MONITORING GLACIER FLOW VELOCITY BY SAR INTERFEROMETRY AND TEXTURE TRACKING METHOD USING ALOS PALSAR DATA AROUND MT. EVEREST REGION

摘要

Glacier flow velocity is one of the important parameter for knowing the glacier dynamics and its recession due to negative mass balance. This research exploits both the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) interferometry and feature tracking techniques in two important glaciers (Khumbu & Kangshung) around Mt. Everest region for estimating glacier flow velocity. The research uses four ALOS PALSAR scene (2007-2009) with two interferometric pair. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM -4, Void Filled SRTM Data) elevation data were used for digital elevation information of the area which has a spatial resolution of 90m. Kangshung has good coherence as compared to Khumbu Glacier. The Kangshung Glacier which flows East of China from Everest massif shows velocity up to 8cm/day, where as Khumbu Glacier which flows north to south into Nepal from Everest shows some decorrelation problem and is almost stagnant except some part near the Khumbu falls area.