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Glacier Changes in the Karakoram Region M EGU Journal Logos (RGB) Open Access Open Access Open Access Advances in Annales Nonlinear Processes Geosciences Geophysicae in Geophysics Open Access Open Access Natural Hazards Natural Hazards and Earth System and Earth System Sciences Sciences Discussions Open Access Open Access Atmospheric Atmospheric Chemistry Chemistry and Physics and Physics Discussions Open Access Open Access Atmospheric Atmospheric Measurement Measurement Techniques Techniques Discussions Open Access Open Access Biogeosciences Biogeosciences Discussions Open Access Open Access Climate Climate of the Past of the Past Discussions Open Access Open Access Earth System Earth System Dynamics Dynamics Discussions Open Access Geoscientific Geoscientific Open Access Instrumentation Instrumentation Methods and Methods and Data Systems Data Systems Discussions Open Access Open Access Geoscientific Geoscientific Model Development Model Development Discussions Open Access Open Access Hydrology and Hydrology and Earth System Earth System Sciences Sciences Discussions Open Access Open Access Ocean Science Ocean Science Discussions Open Access Open Access Solid Earth Solid Earth Discussions Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | The Cryosphere Discuss., 7, 4065–4099, 2013 Open Access Open Access www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/7/4065/2013/ The Cryosphere The Cryosphere TCD doi:10.5194/tcd-7-4065-2013 Discussions © Author(s) 2013. CC Attribution 3.0 License. 7, 4065–4099, 2013 This discussion paper is/has been under review for the journal The Cryosphere (TC). Glacier changes in Please refer to the corresponding final paper in TC if available. the Karakoram region Glacier changes in the Karakoram region M. Rankl et al. mapped by multi-mission satellite Title Page imagery Abstract Introduction M. Rankl1, S. Vijay1, C. Kienholz2, and M. Braun1 Conclusions References Tables Figures 1Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Kochstr. 4/4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany 2 Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 903 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK J I 99775-7320, USA J I Received: 30 June 2013 – Accepted: 29 July 2013 – Published: 13 August 2013 Back Close Correspondence to: M. Rankl ([email protected]) Full Screen / Esc Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. Printer-friendly Version Interactive Discussion 4065 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Abstract TCD Glaciers in the Karakoram region are known to show stable and advancing terminus positions or surging behavior, which contrasts the worldwide retreat of many mountain 7, 4065–4099, 2013 glaciers. The present study uses Landsat imagery to derive an updated and extended 5 glacier inventory. Surging and advancing glaciers and their annual termini position Glacier changes in changes are mapped in addition. Out of 1334 glaciers, 134 show advancing or surging the Karakoram region behavior, with a marked increase since 2000. The length distribution of surging glaciers differs significantly from non-surging glaciers. More than 50 % of the advancing/surging M. Rankl et al. glaciers are shorter than 10 km. Besides a regional spatial coverage of ice dynamics, 10 high-resolution SAR data allows to investigate very small and comparably fast flowing glaciers (up to 1.8 m day−1). Such data enables mapping of temporal changes of ice Title Page dynamics of individual small surging or advancing glaciers. In a further case study, Abstract Introduction glacier volume changes of three glaciers around Braldu Glacier are quantified during a surge event comparing digital elevation models from the Shuttle Radar Topography Conclusions References 15 Mission (SRTM) and the new TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement Tables Figures (TanDEM-X) Mission. We recommend regular acquisitions of high resolution (bi-static) SAR satellite data and further exploitation of the archives in order to generate an im- proved database for monitoring changes, and to at least partially compensate for the J I lack of in-situ and long-term climatological measurements in the Karakoram region. J I Back Close 20 1 Introduction Full Screen / Esc Meltwater from snow cover and glaciers in high mountain areas is a major source for downstream water resources (Church et al., 2011; Immerzeel et al., 2010). Glaciers Printer-friendly Version in the Karakoram and Himalaya contribute to the discharge of the Indus River and its tributaries, which provide water resources and food security for about 200 million peo- Interactive Discussion 25 ple downstream (Immerzeel et al., 2010). The amount of meltwater originating from the mountainous catchment areas is 1.5 times greater than the discharge generated down- 4066 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | stream along the Indus (Immerzeel et al., 2010). Hence, well-founded knowledge of the extent and nature of changes in glaciers supports downstream hydrological planning TCD and water resource management. 7, 4065–4099, 2013 Despite the fact that most of the glaciers in the Himalaya are receding (Bolch et al., 5 2012; Gardelle et al., 2012; Kääb et al., 2012), glaciers in the Karakoram are displaying controversial behavior (Bhambri et al., 2012; Bolch et al., 2012; Gardelle et al., 2012, Glacier changes in 2013; Hewitt, 2005; Kääb et al., 2012). Glacier mass balances have been observed to the Karakoram region be stable or even positive due to favorable climatic conditions during the last decade (Gardelle et al., 2012; Kääb et al., 2012). Moreover, the Karakoram accounts for a high M. Rankl et al. 10 number of surging glaciers. Glacier surges in the Karakoram have been known since the 1860s (Barrand and Murray, 2006; Copland et al., 2011; Hewitt, 1969, 1998, 2007; Title Page Kotlyakov et al., 2008; Mason, 1931), with a marked increase in surge activity in recent years (Copland et al., 2011). Surging glaciers are identifiable by distinctive surface fea- Abstract Introduction tures, such as looped and folded medial moraines, ice foliation, crevassed surfaces, Conclusions References 15 and/or advancing glacier tongues (Barrand and Murray, 2006; Hewitt, 1969; Meier and Post, 1969). During a surge, surface velocities increase by at least one order of magni- Tables Figures tude within a few months or up to several years in comparison with non-surging glaciers (Meier and Post, 1969). Moreover, the glacier terminus steepens and thickens through- J I out a surge event as ice from the reservoir area is shifted to the receiving area (Clarke 20 et al., 1984; Meier and Post, 1969). The rapid advance of the glacier tongue during J I a surge involves risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) by e.g. dammed glacier Back Close streams. Thirty-five GLOFs are reported in the Karakoram region since 1826 (Hewitt, 1982; UNDP, 2013). Full Screen / Esc The present study focusses on the investigation of the temporal and spatial pattern of 25 surging/advancing glaciers across the entire Karakoram Range. Different remote sens- Printer-friendly Version ing techniques are combined to analyze the highly dynamic behavior of those glaciers. Existing glacier inventories are updated and refined using optical satellite imagery, and Interactive Discussion a detailed analysis of advancing termini and surges since 1976 is carried out. The in- ventory is fed with dimensional and topographic characteristics of surging/advancing 4067 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | glaciers, and compared to those of non-surging/normal glaciers. A complete cover- age for ice dynamics is achieved from repeat, very high-resolution Synthetic Aperture TCD Radar (SAR) imagery as a composite in the period 2007–2011. High surface veloci- 7, 4065–4099, 2013 ties close to the glacier snout during a surge event offer further possibilities to identify 5 surging/advancing glaciers. In several case studies, we additionally demonstrate the potential of very high-resolution SAR time series to map changes in ice flow for very Glacier changes in small surging/advancing glaciers, and complement this analysis with products based the Karakoram region on archived scenes from ERS SAR and ENVISAT ASAR. As a further demonstration in the context of small surging glaciers and new sensor technology, we provide a vol- M. Rankl et al. 10 ume change estimate for two ongoing surges/advances using new bi-static SAR data from the German TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (TanDEM-X) Title Page Mission. Abstract Introduction 2 Study site Conclusions References The Karakoram Range is part of the Hindu–Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya mountain Tables Figures 15 range. It is located between the borders of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China and stretches over ∼ 500 km in a NW to SE direction (Fig. 1). The region comprises J I four peaks higher than 8000 ma.s.l., and half of its surface lies above 5000 ma.s.l. (Copland et al., 2011). The glaciated area covers ∼ 17 946 km2 (Bolch et al., 2012) in- J I cluding some of the largest glaciers outside the Polar Regions, e.g., Siachen Glacier Back Close 20 (∼ 72 km), Baltoro Glacier (∼ 64 km), and Biafo Glacier (∼ 63 km). The glaciers in the Karakoram extend over a wide range of elevations (∼ 3000 to Full Screen / Esc > 8000 ma.s.l.), while 60 to 80 % of the glaciated area ranges between altitudes of 3800 and 5800 ma.s.l. (Hewitt, 2005). For most glaciers, nourishment is mainly or Printer-friendly Version wholly determined by snow avalanches which also
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