Detection of Changes in Glacier Mass Balance Using Satellite and Meteorological Data in Tirungkhad Basin Located in Western Himalaya

Assessment of Recent Glacier Changes and Its Controlling Factors from 1976 to 2011 in Baspa Basin, Western Himalaya

“…However, in Xiongcaigangri and neighboring areas, glaciers have retreated less (Brahmbhatt et al, 2015;Li et al, 2015). But, in the Tirungkhad basin located in western Himalaya, a higher shrinkage of 29.1 km 2 (i.e., 26.1% reduction) has been reported from 1966 to 2011 (Mir et al, 2014a(Mir et al, , 2014b. Similarly, in the Zanskar valley of western Himalaya, a shrinkage of 212 glaciers resulted in a loss of 57 km 2 (i.e., 8% reduction); however, this was partially offset by a 42 km 2 (or 6%) increase in other glaciers.…”

“…The glaciers influence the overall runoff in lowland rivers; recharge river-fed aquifers; provide water for hydropower, agriculture, and ecosystems; and eventually contribute to sea-level rise (Dyurgerov and Meier, 2005). However, a majority of the earlier studies showed that the Himalayan glaciers are diminishing and have been in a state of recession since the 1850s (Bhambri and Bolch, 2009;Bahuguna et al, 2014;Mir et al, 2014a).…”

“…Several studies on the Himalayan glaciers have indicated a receding-trend over the past few decades (Kulkarni et al, 2007;Bolch et al, 2008;Chand and Sharma, 2015). Overall, the shrinkage of Himalayan glaciers since the 1970s (Yao et al, 2012) has been attributed to rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation (Yao et al, 2012;Yang et al, 2014;Mir et al, 2014a). A number of studies suggest the primary source for melt energy and fluctuations in glaciers through the years is mainly solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation (Greuell and Smeets, 2001;Oerlemans, 2005;Mir et al, 2014aMir et al, , 2014b.…”

“…A number of studies suggest the primary source for melt energy and fluctuations in glaciers through the years is mainly solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation (Greuell and Smeets, 2001;Oerlemans, 2005;Mir et al, 2014aMir et al, , 2014b. Glaciers being physically complex and dynamic systems are sensitive to climate change (Benn and Evans, 2010) and are therefore considered as key indicators for assessing climate change in the Himalayan region, especially in areas without climatic observation instrumentation facilities (Barry, 2006;Bolch et al, 2012;Mir et al, 2014a).…”

Estimation of Glacier Mass Balance on a Basin Scale:An Approach Based on Satellite-Derived Snowlines and a Temperature Index Model

“…However, snowlines are easily identifiable on satellite images and the transient snowline (TSL) at the end of the glaciological year coincides with ELA on temperate glaciers 15,[25][26][27] . Therefore, many studies in different parts of the Himalaya have used satellite-derived ELA 23,[28][29][30][31] and the resultant AAR in the regression developed by Kulkarni et al 23 for estimation of glacier mass balance.…”