Holocene glaciers and climates inferred from quantitative reconstruction for the Rongbuk and Khumbu glaciers on the southern and northern slopes of the Mount Qomolangma

Glaciers in the Mount Qomolangma region are sensitive indicators of climate change. Despite extensive studies on modern glacier-climate interactions, quantitative reconstructions of Holocene glacier dynamics and climate conditions remain limited. This study comparatively reconstructed the Holocene extents for the Khumbu and Rongbuk glaciers on the southern and northern slopes of Mount Qomolangma, respectively. Based on well-preserved glacial landforms and with chronological data, this paper, using PalaeoIce model, quantitively reconstructed the Holocene glacier extents and applied the P-T model that links equilibrium line altitude (ELA) variations to climatic parameters to infer past summer temperature variations, with precipitation being constrained by lake pollen records. The results show that the Rongbuk Glacier experienced larger ELA variations and greater summer temperature changes than the Khumbu Glacier. The disparities could be attributed to an interplay of multiple factors, encompassing glacier geometry, valley morphology, and distinct precipitation patterns across the northern and southern slopes. The ELA-based temperature estimates are broadly consistent with pollen-based reconstructions, highlighting the potential of this method in inferring climatic conditions at high-altitude regions.