1. Lecture: M-F pm, GUGG 205
Instructor:
Adina Racoviteanu Office: INSTAAR RL-1 Office hours: after class or by appt ext
TA:
Julie Malmberg Office: GUGG Office hours: M,W –

2. My background: Where I come from

3. My background: TRAVELS THROUGH SACRED MOUNTAINS Watson Fellowship 2000-2001

4. High-altitude field work in the Andes
Glacier archeology
Ice-core drilling in Peruvian Andes
Glacier monitoring

5. Current research: Selecting suitable ASTER scenes Criteria:
Khumbu glacier
Stagnant terminus
Downwasting (thinning)
ASTER image and topography
Nov 2005
Current research:
Selecting suitable ASTER scenes
Criteria:
High contrast (GLIMS gains)
Minimum cloud cover
End of ablation season (sept/oct)
Imja Glacier
Terminus retreat & downwasting
Fast growth of pro-glacial lake

6. Himalayan glacier research

7. Gawmuck, Indian Himalayas- source of the Holy Ganges

8. ..but most of all, just be inspired

9. WHY STUDY MOUNTAINS? Biodiversity Cultural diversity
Tourism and recreation
Water resources
Sustainable development
Poverty
Resources (timber, minerals..)

11. BIODIVERSITY "islands" of high biodiversity
sanctuaries for plants and animals
ex: mountain gorillas, now numbering less than 300, are only found among the volcanoes of Rwanda and Uganda

12. Why care for mountain biodiversity?
Ethical responsibility: Treasure for future generations
Ecological value: Ecosystem integrity and adaptability
Economic value: Food, water, safety, other ecosystem services
Aesthetical value: Beauty and recreation

13. Vertical Zones of
Mountain Vegetation

14. CULTURAL DIVERSITY Isolated mountain cultures high cultural diversity
as barriers

15. POVERTY AND MARGINALITY
Mountain communities are among the poorest and most disadvantaged in the world.
Lack of education, decision-making power, financial resources, and land rights
inequity between upland and lowland communities.

16. SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE

17. TOURISM AND RECREATION
controlled tourism can bring benefits to mountain people
but mostly depletes resources and inflates local prices.
increased ecological and cultural impacts.

18. WATER RESOURCES Mountains are “water towers”
more than 1/2 of world’s water comes from mtns.

19. RESOURCE EXPLOITATION
Natural resources: timber, wild food and herbs, minerals, and hydroelectric power
Mining:
Open pits at the Rio Huaypetue mine, SE Peru

21. EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO CHANGE
CLIMATE CHANGE
METEOROLOGICAL EVENTS
SEISMICITY
ACID RAIN
DEFORESTATION
BECAUSE OF:
steep slopes
high altitudes
extreme climate
narrow ecological niches
thin, acidic soil
glacier changes

22. Your background
1) Write down a place in the mountains that inspired you, and why
2) Why taking this class?
3) Topic(s) that you’d like to learn most about