Temporal fluctuations and frontal area change of Bangni and Dunagiri glaciers from 1962 to 2013, Dhauliganga Basin, central Himalaya, India
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used multi-image satellite data (Landsat MSS, 1976, Landsat TM, 1990; Landsat ETM+, 2005) and field surveys (2012 to 2014) for the period of 1962-2013.
About: This article is published in Geomorphology.The article was published on 2017-05-01. It has received 36 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Glacier morphology & Glacier mass balance.
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01 Dec 2013
TL;DR: This paper found that the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent, due to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns.
Abstract: Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
1,599 citations
01 Aug 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, a detailed insight into varied responses of 18 glaciers (1994-2015), spread over the central Himalaya (CH), and systematically explores the influence of topographic factors on changing glacier parameters using satellite remote sensing data (Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI, Cartosat-1 PAN, Resoursesat-2 LISS-4, SRTM digital elevation model) and limited field observations.
Abstract: Assessing the impact of topography on glacier changes is vital because, while climate is the driving force behind these changes, the topography may control their heterogeneity. Present study provides a detailed insight into varied responses of 18 glaciers (1994–2015), spread over the central Himalaya (CH), and systematically explores the influence of topographic factors on changing glacier parameters using satellite remote sensing data (Landsat TM/ETM +/OLI, Cartosat-1 PAN, Resoursesat-2 LISS-4, SRTM digital elevation model) and limited field observations. Results show that the total glaciated area decreased from 313.34 ± 7.95 km2 in 1994 to 306.36 ± 8.04 km2 in 2015 whereas retreat rates varied from 4.75 ± 2.25 to 28.25 ± 2.25 m a− 1 during this period. The total debris-covered area also increased from 86.56 ± 1.29 to 97.99 ± 1.75 km2 and the average snowline altitude upshifted by 67 m during 1994–2015. Various topographic factors analyzed here include: glacier area, length, compactness ratio, altitude, slope, aspect, hypsometry, area accumulation ratio and snout characteristics. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrates that compactness ratio, glacier size, altitude range and mean slope strongly influence the area loss. Whereas glacier length, mean slope, compactness and altitude range influence the retreat rates. Cumulative influence of these factors was assessed using a novel approach which uses ordinal scale relative weighting-rating technique to compute a Topographic Influence Index (TII). Breaks in the frequency of TII values were used for categorizing the glaciers into three groups that experienced different degrees of topographic influence on area loss and retreat namely, modest, moderate and strong. It is observed that, out of 18 glaciers, 5 had modest, 8 had moderate and 5 glaciers had strong influence of topography on area loss. Whereas, 6, 8 and 4 glaciers experienced modest, moderate and strong influence of topography on retreat, respectively. Further, we found that ~ 78% and ~ 61% glaciers in case of area loss and retreat, respectively, are also the ones which exhibit higher glacier wastage. This indicates that the observed heterogeneity in the response of studied glaciers is probably topographically induced.
60 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented the late quaternary glaciation history of monsoon-dominated Dokriani Glacier valley, Dingad basin, central Himalaya, India, using field geomorphology and remote sensing data supported by Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating enabled identification of five major glacial events of decreasing magnitude.
47 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a volume-area power law for estimating the total volume of the glaciers in the Central Himalaya basin, which was validated on two Himalayan glaciers (Chhota Shigri and Satopanth).
Abstract: Himalayan glaciers are a storehouse of fresh water and play a significant role in influencing the runoff through numerous perennial rivers flowing over the Indo-Gangetic plains, providing freshwater to the second largest populated country in the world. For suitable management of this water resource, measurement of glacier-ice volume is extremely important in the current scenario of climate change and water scarcity. To address this concern, the present study endeavors to find a suitable methodology to quantify glacier volume and retreat in the Central Himalaya. Herein, two methods were implemented to estimate the total glacier ice volume - conventional area-based scaling method and glacier-surface velocity based modeling technique. The availability of field data allowed a validation assessment to be carried out on two Himalayan glaciers (Chhota Shigri and Satopanth). Here, we propose a volume-area power law, appropriate for the application in the context of Himalayan glaciers. The ice volume of 15 glaciers larger than 1 km2 calculated using a spatially distributed ice thickness model is 3.78 × 109 m3 (f=0.8), with an overall uncertainty of 18.4%. The total volume of the remaining glaciers in the basin, calculated using a tuned volume-area scaling relation is 2.71 × 109 m3. A sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the influence of input parameters on the model and volume-area scaling performance. The study also incorporates investigation of the glacier bed topography for discrete identification of the overdeepening sites in the glacier valley which are potential lake formation sites in the future. A total of 54 overdeepening sites covering an area of 2.85 km2 have been identified. In addition, the relative glacier area loss of the glaciers is investigated using historical CORONA and Landsat satellite imageries. Glaciers with a smaller area and those with lower mean ice thickness near the terminus shrank significantly more, as compared to the larger ones. The total area of the selected larger glaciers is estimated to be 68 km2 in 2015 and deglaciation of 4.7 km2 is observed over the period of 48 years that accounts for 6.9% of the total area in 1968.
44 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined eight glaciers in the upper Rishi Ganga catchment, Nanda Devi region, Central Himalaya, India, to assess their spatial and temporal variability towards the climate change.
43 citations
References
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TL;DR: A review of the geologic history of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen suggests that at least 1400 km of north-south shortening has been absorbed by the orogen since the onset of the Indo-Asian collision at about 70 Ma as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: A review of the geologic history of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen suggests that at least 1400 km of north-south shortening has been absorbed by the orogen since the onset of the Indo-Asian collision at about 70 Ma. Significant crustal shortening, which leads to eventual construction of the Cenozoic Tibetan plateau, began more or less synchronously in the Eocene (50–40 Ma) in the Tethyan Himalaya in the south, and in the Kunlun Shan and the Qilian Shan some 1000–1400 km in the north. The Paleozoic and Mesozoic tectonic histories in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen exerted a strong control over the Cenozoic strain history and strain distribution. The presence of widespread Triassic flysch complex in the Songpan-Ganzi-Hoh Xil and the Qiangtang terranes can be spatially correlated with Cenozoic volcanism and thrusting in central Tibet. The marked difference in seismic properties of the crust and the upper mantle between southern and central Tibet is a manifestation of both Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics. The form...
4,494 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent, due to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns.
Abstract: Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
1,738 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a spatially resolved global reconstructions of annual surface temperature patterns over the past six centuries are based on the multivariate calibration of widely distributed high-resolution proxy climate indicators.
Abstract: Spatially resolved global reconstructions of annual surface temperature patterns over the past six centuries are based on the multivariate calibration of widely distributed high-resolution proxy climate indicators. Time-dependent correlations of the reconstructions with time-series records representing changes in greenhouse-gas concentrations, solar irradiance, and volcanic aerosols suggest that each of these factors has contributed to the climate variability of the past 400 years, with greenhouse gases emerging as the dominant forcing during the twentieth century. Northern Hemisphere mean annual temperatures for three of the past eight years are warmer than any other year since (at least) ad 1400.
1,720 citations
01 Dec 2013
TL;DR: This paper found that the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent, due to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns.
Abstract: Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
1,599 citations