Abstract
Glacier area and length changes were measured in the central Trans Alai of the northeastern Pamir, including the entire catchment of Lake Karakul. Annual shrinkage determined from Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery accounted for -0.8 ± 0.4% a-1, corresponding to -8.8 ± 4.8% from 1455 ± 51 km2 in 2000 to 1327 ± 48 km2 in 2011. Several glaciers could be mapped back to 1973 based on a KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance image. Measured glacier extents of 550 ± 10 km2 in 1973, 540 ± 9 km2 in 2000, and 521 ± 9 km2 in 2011 indicate accelerated shrinkage for the last decade in the Trans Alai. Glaciers retreated on average by -4.3 ± 0.5 m a-1 before 2000 and subsequently advanced by +6.1 ± 1.0 m a-1 until 2011. Geodetic mass balances of four selected glaciers were determined from a Digital Elevation Model extracted from a 2010 ALOS-PRISM tri-stereo image and the February 2000 SRTM-3 elevation dataset (1999). Its difference image reveals highly variable glacier elevation changes. While three glaciers showed probably a minor loss (-0.16 ± 0.68 m w.e. a-1 to -0.06 ± 0.68 m w.e. a-1), a more pronounced mass loss was observed for Uisuu Glacier (-0.50 ± 0.68 m w.e. a-1). This study reveals significant glacier variations and numerous indications of surges in the Trans Alai, a well-known phenomenon in the Pamir.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Climate Change, Glacier Response, and Vegetation Dynamics in the Himalaya |
Subtitle of host publication | Contributions Toward Future Earth Initiatives |
Publisher | Springer International Publishing AG |
Pages | 139-153 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783319289779 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783319289755 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- ALOS-PRISM
- Geodetic mass balance
- Glacier variations
- KH-9 hexagon
- Northeastern pamir
- Trans alai
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
- General Environmental Science