Current Context : Roopkund Lake in Uttarakhand is shrinking because of climate change, the lake is losing size and depth each year.

ABOUT ROOPKUND LAKE:

• Roopkund, also known as the ” lake of skeletons” is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand.
• Location: Situated in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 16,500 feet near Mt. Trishul in the Garhwal Himalayas.
• Size: Small glacial lake, approximately 130 feet wide, mostly frozen throughout the year.
• Mystery of Skeletons: Known for housing human skeletons, visible when the ice melts. The skeletons are believed to date back to the 9th century AD.
• Recent Studies: A 2019 study suggests the skeletons belong to different groups, who perished over a span of 1,000 years, not in a single event.

Impact of Climate Change: The lake is shrinking due to rising temperatures, affecting snow cover and the preservation of the remains.