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Estimation of Ice Thickness of the Satopanth Glacier, Central Himalaya Using Ground Penetrating Radar


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal 246 174, India
2 Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research, Pune 411 008, India
3 The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai 600 113, India
 

Total volume of stored ice in the Himalayan glaciers is an important quantity for water resource management of the Himalayan catchments. However, direct measurement of glacier-ice thickness is rare in the Indian Himalaya. We have estimated the ice thickness of the debris-covered Satopanth Glacier (SPG) using a ground penetrating radar (GPR). Multiple bistatic, unshielded antennae with frequencies of 16, 20, 40 and 80 MHz were used for this purpose. We have done GPR surveys at various locations over the ablation zone of SPG. However, satisfactory results were obtained only on two transects. Near the glacier snout, a transverse GPR profile shows an ice thickness of 38 ± 3.5–50 ± 3.5 m. We have obtained 98 ± 7–112 ± 7 m ice thickness at a longitudinal transect in the upper ablation zone. To measure the speed of the radar waves in ice, a common midpoint survey was carried out. Our results for the speed of the electromagnetic waves are slightly lower than the standard values of such waves through pure ice.

Keywords

Common Midpoint Survey, Debris-Covered Glaciers, Ground Penetrating Radar, Ice Thickness.
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  • Estimation of Ice Thickness of the Satopanth Glacier, Central Himalaya Using Ground Penetrating Radar

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Authors

Aditya Mishra
Department of Geology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal 246 174, India
B. D. S. Negi
Department of Geology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal 246 174, India
Argha Banerjee
Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research, Pune 411 008, India
H. C. Nainwal
Department of Geology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal 246 174, India
R. Shankar
The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai 600 113, India

Abstract


Total volume of stored ice in the Himalayan glaciers is an important quantity for water resource management of the Himalayan catchments. However, direct measurement of glacier-ice thickness is rare in the Indian Himalaya. We have estimated the ice thickness of the debris-covered Satopanth Glacier (SPG) using a ground penetrating radar (GPR). Multiple bistatic, unshielded antennae with frequencies of 16, 20, 40 and 80 MHz were used for this purpose. We have done GPR surveys at various locations over the ablation zone of SPG. However, satisfactory results were obtained only on two transects. Near the glacier snout, a transverse GPR profile shows an ice thickness of 38 ± 3.5–50 ± 3.5 m. We have obtained 98 ± 7–112 ± 7 m ice thickness at a longitudinal transect in the upper ablation zone. To measure the speed of the radar waves in ice, a common midpoint survey was carried out. Our results for the speed of the electromagnetic waves are slightly lower than the standard values of such waves through pure ice.

Keywords


Common Midpoint Survey, Debris-Covered Glaciers, Ground Penetrating Radar, Ice Thickness.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi04%2F785-791