The status and decadal change of glaciers in Bhutan from the 1980s to 2010 based on satellite data

Bajracharya, Samjwal Ratna; Maharjan, Sudan Bikash; Shrestha, Finu

doi:10.3189/2014aog66a125

Cited by 132 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…While supraglacial lakes do not cover extensive areas of the glacierized surface, they were shown to increase surface ablation rates in this part of the Himalaya ; Sakai et al, 2002). It was also shown that supraglacial lakes located at the glacier terminus tend to merge to create large, fast-growing proglacial lakes that accelerate glacier area loss (Basnett et al, 2013;Bajracharya et al, 2014). Some of the proglacial lakes in our study area are visible in Figs.…”

Section: The Role Of Glacier Lakesmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…The role of supraglacial/proglacial lakes for glacier area change in this area of the Himalaya was addressed in detail in recent studies (Basnett et al, 2013;Bajracharya et al, 2014). Gardelle et al (2011) also pointed out the increased formation of supraglacial lakes particularly in the eastern part of the Himalaya.…”

Section: The Role Of Glacier Lakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A new Landsat-based inventory has been complied using imagery from 1999 to 2003 that, along with the current study, may help improve the accuracy in some areas of RGI (Nuimura et al, 2014). Some other regional glacier inventories have been constructed in the past, for example for the western part of the Himalaya (e.g., Kamp et al, 2011;Bhambri et al, 2011;Frey et al, 2012), but only a few are available for the eastern extremity of the Himalaya (e.g., Krishna, 2005;Basnett et al, 2013;Bajracharya et al, 2014;Kulkarni and Narain, 1990). The use of remote sensing for glacier mapping in this area is limited by frequent cloud cover and sensor saturation due to unsuitable gain settings and the persistence of seasonal snow, which hampers quality satellite image acquisition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial patterns in glacier characteristics and area changes from 1962 to 2006 in the Kanchenjunga–Sikkim area, eastern Himalaya

et al. 2015

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Abstract. This study investigates spatial patterns in glacier characteristics and area changes at decadal scales in the eastern Himalaya -Nepal (Arun and Tamor basins), India (Teesta basin in Sikkim) and parts of China and Bhutan -based on various satellite imagery: Corona KH4 imagery, Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Radiometer (ASTER), QuickBird (QB) and WorldView-2 (WV2). We compare and contrast glacier surface area changes over the period of 1962-2000/2006 and their dependency on glacier topography (elevation, slope, aspect, percent debris cover) and climate (solar radiation, precipitation) on the eastern side of the topographic barrier (Sikkim) versus the western side (Nepal).Glacier mapping from 2000 Landsat ASTER yielded 1463 ± 88 km 2 total glacierized area, of which 569 ± 34 km 2 was located in Sikkim and 488 ± 29 km 2 in eastern Nepal. Supraglacial debris covered 11 % of the total glacierized area, and supraglacial lakes covered about 5.8 % of the debris-covered glacier area alone. Glacier area loss (1962 to 2000) was 0.50 ± 0.2 % yr −1 , with little difference between Nepal (0.53 ± 0.2 % yr −1 ) and Sikkim (0.44 ± 0.2 % yr −1 ). Glacier area change was controlled mostly by glacier area, elevation, altitudinal range and, to a smaller extent, slope and aspect. In the Kanchenjunga-Sikkim area, we estimated a glacier area loss of 0.23 ± 0.08 % yr −1 from 1962 to 2006 based on high-resolution imagery. On a glacier-by-glacier basis, clean glaciers exhibit more area loss on average from 1962 to 2006 (34 %) compared to debris-covered glaciers (22 %). Glaciers in this region of the Himalaya are shrinking at similar rates to those reported for the last decades in other parts of the Himalaya, but individual glacier rates of change vary across the study area with respect to local topography, percent debris cover or glacier elevations.

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Section: The Role Of Glacier Lakesmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: The Role Of Glacier Lakesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial patterns in glacier characteristics and area changes from 1962 to 2006 in the Kanchenjunga–Sikkim area, eastern Himalaya

et al. 2015

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“…Glacier surface areas compose approximately 642 km 2 of the Bhutanese domain, and have exhibited rapid shrinkage (>20%) between 1990 and 2010 [18]. The glaciers in this region are summeraccumulation-type, whereby accumulation and ablation occur simultaneously during the monsoon season [19], and thus are highly sensitive to changing climate.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the Scale and Potential of GLOF in the Bhutan Himalayas Using a Satellite-Based Integral Glacier–Glacial Lake Inventory

et al. 2017

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Abstract:A comprehensive glacier-glacial lake inventory was developed for the Bhutan Himalayas based on satellite observations between 1987-1990 and 2006-2011. In total, 733 lakes (covering 82.6 km 2 ) were delineated between 4000 and 6000 m a.s.l. and their relationships to associated glaciers were documented. Using this new inventory, the scale and potential for glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) based on multiple criteria was examined. This included a history of connectivity characteristics of glacial lakes to mother glaciers, potential flood volumes, and debris-cover of mother glaciers in addition to the conventional criteria of expansion rate and lake size. The majority of the lakes with high expansion rates (more than double in size) and large areas (>0.1 km 2 ) met the conditions of being continuously in contact with a mother debris-covered glacier for nearly 20 years. Based on these multiple criteria, two lakes were identified as having potential for large-scale GLOF. Potentially dangerous glacial lakes listed in the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) study were re-visited, and some overlaps with the glacier-glacial lake inventory were found.

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“…Debris-covered ice was classified with greater weight on the NDVI, NDSI and slope.. 315 Similar to Bajracharya et al (2014a), the elevation was used to limit the altitudinal 316 range where glaciers could be classified, reducing false positives. The LWM was also 317 included in the classification.…”

Section: Classification Using Only Optical and Elevation Data (Obimentioning

confidence: 99%

Automated classification of debris-covered glaciers combining optical, SAR and topographic data in an object-based environment

Robson

Nuth

Dahl

et al. 2015

Remote Sensing of Environment

125

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20Satellite imagery is increasingly used to monitor glacier area changes and create glacier inventories. 21Robust and efficient pixel-based band ratios have proven to be accurate for automatically delineating 22 clean glacier ice, however such classifications are restricted by debris-covered ice due to its spectral 23 similarity with surrounding terrain. Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) has emerged as a new 24 analysis technique within remote sensing. It offers many advantages over pixel-based classification 25 techniques due to the ability to work with multiple data sources and handle data contextually and 26 hierarchically. By making use of OBIA capabilities we automatically classify clean ice and debris-27 covered ice in the challenging area surrounding Mount Manaslu in Nepal using optical (Landsat 8), 28 topographic (void-filled SRTM) and SAR coherence (ALOS PALSAR) data. Clean ice was classified with 29 a mean accuracy of 93.3% while debris-covered ice was classified with an accuracy of 83.3% when 30 compared to manually corrected outlines, providing a total glacier accuracy of 91%. With further 31 developments in the classification, steep tributary sections of ice could be contextually included, 32 raising the accuracy to over 94%. One prominent advantage of OBIA is that it allows some post-33 processing and correction of the glacier outlines automatically, reducing the amount of manual 34 correction needed. OBIA incorporating SAR coherence data can be recommended for future mapping 35 of debris-covered ice. 36

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The status and decadal change of glaciers in Bhutan from the 1980s to 2010 based on satellite data

Cited by 132 publications

References 34 publications

Spatial patterns in glacier characteristics and area changes from 1962 to 2006 in the Kanchenjunga–Sikkim area, eastern Himalaya

Spatial patterns in glacier characteristics and area changes from 1962 to 2006 in the Kanchenjunga–Sikkim area, eastern Himalaya

Evaluating the Scale and Potential of GLOF in the Bhutan Himalayas Using a Satellite-Based Integral Glacier–Glacial Lake Inventory

Automated classification of debris-covered glaciers combining optical, SAR and topographic data in an object-based environment

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