Statistical analyses were performed on the relation between the glacier forms and the topographic conditions of the glacier basins, using an inventory of the glaciers in the Khumbu Himal where climatic conditions can be considered as nearly uniform in the Great Himalayas.
An apparent difference was found between the dimensions of glaciers without debris (C-type glaciers) and those covered with debris (D-type glaciers), the latter being 15 times larger in area and 5 times longer in length on the average.
The correlation between the dimensions of glaciers and their basins is better in the case of glaciers covered with ablation moraine than glaciers without ablation moraine. The large-sized glaciers, having large area, long length, and high upper limit, develop in bigger basins with higher summits, longer basin ridges and wider valleys. However the positions of the lower limits of the glaciers are independent of the dimensions of the glacier basin.
There are good correlations between glacier area and basin area, and between debris covered area and rock face area. Therefore, it would be reasonable to consider that the total precipitation in the area of basin above the firn line controls the size of the glacier, and the debris on the glacier surface were supplied from the rock face of the basin.
After multiple regression analysis by forward selection, elements representing the form of the glaciers were related to elements representing the form of the basins by a regression equation.
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