Remote Sens. 2012, 4, 3078-3109; doi:10.3390/rs4103078 OPEN ACCESS Remote Sensing ISSN 2072-4292 www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing Article Decision Tree and Texture Analysis for Mapping Debris-Covered Glaciers in the Kangchenjunga Area, Eastern Himalaya Adina Racoviteanu 1,2,* and Mark W. Williams 1 1 Department of Geography and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, CB 450, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, 54 rue Molière, Domaine Universitaire, BP 96, Saint Martin d’Hères cedex 38402, France * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +33-4-7682-4272; Fax: +33-4-7682-4201. Received: 16 August 2012; in revised from: 26 September 2012/ Accepted: 29 September 2012 / Published: 18 October 2012 Abstract: In this study we use visible, short-wave infrared and thermal Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data validated with high-resolution Quickbird (QB) and Worldview2 (WV2) for mapping debris cover in the eastern Himalaya using two independent approaches: (a) a decision tree algorithm, and (b) texture analysis. The decision tree algorithm was based on multi-spectral and topographic variables, such as band ratios, surface reflectance, kinetic temperature from ASTER bands 10 and 12, slope angle, and elevation. The decision tree algorithm resulted in 64 km2 classified as debris-covered ice, which represents 11% of the glacierized area. Overall, for ten glacier tongues in the Kangchenjunga area, there was an area difference of 16.2 km2 (25%) between the ASTER and the QB areas, with mapping errors mainly due to clouds and shadows.