Key Drivers of Heterogeneous Glacier Area Variation in the Uttarakhand Himalaya
Assigned Session: FS 3.134: Remote sensing to capture the dynamics of mountain cryosphere
Abstract ID: 3.9693 | Accepted as Poster | Requested as: Poster | TBA | TBA
Iti Shrivas (1)
Supratim, Guha (1); Reet Kamal, Tiwari (1); Ashutosh Laxman, Taral (1)
(1) Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, 382355
Abstract
This research investigates glacier area changes in the Uttarakhand Himalayan region, the source of the Ganga River, from 2000 to 2023 using high-resolution satellite datasets. Manual digitization was used to delineate the boundaries of 116 glaciers for this period. The results indicate a notable decline in total glacier area, from 979.05 ± 0.16 km² in 2000 to 957.60 ± 0.03 km² in 2023, with an overall deglaciation rate of 0.095% per year. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify the influence of topographical and morphological parameters, revealing significant variability in glacier responses to changing conditions. This heterogeneity is primarily driven by factors such as slope, shape index, glacier elevation, and surface ice velocity. Among these, the shape index was found to be the most critical factor. Glaciers with a higher shape index (more elongated) exhibited greater stability compared to those with a lower shape index (more circular). A 10% difference in the shape index led to glaciers with higher shape indices losing 0.112% less area per year. Glacier slope emerged as the second most influential factor, with steeper glaciers (10% higher slope) experiencing a 0.11% slower annual area loss. Glacier elevation and surface ice velocity had a minor influence on area changes, with their impact varying across the region. Understanding these complex interactions between glacier dynamics and topographical features is essential for predicting future water resource availability and addressing the impacts of climate change.
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