Hasanabad glacier Hunza valley
The Restless Giant: Unraveling the Mysteries of Shishper Glacier in Pakistan's Hunza Valley "This great workshop of primaeval forces where nature seems to exert her supremest energy" George Nathaniel Curzon's depiction of the Hunza landscape remains hauntingly accurate when observing the Shishper Glacier's behavior. The Hasanabad Glacier system, with its twin arms Muchuhur (western basin) and Shishper (eastern basin) descending dramatically from peaks exceeding 7,300 meters, epitomizes glacial volatility. Historical records reveal a landscape sculptor of unparalleled dynamism: between 1889 and 1980, its snout shifted positions over an astonishing horizontal distance of 11 kilometers, including a documented advance of 9.7 km in just 2.5 months around 1890. This cyclical pattern of rapid advances followed by decades long retreats has long puzzled glaciologists, establishing Shishper as one of Earth's most temperamental glaciers. Current Surge Phase: A Moder...