Hidden ice reserve found beneath rocks in Gokyo

A scientific study has found a large quantity of ice hidden beneath layers of rock in the Gokyo area of Solukhumbu. Such formations, made of mixed rock and ice that can gradually shift downhill, are known to scientists as rock glaciers.

A study using radar capable of detecting subsurface conditions found two large ice masses within one rock glacier there. These masses are estimated to contain around 523,000 cubic metres of ice in water equivalent, which amounts to about 523 million litres.

This is not an underground lake but simply an estimate of the water that would be released if the ice melted. The study could provide new grounds for understanding ice in the Himalayan region and future water supply.