Runoff characteristics of a glacierized catchment, Garhwal Himalaya, India

Discharge characteristics and the role of monsoonal rainfall in the glacier ized Dokriani catchment in the Ganga River headwaters, Garhwal Himalaya, In dia are examined for the summer ablation period of 1994. Monsoonal rainfall over the glacierized area appears to be an important factor controlling th e characteristics of the discharge hydrograph. Monsoonal cloud cover reduce s the energy input resulting in subdued ice melt. The monsoonal component w as separated from the bulk flow hydrograph recorded close to the glacier sn out using a mass balance approach: 11.46% of the total discharge of 62.38 x 10(6) m(3) was contributed by the rainfall over the catchment.