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Mass Balance Estimation Using Geodetic Method for Glaciers in Baspa Basin, Western Himalaya


Affiliations
1 Cryosphere Science Division, ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa 403 804, India
2 Divecha Centre for Climate Change, CAOS, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India
3 Department of Civil Engineering, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Visvesvaraya Technological University-RC, Bengaluru 560 056, India
 

Himalayan glaciers, which contribute to water security for almost 1.3 billion people in Asia, are now under threat due to climate change. Assessment of glacier mass balance changes is crucial to determine the implications of climate change, but in situ measurements are limited due to rugged terrain and harsh climate of the Himalaya. Remote sensing-based geodetic method is therefore important for studying the evolution of Himalayan glaciers at a large scale. In this study, the mass balance of glaciers located in Baspa basin (Western Himalaya) is estimated for a period of 11 years between 2000 and 2011, using geodetic method. Out of 89 glaciers in the basin, 42 glaciers (greater than 1 km2) covering an area of ~72% (215 km2) of the total glaciated area were selected for the study. A mean thinning of ~50 ± 11 m and mean accumulation of ~35 ± 11 m was observed during the study period, with the cumulative mass balance varying between -36.9 ± 1.98 and 6.47 ± 1.98 m.w.e. A mean annual mass loss of -1.09 ± 0.32 m.w.e.a-1 was observed for the entire basin, suggesting that the glaciers in Baspa basin are losing mass at higher rate compared to the glaciers in central and eastern Himalayas. This study demonstrates the utility of geodetic method to estimate mass balance of glaciers at basin scale, which will be useful to assess future changes in glacial extent and stream run-off.

Keywords

Baspa Basin, Geodetic Method, Mass Balance, Western Himalaya.
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  • Mass Balance Estimation Using Geodetic Method for Glaciers in Baspa Basin, Western Himalaya

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Authors

G. Vinay Kumar
Cryosphere Science Division, ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa 403 804, India
Anil V. Kulkarni
Divecha Centre for Climate Change, CAOS, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, India
Anil Kumar Gupta
Department of Civil Engineering, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Visvesvaraya Technological University-RC, Bengaluru 560 056, India
Parmanand Sharma
Cryosphere Science Division, ESSO-National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa 403 804, India

Abstract


Himalayan glaciers, which contribute to water security for almost 1.3 billion people in Asia, are now under threat due to climate change. Assessment of glacier mass balance changes is crucial to determine the implications of climate change, but in situ measurements are limited due to rugged terrain and harsh climate of the Himalaya. Remote sensing-based geodetic method is therefore important for studying the evolution of Himalayan glaciers at a large scale. In this study, the mass balance of glaciers located in Baspa basin (Western Himalaya) is estimated for a period of 11 years between 2000 and 2011, using geodetic method. Out of 89 glaciers in the basin, 42 glaciers (greater than 1 km2) covering an area of ~72% (215 km2) of the total glaciated area were selected for the study. A mean thinning of ~50 ± 11 m and mean accumulation of ~35 ± 11 m was observed during the study period, with the cumulative mass balance varying between -36.9 ± 1.98 and 6.47 ± 1.98 m.w.e. A mean annual mass loss of -1.09 ± 0.32 m.w.e.a-1 was observed for the entire basin, suggesting that the glaciers in Baspa basin are losing mass at higher rate compared to the glaciers in central and eastern Himalayas. This study demonstrates the utility of geodetic method to estimate mass balance of glaciers at basin scale, which will be useful to assess future changes in glacial extent and stream run-off.

Keywords


Baspa Basin, Geodetic Method, Mass Balance, Western Himalaya.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi03%2F486-492