First results on bathymetry and limnology of high-altitude lakes in the Gokyo Valley, Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park, Nepal |
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Authors: | Chhatra Mani Sharma Subodh Sharma Roshan Man Bajracharya Smriti Gurung Ingrid Jüttner Shichang Kang Qianggong Zhang Qing Li |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China;(2) Aquatic Ecology Centre, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal;(3) Department of Biodiversity and Systematic Biology, Cathays Park, Cardiff, UK;(4) Present address: Human and Natural Resources Studies Centre, Kathmandu University, 6250, Kathmandu, Nepal |
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Abstract: | The aim of this study was to investigate for the first time the morphology, physical and chemical characteristics of three
high-altitude lakes in the Gokyo Valley, Everest National Park, Nepal. The moraine-dammed glacial lakes were studied for three
seasons to create baseline data. The second, third, and fourth lakes in the Gokyo Valley are deeper than previously assumed.
The vertical profiles of temperature and dissolved oxygen indicated that the thermocline zone varied between 10 and 20 m below
the surface during the post-monsoon season. Although most of the analyzed metal concentrations were below the level recommended
by the WHO for safe drinking water, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) levels exceeded the limits in some of the samples. This has
created great concern for human health. The probable route of these two pollutants is monsoon precipitation that carries
industrial pollutants along its route. The sedimentation rates of Gokyo Lakes range from 0.069 to 0.089 cm per annum, which
is within the limits of other high-altitude lakes. The present findings created a baseline database for some of the remote
high-altitude lakes in Nepal that can be used for lake management and for assessing future changes in lake characteristics
in the Himalayan region. |
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