Urdok Glacier
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| Urdok Glacier | |
|---|---|
| Baltoro Muztagh | |
 Interactive map of Urdok Glacier | |
| Location | Xinjiang (China) |
| Coordinates | 35°46′00″N 76°45′45″E / 35.76667°N 76.76250°E |
| Length | 24-27 km |
| Highest elevation | 5,800 m |
| Lowest elevation | 4,300 m |
The Urdok Glacier is found in the eastern Karakoram along the Shaksgam Valley or Trans-Karakoram Tract.
It separates the Siachen Muztagh in the east from the Baltoro Muztagh in the west. In the west and south, the glacier is framed by Gasherbrum I (8,068 m), Sia Kangri (7,422 m) and Urdok I (7,250 m). Runoff from the Urdok Glacier ultimately flows into the Shaksgam River.
The Urdok Glacier is largely covered by rock debris, which slows snowmelt.[1] Despite the presence of climate change, research has found that ice cliffs were growing in size on Urdok Glacier, compared to other glaciers in the region.[2] The Urdok Glacier is additionally characterized as a "surge-type" or "surge-modified" glacier, where its speed can increase rapidly.[3] The variability in the glacier's depth and speed has resulted in varying measurements in the glacier's overall length and size. Various figures have measured its length to be 24 km,[4] 25 km or 27 km.[5]
The Urdok Glacier has been known to exhibit "ice sails", a geological feature that appears as a sharp ridge or spike of melting ice protruding from the glacier surface. Also known as "ice pyramids" the feature has been documented across the Urdok Glacier in 2006 and 2014.[6]
