Projects

SPANTIK Lab


Project Overview
(2025-2027) 

The mountain cryosphere supports almost a third of the global population for irrigation, drinking water, industry andthe environment. Currently, the changes due to global warming are only partially understood because these processesare often studied by distinct scientific communities and in isolation from the overall mountain water cycle. As a result, it is alack a whole picture of present and future changes of the mountain cryosphere.

This lack is even more evident in Karakorum mountains, where in the past two decades, these chains have shownbalanced to slightly positive glacier budgets, an increase in glacier ice flow speeds, stable to partially advancing glacier termini and widespread glacier surge activity. Establishing the mechanisms that are driving this paradox, named byscientists Karakorum anomaly, their relative importance and how they are likely to evolve in coming decades therefore isfundamental to provide answers to questions raised by policy makers and the broad public because glaciers have directconsequences for people close to the mountains and downstream. Those consequences will lead to shifts in the regional water cycle at the seasonal scale and long- term reductions of the water availability. Answers to questions on how those changes will happen, when, and whether they are irreversible is the key aim of the SPANTIK LAB project.

Key Ambitions

  1. Quantify the current state of the cryosphere through field observations.
  2. Advance scientific understanding of climate-glacier interactions in the Karakorum.
  3. Develop predictive models for future glacier changes and water availability.
  4. Co-design adaptation strategies with local communities.


Research Initiatives

1.    Glaciology, Climate & Remote Sensing - Lead: UNIMI (University of Milan)

Activities:

  • Satellite and drone-based mapping of glacier dynamics (1980–present).
  • Ice thickness estimation using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and modeling.
  • Mass balance studies via ablation stakes and hydrometric stations.

2.    Ice Memory Project - Lead: ISP-CNR (Italy)

Activities:

  • High-altitude ice core drilling (12–14m) at Spantik Saddle (6,200m) to archive climate records.
  • Snowpit sampling for pollutants (black carbon, microplastics) and isotopic analysis.

3.    Glacier-Atmosphere Interaction - Lead: Franco Salerno (ISP-CNR)

Focus:

  • Study the "glacier cooling effect" and katabatic winds.
  • Deploy micrometeorological stations and infrared radiometers along the glacier.

4.    Air Quality & Health - Lead: CNR/Proambiente

Tools:

  • ARES Station: Monitors black carbon, ozone, CO2, and particulate matter.
  • Community health surveys on indoor air pollution impacts.

Why Chogo Lungma Glacier?

Selection Criteria:

  • Scientific Value: 6th largest glacier in Pakistan; ideal for studying the Karakorum Anomaly.
  • Hydrological Importance: Feeds the Basha River (Indus Basin), critical for downstream water security.
  • Logistical Feasibility: Accessible from Arandu village; stable sites for weather stations.
  • Hazard Relevance: Monitors glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) near Arandu.

Infrastructure:

  • 3 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) at terminus, mid-glacier, and Camp I.
  • Hydrometric Station at Arandu Bridge for real-time discharge data.
  • Drone Surveys for high-resolution glacier mapping.


2025 Field Campaign Highlights

Activity

Lead Team

Key Deliverables

Ice core drilling

ISP-CNR

Paleoclimate archive

AWS & hydrometric installation

UNIMI

Real-time climate/flow data

Glacier cooling study

Salerno/Guyennon

Katabatic wind models

ARES station deployment

CNR/Proambiente

Pollution baseline

Community health surveys

EVK2CNR

Indoor air quality data

Collaborators

  • Scientific Partners: CNR-Italy, UNIMI, Tsinghua University, University of Graz, ISTA.
  • Local Stakeholders: EPA Gilgit-Baltistan, Karakoram International University, University of Baltistan.
  • Policy Alignment: UNDP GLOF-II, Pakistan Glacier Inventory.

Join the Mission

SPANTIK Lab bridges cutting-edge science with local action to safeguard water resources in a warming world. Explore the data, follow our expeditions, and collaborate!

Contact: evk2cnr@evk2cnr.org

"Understanding today to adapt tomorrow.