I
Ultar Sar
35
Ultar Sar
Ghent Kangri
34
Ghent Kangri
Haramosh Peak
33
Haramosh Peak
Skil Brum
32
Skil Brum
Momhil Sar
31
Momhil Sar
Sia Kangri
30
Sia Kangri
K12
29
K12
Malubiting
28
Malubiting
Teram Kangri I
27
Teram Kangri I
Yukshin Gardan Sar
26
Yukshin Gardan Sar
Passu Sar
25
Passu Sar
Pumari Chhish
24
Pumari Chhish
Saser Kangri III
23
Saser Kangri III
Saser Kangri II
22
Saser Kangri II
Mamostong Kangri K35
21
Mamostong Kangri K35
Skyang Kangri
20
Skyang Kangri
Trivor Sar
19
Trivor Sar
Shispare Sar
18
Shispare Sar
Chogolisa
17
Chogolisa
Saser Kangri I K22
16
Saser Kangri I K22
Batura III
15
Batura III
Saltoro Kangri K10
14
Saltoro Kangri K10
Kanjut Sar
13
Kanjut Sar
Batura II
12
Batura II
Rakaposhi
11
Rakaposhi
Batura I
10
Batura I
Masherbrum K1
9
Masherbrum K1
Khunyang Chhish
8
Khunyang Chhish
Distaghil Sar
7
Distaghil Sar
Gasherbrum IV K3
6
Gasherbrum IV K3
Gasherbrum III K3a
5
Gasherbrum III K3a
Gasherbrum II K4
4
Gasherbrum II K4
Broad Peak
3
Broad Peak
Gasherbrum I K5
2
Gasherbrum I K5
K2
1
K2
Location of the major peaks in Karakoram

Legend：
1：K2 2：Gasherbrum I K5 3：Broad Peak

4：Gasherbrum II K4 5：Gasherbrum III K3a 6：Gasherbrum IV K3

7：Distaghil Sar 8：Khunyang Chhish 9：Masherbrum K1

10： Batura I 11：Rakaposhi 12：Batura II

13：Kanjut Sar 14：Saltoro Kangri K10 15：Batura III

16： Saser Kangri I K22 17：Chogolisa 18：Shispare Sar

19：Trivor Sar 20：Skyang Kangri 21：Mamostong Kangri K35

22：Saser Kangri II 23：Saser Kangri III 24：Pumari Chhish

25：Passu Sar 26：Yukshin Gardan Sar 27：Teram Kangri I

28：Malubiting 29：K12 30：Sia Kangri

31：Momhil Sar 32：Skil Brum 33：Haramosh Peak

34：Ghent Kangri 35：Ultar Sar 36：Rimo I

37：Sherpi Kangri 38：Yazghil Dome South 39：Baltoro Kangri

40：Crown Peak 41：Baintha Brakk 42：Yutmaru Sar

43：K6 44：Muztagh Tower 45：Diran

46：Apsarasas Kangri I 47：Rimo III 48：Gasherbrum V



The highest peaks of the Karakoram are:

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The majority of the highest peaks are in the Gilgit–Baltistan region administered by Pakistan. Baltistan has more than 100 mountain peaks exceeding 6,100 metres (20,000 ft) height from sea level.

K-numbers

K2
More information K-numbers, International name ...

Subranges

View of the Moon over Karakoram Range in Pakistan

The naming and division of the various subranges of the Karakoram is not universally agreed upon. However, the following is a list of the most important subranges, following Jerzy Wala.[29] The ranges are listed roughly west to east.

Passes

75km
50miles
Kilik Pass
18
Kilik Pass
Mintaka Pass
17
Mintaka Pass
Mutsjliga Pass
16
Mutsjliga Pass
Khunjerab Pass
15
Khunjerab Pass
Sarpo Laggo Pass
14
Sarpo Laggo Pass
Mustagh Pass
13
Mustagh Pass
Windy Gap
12
Windy Gap
Turkistan La Pass
11
Turkistan La Pass
Karakoram Pass
10
Karakoram Pass
Shimshal Pass
9
Shimshal Pass
Hispar Pass
8
Hispar Pass
Naltar Pass
7
Naltar Pass
Machulo La
6
Machulo La
Burji La
5
Burji La
Sasser Pass
4
Sasser Pass
Gyong La
3
Gyong La
Bilafond La
2
Bilafond La
Sia La
1
Sia La
Location of the passes in Karakoram

Legend：
1：Sia La 2：Bilafond La 3：Gyong La

4：Sasser Pass 5：Burji La 6：Machulo La

7：Naltar Pass 8：Hispar Pass 9：Shimshal Pass

10：Karakoram Pass 11：Turkistan La Pass 12： Windy Gap

13：Mustagh Pass 14：Sarpo Laggo Pass 15：Khunjerab Pass

16：Mutsjliga Pass 17：Mintaka Pass 18：Kilik Pass



Passes from west to east are:

The Khunjerab Pass is the only motorable pass across the range. The Shimshal Pass (which does not cross an international border) is the only other pass still in regular use.

Cultural references

The Karakoram mountain range has been referred to in a number of novels and movies. Rudyard Kipling refers to the Karakoram mountain range in his novel Kim, which was first published in 1900. Marcel Ichac made a film titled Karakoram, chronicling a French expedition to the range in 1936. The film won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival of 1937. Greg Mortenson details the Karakoram, and specifically K2 and the Balti, extensively in his book Three Cups of Tea, about his quest to build schools for children in the region. K2 Kahani (The K2 Story) by Mustansar Hussain Tarar describes his experiences at K2 base camp.[31]

See also

References

Citations

  1. [1]
    "Karakoram". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  2. [2]
    Karakoram Range at the Encyclopædia Britannica.
  3. [3]
    "Hindu Kush Himalayan Region". International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  4. [4]
    Shukurov, The Natural Environment of Central and South Asia 2005, p. 512.
  5. [5]
    Voiland, Adam (2013). "The Eight-Thousanders". NASA Earth Observatory. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  6. [6]
    "Mountains". Planet Earth. Episode 3. BBC.
  7. [7]
    Tajikistan's Fedchenko Glacier is 77 km (48 mi) long. Baltoro and Batura Glaciers in the Karakoram are 57 km (35 mi) long, as is Bruggen or Pio XI Glacier in southern Chile. Measurements are from recent imagery, generally supplemented with Russian 1:200,000 scale topographic mapping as well as Jerzy Wala,Orographical Sketch Map: Karakoram: Sheets 1 & 2, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich, 1990.
  8. [8]
    "Karakorum-Pamir". UNESCO. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  9. [9]
    Mason, Kenneth (1928). Exploration of the Shaksgam Valley and Aghil ranges, 1926. p. 72. ISBN 978-81-206-1794-0.
  10. [10]
    Close C, Burrard S, Younghusband F, et al. (1930). "Nomenclature in the Karakoram: Discussion". The Geographical Journal. 76 (2). Blackwell Publishing: 148–158. doi:10.2307/1783980. JSTOR 1783980.
  11. [11]
    Kohli, M.S. (2002), Mountains of India: Tourism, Adventure and Pilgrimage, Indus Publishing, p. 22, ISBN 978-81-7387-135-1
  12. [12]
    French, Patrick. (1994). Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer, pp. 53, 56-60. HarperCollinsPublishers, London. Reprint (1995): Flamingo. London. ISBN 0-00-637601-0.
  13. [13]
    Kala, Chandra Prakash (2005). "Indigenous Uses, Population Density, and Conservation of Threatened Medicinal Plants in Protected Areas of the Indian Himalayas". Conservation Biology. 19 (2): 368–378. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00602.x. S2CID 85324142.
  14. [14]
    Kala, Chandra Prakash (2005). "Health traditions of Buddhist community and role of amchis in trans-Himalayan region of India" (PDF). Current Science. 89 (8): 1331.
  15. [15]
    "Geological evolution of the Karakoram ranges". Italian Journal of Geosciences. 130 (2): 147–159. 2011. doi:10.3301/IJG.2011.08.
  16. [16]
    Muhammad, Sher; Tian, Lide; Khan, Asif (2019). "Early twenty-first century glacier mass losses in the Indus Basin constrained by density assumptions". Journal of Hydrology. 574: 467–475. Bibcode:2019JHyd..574..467M. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.057.
  17. [17]
    Gansser (1975). Geology of the Himalayas. London: Interscience Publishers.
  18. [18]
    Gallessich, Gail (2011). "Debris on certain Himalayan glaciers may prevent melting". sciencedaily.com. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  19. [19]
    Muhammad, Sher; Tian, Lide (2016). "Changes in the ablation zones of glaciers in the western Himalaya and the Karakoram between 1972 and 2015". Remote Sensing of Environment. 187: 505–512. Bibcode:2016RSEnv.187..505M. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2016.10.034.
  20. [20]
    Muhammad, Sher; Tian, Lide; Nüsser, Marcus (2019). "No significant mass loss in the glaciers of Astore Basin (North-Western Himalaya), between 1999 and 2016". Journal of Glaciology. 65 (250): 270–278. Bibcode:2019JGlac..65..270M. doi:10.1017/jog.2019.5.
  21. [21]
    Muhammad, Sher; Tian, Lide; Ali, Shaukat; Latif, Yasir; Wazir, Muhammad Atif; Goheer, Muhammad Arif; Saifullah, Muhammad; Hussain, Iqtidar; Shiyin, Liu (2020). "Thin debris layers do not enhance melting of the Karakoram glaciers". Science of the Total Environment. 746: 141119. Bibcode:2020ScTEn.746n1119M. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141119. PMID 32763605.
  22. [22]
    Veettil, B.K. (2012). "A Remote sensing approach for monitoring debris-covered glaciers in the high altitude Karakoram Himalayas". International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences. 2 (3): 833–841.
  23. [23]
    Kuhle, M. (1988). "The Pleistocene Glaciation of Tibet and the Onset of Ice Ages- An Autocycle Hypothesis.Tibet and High Asia. Results of the Sino-German Joint Expeditions (I)". GeoJournal. 17 (4): 581–596. doi:10.1007/BF00209444. S2CID 129234912.
  24. [24]
    Kuhle, M. (2006). "The Past Hunza Glacier in Connection with a Pleistocene Karakoram Ice Stream Network during the Last Ice Age (Würm)". In Kreutzmann, H.; Saijid, A. (eds.). Karakoram in Transition. Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press. pp. 24–48.
  25. [25]
    Kuhle, M. (2011). "The High Glacial (Last Ice Age and Last Glacial Maximum) Ice Cover of High and Central Asia, with a Critical Review of Some Recent OSL and TCN Dates". In Ehlers, J.; Gibbard, P.L.; Hughes, P.D. (eds.). Quaternary Glaciation – Extent and Chronology, A Closer Look. Amsterdam: Elsevier BV. pp. 943–965. (glacier maps downloadable)
  26. [26]
    Kuhle, M. (2001). "Tibet and High Asia (VI): Glaciogeomorphology and Prehistoric Glaciation in the Karakoram and Himalaya". GeoJournal. 54 (1–4): 109–396. doi:10.1023/A:1021307330169.
  27. [27]
    Kuhle, M. (1994). "Present and Pleistocene Glaciation on the North-Western Margin of Tibet between the Karakoram Main Ridge and the Tarim Basin Supporting the Evidence of a Pleistocene Inland Glaciation in Tibet. Tibet and High Asia. Results of the Sino-German and Russian-German Joint Expeditions (III)". GeoJournal. 33 (2/3): 133–272. doi:10.1007/BF00812877. S2CID 189882345.
  28. [28]
    For Nepal, the heights indicated on the Nepal Topographic Maps are followed. For China and the Baltoro Karakoram, the heights are those of Mi Desheng's "The Maps of Snow Mountains in China". For the Hispar Karakoram the heights on a Russian 1:100,000 topo map "Hispar area expeditions". Archived from the original on 27 April 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2008. seem to be more accurate than the customarily quoted heights probably based on US army maps from the 50s . Elsewhere, unless otherwise indicated, heights are those in Jill Neate's "High Asia".
  29. [29]
    Jerzy Wala, Orographical Sketch Map of the Karakoram, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich, 1990.
  30. [30]
    shuaib (18 August 2019). "Naltar Valley: Heaven on Earth". Mehmaan Resort. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  31. [31]
    Tarar, Mustansar Hussain (1994). K2 kahani. Lahore: Sang-e-Meel (published in Urdu). p. 179. ISBN 969-35-0523-9. OL 18941738M.

Sources

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