ICE DYNAMICS, ADVANCES AND GLACIER SURGES DERIVED FROM MULTIMISSION SATELLITE DATA IN THE KARAKORAM RANGE

摘要

In contrast to most glaciers in the world and in particular to glaciers in the surrounding Himalaya range, most glaciers in the Karakoram range show stable and advancing terminus positions or surge-type behavior. This anomaly is attributed to positive surface mass balances since the 1990s. The present study combines high resolution SAR data as well as multispectral imagery in order to map temporal and spatial dynamics of advancing and surging glaciers across the Karakoram range. The analysis of LANDSAT data between 1976 and 2012 resulted in an inventory of changing terminus positions. Using SAR intensity tracking techniques ice surface velocities between 2007 and 2010 were calculated, which enables the identification of surging glaciers due to increased surface velocities. A large number of small surging and advancing glaciers could be identified in the northern part of the Karakoram range.