The Quaternary glacial history of Nanga Parbat

During one or more times throughout the Quaternary, an extensive glacier sy stem occupied the valleys of the Nanga Parbat massif. Glacial landforms in the Astor valley provide evidence for two separate glacial advances with ic e advancing more than 15 km down-valley from the present ice fronts. Elsewh ere in the massif, geomorphic and sedimentological evidence provide evidenc e for a less extensive glaciation, where glaciers advanced no more than 12 km beyond their present positions. Intense erosion and mass movement has de stroyed any depositional evidence for earlier Pleistocene glaciations. Howe ver, truncated spurs, hanging valleys, steep valley sides and over-deepened trunk valleys provide evidence of an earlier, more extensive glaciation. S mall moraines near the snouts of the present glaciers provide evidence for at least three limited glacial advances that post-dale the extensive valley glacier system. On the basis of geomorphology, sedimentology and relative weathering characteristics glacial landforms are correlated across the Nang a Parbat massif. Furthermore, the age of the maximum extent of valley glaci ation is tentatively assigned to early in the last glacial cycle with two l ate Pleistocene readvances or periods of stagnation followed by three perio ds of limited glacial advance during the Holocene. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.