Satellite

Biography

Biography: SANJAY K. JAIN

Abstract

Himalayan glaciers are generally difficult to monitor by field observation due to the highly rugged and extremely inaccessible mountainous terrain. Thus, in this study, changes in glacial area, perimeter, length, ELA, snout and debris cover were examined based on MSS (1976), ETM+ (2000 & 2006) and TM (2011) in the Baspa river basin, a major tributary of Satluj River, located in western Himalayan region. Additionally, the Survey of India (SOI) topographical maps (1962) and LISS III (2007) Satellite data were used for the collection of additional information to attain higher accuracy in glacier mapping. The investigations have generated a new inventory of 80 glaciers for the year 2011. Over a period of 36 years from 1976 to 2011, the glacier area has changed from 253.4 km2 to 195.7 km2 i.e., 57.7 (22.8%) at a rate of 1.6 ma-1, where as the perimeter changed from 900 to 799 km i.e., 101.0 (11.2%) at rate 2.8 ma-1, and the length changed from 266.1 to 217.2 km i.e., 48.8 (18.4%) at a rate 1.4 ma-1. Moreover, the equilibrium line of altitude (ELA) had gone up from 5126 m asl to 5235 m asl i.e., 109m (2.1%) upward rise at a rate of 3 ma-1 where as the snout has retreated from 4740 m asl to 4812 m asl i.e., 72.1 m (1.5%) at a rate of 2 ma-1 recession. The glacier changes are significantly controlled by the size, altitude, aspect, slope and debris cover in the basin. Generally, the clean, small sized, low altitude glaciers with south to southwest aspect and steep slope have lost large area and vice versa. Furthermore, the glacier changes in the region are a response to temperature (Tmax & Tmin) increase particularly Tmin along with rainfall and snowfall decrease from 1985 to 2008.