Inventory of glaciers and glacial lakes of the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP – Pakistan)

This study presents a map reporting valuable information on the cryosphere of the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP, the largest protected area of Pakistan and the highest park in the world). All the information is provided considering the CKNP as a whole, and in detail by dividing it into five basins (i.e. Shigar, Hunza, Shyok, Upper Indus, and Gilgit). The glacier inventory reports 608 ice bodies covering 3680km(2) (approximate to 35% of the CKNP area), with a total glacier volume of ca. 532km(3). In addition, we modeled the meltwater from glacier ice ablation over the period 23 July to 9 August 2011. The total melt amount is ca. 1.5km(3). Finally, we considered glacial lakes (202 water-bodies, covering 4km(2)). For these latter glacier features, we also analyzed their potentially dangerous conditions and two lakes were found having such conditions.