Conflict Above KashmirSpeeds Melting of Massive Glacier

More than two decades of fighting between Indian and Pakistani troops at the Siachen glacier — the world’s second longest outside the polar regions — have hastened the melting of the 43-mile mass of ice, which could eventually threaten the water supplies of millions of people downstream, according to glaciologists. Located in disputed territory north of Kashmir, the Siachen — nearly 19,000 feet high at its source — has been the scene of bitter conflict since 1984. Analysis of satellite photos taken between 1978 and 2006 shows that the glacier has been retreating at a rate of about 360 feet a year, three times faster than earlier estimates, and has lost 35 percent of its volume in the last 20 years. Glaciologists say the conflict has increased the melting by depositing dark soot on the glacier’s surface, which leads to greater heat absorption; by dumping of fuel and toxic and human wastes; and by infrastructure development on the glacier’s edges, which causes cracks and formation of pools of melted water. Meltwater from the Siachen eventually flows into the Indus River, which supplies water to millions in Pakistan, and the glacier’s eventual disappearance could pose a serious threat to growing populations.