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Ganju, A.

Estimation of Snow Accumulation on Samudra Tapu Glacier, Western Himalaya Using Airborne Ground Penetrating Radar

Abstract Views :195 | PDF Views:93

Authors

K. K. Singh ¹, H. S. Negi ¹, A. Kumar ², A. V. Kulkarni ³, S. K. Dewali ¹, P. Datt ¹, A. Ganju ¹, S. Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Chandigarh 160 036, IN
2 National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra 136 119, IN
3 Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 112, No 06 (2017), Pagination: 1208-1218

Abstract

In this study an airborne ground penetrating radar (GPR) is used to estimate spatial distribution of snow accumulation in the Samudra Tapu glacier (the Great Himalayan Range), Western Himalaya, India. An impulse radar system with 350 MHz antenna was mounted on a helicopter for the estimation of snow depth. The dielectric properties of snow were measured at a representative site (Patseo Observatory) using a snow fork to calibrate GPR data. The snow depths estimated from GPR signal were found to be in good agreement with those measured on ground with an absolute error of 0.04 m. The GPR survey was conducted over Samudra Tapu glacier in March 2009 and 2010. A kriging-based geostatistical interpolation method was used to generate a spatial snow accumulation map of the glacier with the GPR-collected data. The average accumulated snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) for a part of the glacier were found to be 2.23 m and 0.624 m for 2009 and 2.06 m and 0.496 m for 2010 respectively. Further, the snow accumulation data were analysed with various topographical parameters such as altitude, aspect and slope. The accumulated snow depth showed good correlation with altitude, having correlation coefficient varying between 0.57 and 0.84 for different parts of the glacier. Higher snow accumulation was observed in the north- and east-facing regions, and decrease in snow accumulation was found with an increase in the slope of the glacier. Thus, in this study we generate snow accumulation/SWE information using airborne GPR in the Himalayan terrain.

Keywords

Glacier, Ground Penetrating Radar, Snow Accumulation, Snow Water Equivalent.

Full Text

References

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Recent Wintertime Climatic Variability over the North West Himalayan Cryosphere

Abstract Views :266 | PDF Views:80

Authors

H. S. Negi ¹, Neha Kanda ¹, M. S. Shekhar ¹, A. Ganju ¹

Affiliations
1 Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Him Parisar, Sector 37A, Chandigarh 160 036, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 114, No 04 (2018), Pagination: 760-770

Abstract

This study discusses the observed long-term (1991–2015) and short-term (1991–2000 and 2001–2015) trends in winter temperature and precipitation over Northwestern Himalaya (NWH) along with its constituents, i.e. Lower Himalaya (LH), Greater Himalaya (GH) and Karakoram Himalaya (KH). An overall warming signature was observed over NWH since maximum, minimum and mean temperatures followed rising trends with a total increase of 0.9°C, 0.19°C and 0.65°C respectively, in 25 years, the increase being statistically significant for maximum and mean temperatures. However, warming was not consistent over all zones of NWH with minimum temperature at LH showing anomalous cooling by 0.83°C (statistically significant at α = 0.05) during 25 years. The rise in mean temperature was observed highest at GH, i.e. 0.87°C (1991–2015) followed by KH, i.e. 0.56°C, which is in agreement with observations of comparatively higher rate of glacier retreat over GH than KH as reported in several studies. Total precipitation (rainfall + snowfall) was found to increase whereas snowfall was found to decrease with concurrent significant increase in rainfall at all zones of NWH. The spatiotemporal winter climatic variations over NWH support the impact on recently reported findings on the Himalayan snow cover and glacier variations at different durations.

Keywords

Climate Change, Cryosphere, Rainfall, Winter Warming and Precipitation.

Full Text

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Temporal Change and Flow Velocity Estimation of Patseo Glacier, Western Himalaya, India

Abstract Views :248 | PDF Views:91

Authors

K. K. Singh ¹, D. K. Singh ¹, H. S. Negi ¹, A. V. Kulkarni ², H. S. Gusain ¹, A. Ganju ¹, K. Babu Govindha Raj ³

Affiliations
1 Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Chandigarh 160 036, IN
2 Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, IN
3 Indian Space Research Organization, Head Quarters, New BEL Road, Bengaluru 560 231, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 114, No 04 (2018), Pagination: 776-784

Abstract

In the present study we estimate the velocity and thickness of the Patseo glacier, Himachal Pradesh, India. The average velocity of the glacier was estimated as ~5.47 m/year using co-registration of optically sensed images and correlation (COSI-Corr) method. The glacier thickness was found to vary between 12 and 278 m, with an average value 59 m. The total glacier ice volume was estimated as ~15.8 × 10⁷ m³, with equivalent water reservoir of ~14.5 × 10⁷ m³. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were conducted during 2004 and 2013 for validation of the estimated glacier thickness. The glacier thickness estimated using COSI-Corr method was found to be in agreement with GPR-retrieved glacier thickness (RMSE = 4.75 m; MAE = 3.74 m). The GPR profiles collected along the same geographic locations on the glacier during 2004 and 2013 showed a reduction in ice thickness of ~1.89 m, and thus resulting in an annual ice thickness decrease of ~0.21 m. The glacier area was estimated for 2004 and 2013 using LISS IV satellite data and found to be ~2.52 and ~2.30 sq. km respectively. This shows an annual reduction of ~0.024 sq. km in glacier area. The total annual loss in glacier ice volume was estimated as ~4.55 × 10⁵ m³. This loss in the glacier ice volume of the Patseo glacier is supported by the snow and meteorological observations collected at a nearby field observatory of Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE). The climate data collected at SASE meteorological observatory at Patseo (3800 m), between 1993–94 and 2014–15 showed an increasing trend in the mean annual temperature and a decreasing trend in winter precipitation.

Keywords

Glaciers, Ground Penetrating Radar Surveys, Velocity and Thickness Estimation, Winter Precipitation.

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