CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE AND MELTWATER OF GLACIERS IN MIYAR VALLEY, LAHAUL & SPITI DISTRICT, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA.

Pawan Kumar 1 , Kalyan Krishna 1 , Rakesh Mishra 1 and Sanjay Prasad Gupta 2 . 1. Geological Survey of India, Glaciology Division, Sector-E, Aliganj, Lucknow, India. 2. National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property, Sector-E, Aliganj, Lucknow, India, ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History Received: 02 December 2018 Final Accepted: 04 January 2019 Published: February 2019

The study of chemical characteristics of the glacier including ice and meltwater streams originating from the glaciers play a significant role in classifying and assessing overall downstream water quality. In this study, chemical analysis and interpretation of three glacier's ice and meltwater streams originating from Miyar, Takdung and Uldhampu glaciers, were carried out to understand major ion chemistry, ascertain the ionic variation in ice and meltwater, source rock characteristics and potability of water. Analytical results are represented by using Piper Trilinear, Stiff and Pie diagrams. The result represents the concentration of both cations and anions values are relatively higher in meltwater. The individual sample wise interpretation of Piper and Stiff diagrams shows Ca ++ and Mg ++ are dominant cation and HCO 3 and CO 3 -are dominant anion in both Ice and meltwater samples of Miyar and Takdung Glaciers. Whereas ionic values in Ice and meltwater samples of Uldhampu glacier varied as Cl -> SO 4 --> HCO 3 -+ CO 3 -and SO 4 --> Cl ->HCO 3 -+ CO 3 -respectively. Comparative study of analytical results with permissible range defined in Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS, 2012) for potable water, shows ionic concentrations in samples of Miyar and Tukdung glaciers are within the permissible range and ice and meltwater of Uldhampu glacier reveals its acidic nature with pH 5.64 and 4.00.

Introduction: -
The glacial form one of the components of the hydrological budget playing an important role in buffering stream flow (Barry, R. and Seimon, A. 2000), acting as water storage over a range of temporal and spatial scales (Jansson, P., Hock, R. and Schneider, T. 2003) and provides water to downstream users and communities during periods of low precipitation as well. The Himalayan region, encompassing the Hindu Kush mountains and Tibetan Plateau, spanning Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan are rich in glaciers (ICIMOD 2011). Melt water from mountain glaciers of the Himalaya are one of the dominant water resources for North India along with rainfall and ground water on which the country depends for its drinking water, irrigational and hydropower needs. The anthropogenically induced climate changes causing glacial retreats making a serious impact on hydrological cycles resulted decreasing water resources, quality and quantity (IPCC 2007). The chemical characteristic of melt waters from the glaciers is extremely important to find out weathering reactions, anthropogenic and climate change impacts on fresh water resources. During the glaciology expedition in ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 7(2), 267-272 268 Miyarvalley, Himachal Pradesh, total 6 numbers of glacier's ice (from snout of Glacier) and meltwater (from glacial stream) samples were collected from Miyar, Takdung and Uldhampu glaciers to ascertain chemical variations in glacier ice and meltwater, role of lithology and quality of water for drinking purpose.

Study Area
The study area located in Miyar valley which comes under Lahaul& Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh (Fig-1), covering an area of 960 km 2 , containing 93 glaciers which occupies 211 sq. km as glacierized area of the total basin. Miyar is the largest glacier having 22 km length. MiyarNala is originating from the Miyar glacier and merges into Chenab river at Udaipur. The basin extends between 32 0 43'13.93" N to 33 0 15'15.55" N and 76 0 39'54.32" E to 77 0 00'47.94" E within Greater Himalayan range with altitude ranging from 2634 m to 6022 m asl. For approaching Miyar Valley, nearest rail head is Chandigarh and from Chandigarh to Udaipur via Manali is well maintained metallic road. Khanjar is a small village situated in last road head in the valley. Miyar glacier is situated at 35 km distance from Khanjar village on famous track route going to Ugrus Pass (5017 m) and Tarsalamu Pass (5358 m). Geologically, the study area having Proterozoic rocks of the Vaikrita Group (Kharo and Chamba Formations). Phyllite, Biotite gneiss, granite gneiss, porphyroblastic and augen gneiss, migmatite, granite, aplite, pegmatite, vein quartz and minor schist are dominant rock type on study area(Tangri, S.K., 2006).

Materials and Methods: -
The quality of water depends on its dominant ionic composition dissolved in form of cation and anion. Total 06 samples (Table-1 & 2) in which three Ice and three meltwaters collected from glaciers snout and meltwater streams of Miyar, Takdung and Uldhampu glaciers during July to September, 2017. All the samples were collected in high density polyethylene bottle in order to minimize container's pollution and better sample preservation. All the samples were analysed in Geological Survey of India (GSI), Chemical Lab, Lucknow to get the concentrations of major cations like potassium (K + ), sodium (Na + ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ) and calcium (Ca 2+ ) and some major anions like bicarbonate (HCO 3-), chloride (Cl -), nitrate (NO 3-), phosphate (PO 4 3-) and sulphate (SO 4 2-) and other important parameters like temperature (Temp), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total hardness (TH). Samples were analyzed as per the American Public Health Association (APHA) Standard Methods defined for the examination of water and wastewater. For determination of major cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and CaCO 3 ) and anions (HCO 3 and CO 3 --) concentrations the Complexometric Titration and Acid Base Titration analysis methods were used. Gravimetric, Argentometric Titration and UV Visible Spectroscopy methods were used to determine SO 4 2-, Cland NO 3 ions. K + and Na + ions were determined by Flame Photometer (Systronics-125).

Graphical Representation of Major Ions concentration
The graphical representation of chemical analysis data makes it simpler and quicker to clarify, interpret and facilitate to find out correlation between two or more data on single platform.

Piper's Trilinear Diagram
The Piper trilinear diagram (Piper, A. M. 1953) is one of the most useful tools for graphical representation in water quality studies and understanding the geochemistry of water. This diagram consists of two lower triangles that show the percentage distribution on the equivalents per million basis of major cations (Ca ++ , Mg ++ , Na + and K + ) and the major anions (SO4 --, Cl -, CO 3 -and HCO 3 -), a diamond shaped part above that summarizes the dominant cations and anions to indicate the final water type from which inference is drawn on the basis of hydro-geochemical facies concept. The analytical result (Table-3

Conclusion: -
Hydro-chemistry of Ice and meltwaters of Miyar, Takdung and Uldhampu glaciers, located in Miyar Valley of Lahaul& Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh was studied to ascertain the chemical variation in glacier ice and meltwater, correlation with geology of the area and to determine quarter quality. The analytical result interpretation show that calcium and magnesium are the dominant cations, while bicarbonate is dominant anion followed by Chlorite and Sulphate in glacier Ice and meltwater of Miyar and Takdung glaciers. The Ice and meltwater collected from Uldhampu glacier shows variation in anions concentrations as Cl -> SO 4 --> HCO 3 -+ CO 3 -and SO 4 --> CL -> HCO 3 -> CO 3 -respectively. The dominant ionic concentration in all samples and composition of rock of the study area is matching and confirms their dissolution by chemical weathering from predominant rocks of the area. The comparative study of individual ionic concentration with listed permissible range defined in Bureau of Indian standard (BIS, 2012) for drinking water revealed that Ice and meltwater ofMiyar and Tukdung glaciers are within the permissible range and can be used as potable water. Whereas Ice and meltwater samples of Uldhampu glacier shows acidic in nature (5.64 and 4.00 pH) and hence cannot be used for drinking purpose. The low pH values found in the samples of Uldhampu glacier is probably due toatmospheric contamination of snow with acidic particles may be likely causes of acidic nature of ice.