Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Glacier Inventory in Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra Basins of the Himalaya

  • Research Article
  • Published:
National Academy Science Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Systematic inventory of all the glaciers in the Indus, Ganga and the Brahmaputra basins encompassing the Himalayas, Transhimalaya and Karakoram regions have been carried out on 1:50,000 scale using Resourcesat-1 satellite data of 2004–2007 periods. Modified UNESCO-TTS guidelines have been downloaded and used to create glacier inventory and the spatial data base in GIS environment. The modified global inventory standards and updated procedures are used in a GIS environment to create sub-basin wise details for Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus basin. Inter and intra basin level analysis of glacier inventory data is carried out to understand the characteristics of the glacial systems. The total glacierized area for the three basins put together is 71,182 km2 in 32,392 glaciers. Indus basin has 20.6 % of the glaciers under debris cover, the glaciers in Ganga and Brahmaputra basins have 26.3 and 25.6 % debris cover respectively. 71.7 % of glaciers in the Indus basin are smaller than 1 km2, as compared to 45.2 and 64.5 % in Ganga and Brahmaputra basins respectively. The Indus basin has a mean size of 0.05 and 0.07 km2 for supra glacial and pro-glacial lakes as compared to Ganga 0.17 and 0.33 km2 and Brahmaputra 0.15 and 0.31 km2.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Flint RF (1964) Glacial and quaternary geology. John Wiley, New York, pp 63–85

    Google Scholar 

  2. Koboltschnig GR, Schöner W, Zappa M, Kroisleitner C, Holzmann H (2008) Runoff modeling of the glacierized Alpine Upper Salzach basin (Austria): multi-criteria result validation. Hydrol Process 22(2008):3950–3964

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Kaser G, Grosshauser M, Marzeion B (2010) Contribution potential of glaciers to water availability in different climate regimes. Proc Natl Acad Sci 107:20223–20227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Huss M (2011) Present and future contribution of glacier storage change to runoff from macroscale drainage basins in Europe. Water Resour Res 47(7):W07511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gardelle J, Berthier E, Arnaud Y (2012) Slight mass gain of Karakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century. Nat Geosci Lett 15 April, doi:10.1038/NGEO1450, pp 322–325

  6. Kaser G, Cogley JG, Dyurgerov M, Meier M, Ohmura A (2006) Mass balance of glaciers and ice caps: consensus estimates for 1961–2004. Geophys Res Lett 33(19):L19501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Raper S, Braithwaite R (2006) Low sea level rise projections from mountain glaciers and icecaps under global warming. Nature 439(2006):311–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Hock R, De Woul M, Radić V, Dyurgerov M (2009) Mountain glaciers and ice caps around Antarctica make a large sea-level rise contribution. Geophys Res Lett 36(7):L07501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bahr DB, Dyurgerov M, Meier MF (2009) Sea level rise from glacier and ice caps: a lower bound. Geophys Res Lett 36:L03501. doi:10.1029/2008GL036309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Paul F, Huggel C, Kääb A (2004) Combining satellite multispectral image data and a digital elevation model for mapping of debris-covered glaciers. Remote Sens Environ 89(4):510–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bolch T, Kulkarni A, Kääb A, Huggel C, Paul F, Cogley JG, Frey H, Kargel JS, Fujita K, Scheel M, Bajracharya S, Stoffel M (2012) The state and fate of himalayan glaciers. Science 336(6079):310–314. doi:10.1126/science.1215828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Østrem G (1975) ERTS data in glaciology-an effort to monitor glacier mass balance from satellite imagery. J Glaciol 15(73):403–415

    Google Scholar 

  13. Dozier J (1984) Snow reflectance from Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper, IEEE Trans. Geosci Remote Sens GE-22(3):323–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Hall DK, Chang ATC, Siddalingaiah H (1988) Reflectance of glaciers as calculated using Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper data. Remote Sens Environ 25:311–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ajai and 53 others (2011) Snow and glaciers of the himalayas. space applications centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad, India. ISBN:13 978-81-909978-7-4, (also available on www.envfor.nic.in), p 258

  16. Bolch T, Menounos B, Wheate R (2010) Landsat—based inventory of glaciers in 18. Western Canada, 1985–2005. Remote Sens Environ 114:127–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Schiefer E, Menounos B, Wheate R (2008) An inventory and morphometric analysis of British Columbia glaciers, Canada. J Glaciol 54:551–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ommanney CSL (1980) The inventory of Canadian glaciers: procedures, techniques progress and applications. IAHS Publ 126:35–44

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ommanney CSL (2002) Mapping Canada’s glaciers. In: Williams RS, Ferrigno JG (ed), Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world—North America. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386-J-1, pp J83–J110

  20. Andreassen LM, Paul F, Kaab A, Hausberg JE (2008) Landsat-derived glacier inventory for Jotunheimen, Norway, and deduced glacier changes since the 1930s. Cryosphere 2(2):131–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Paul F, Andreassen A (2009) A new glacier inventory of Svartisen region, Norway, from Landsat ETM + data: challenges and change assessment. J Glaciol 55(192):605–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Paul F, Kaab A, Maish M, Kellenberger T, Haeberli W (2002) The new remote-sensing-derived swiss glacier inventory: I. methods. Ann Glaciol 34:355–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Paul F (2007) The new Swiss glacier inventory 2000: application of remote sensing and GIS. Schriftenreihe Physische Geographie, Univ. Zurich. ISBN: 3 85543 248 1

  24. Shi YF, Liu CH, Kang ES (2009) The glacier inventory of China. Ann Glaciol 50(53):1–4

    Google Scholar 

  25. Moussavi MS, Zoej MJV, Vaziri F, Sahebi MR, Rezaei Y (2009) A new glacier inventory of Iran. Ann Glaciol 50(53):93–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Frey H, Paul F, Strozzi T (2012) Compilation of a glacier inventory for the western Himalayas from satellite data: methods, challenges, and results. Remote Sens Environ 124(2012):832–843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Raup B, Kääb A, Kargel JS, Bishop MP, Hamilton G, Lee E, Paul F, Rau F, Soltez D, Khalsa SJS, Beedle M, Helm C (2007) Remote sensing and GIS technology in the global land ice measurements from space (GLIMS) Project. Comput Geosci 33(2007):104–125

    Google Scholar 

  28. Racoviteanu AE, Williams MW, Barry RG (2008) Optical remote sensing of glacier characteristics: a review with focus on the Himalaya. Sensors 8(2008):3355–3383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bhambri R, Bolch T (2009) Glacier mapping: a review with special reference to the Indian Himalayas. Prog Phys Geogr 33(5):672–704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Kaul MK (Ed) (1999) Inventory of the Himalayan Glaciers. Special publication no 34, Geological Survey of India. p 165

  31. Sangewar CV, Shukla SP (2009) Inventory of the Himalayan Glaciers. Special Publication no 43, Geological Survey of India. p 588

  32. Cogley JG (2009) A more complete version of the World Glacier Inventory. Ann Glaciol 50(53):32–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Cogley JG (2011) Present and future states of Himalaya and Karakoram glaciers. Ann Glaciol 52(59):69–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Kaab A, Berthier E, Nuth C, Gardelle J and Arnaud Y (2012) Contrasting patterns of early twenty-first-century glacier mass change in the Himalayas. Nature, 23 August, doi:10.1038/nature11324

  35. Kulkarni AV, Buch AM (1991) Glacier Atlas of Indian Himalaya, Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad. No:SAC/RSA/RSAG- MWRD/SN/05/91

  36. Kulkarni AV, Philip G, Thakur VC, Sood RK, Randhawa SS, Ram Chandra (1999) Glacier inventory of Satluj basin using remote sensing technique. Himalayan Geol 20(2):45–52

    Google Scholar 

  37. Ohmura A (2009) Completing the world glacier inventory. Ann Glaciol 50(53):144–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/

  39. Muller F (1970) Inventory of the glaciers in the Mount Everest region, Perennial ice and snow masses, Technical Paper. Hydrology, vol 1, UNESCO/IASH, pp 47–59

  40. Muller F, Caflish T and Muller G (1977) Instructions for the compilation and assemblage of data for a world glacier inventory. Zurich, IAHS(ICSI)/UNEP/UNESCO. Temporary Technical Secretariat for the World Glacier Inventory. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

  41. Muller F (1978) Instructions for the compilation and assemblage of data for a world glacier inventory. Supplement: Identification/glacier number. Zurich, IAHS(ICSI)/UNEP/UNESCO. Temporary Technical Secretariat for the World Glacier Inventory. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

  42. Haeberli W, Bösch H, Scherler K, Ostrem G and Wallén CC (1989) World glacier inventory—status 1988, Nairobi: IAHS(ICSI)/UNEP/UNESCO

  43. Sharma AK, Singh S, Kulkarni AV (2008) Approach for Himalayan Glacier Inventory using remote sensing and GIS techniques. In: Venkataraman G, Nagarajan R (eds) Proceedings of International Workshop on Snow, Ice, Glacier and Avalanches. IIT-B. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi, pp 177–185

  44. Bahuguna IM, Kulkarni AV, Nayak S, Rathore BP, Negi HS, Mathur P (2007) Himalayan glacier retreat using IRS 1C PAN stereo data. Int J Remote Sens 28(2):437–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Nakawo M, Yakubi H, Sakai A (1999) Characteristics of Khumbu Glacier, Nepal Himalaya: recent changes in the debris-covered area. Ann Glaciol 28:112–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Benn DI, Lehmkuhl F (2000) Mass balance and equilibrium-line altitudes of glaciers in high mountain environments. Quatern Int 65(66):15–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Kirkbride MP (2000) Ice marginal geomorphology and Holocene expansion of debris covered Tasman Glacier New Zealand. In: Nakawo N, Fountain A, Raymond C (eds) Debris-Covered Glaciers: IAHS Publications, 264, pp 211–217

  48. Benn DI, Kirkbride MP, Owen LA, Brazier V (2003) Glaciated valley land systems. In: Evans DJA (ed) Glacial Landsystems. Arnold, London, pp 372–406

    Google Scholar 

  49. Scherler D, Bookhagan B and Strecker MR (2011) Spatially variable response of Himalayan glaciers to climate change affected by debris cover. Nat Geosci Lett. doi:10.1038/NGEO1068

  50. Benn DI, Bolch T, Hands K, Gulley J, Luckman A, Nicholson LI, Quincey D, Thompson S, Toumi R, Wiseman S (2012) Response of debris-covered glaciers in the Mount Everest region to recent warming, and implications for outburst flood hazards. Earth Sci Rev 114(2012):156–174. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2012.03.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Bajracharya SR and Shreshta B (2011) The status of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya Region. ICIMOD. ISBN: 978 92 9115217

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Director, Space Applications Centre, (SAC) Ahmedabad and Dr. J.S. Parihar, Dy. Director EPSA, SAC for constant motivation and support. Authors are also thankful to Dr. G.V. Subramaniyan, Advisor, Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI for his active support and discussions during the course of the study. The study was possible with the active support and participation through technical discussions and field expeditions by scientists from various academic and research institutes of the country. Special thanks are due to Prof. M.S. Nathawat, Birla Institute of Technology, Dr. R. D. Shah, M.G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad; Dr. Bhushan S. Devata, M.S. University, Vadodra; Dr. R.K. Ganjoo, Jammu University, Jammu and the team members.

Author information

Author notes

  1. A. V. Kulkarni

    Present address: Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangaluru, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad, 380 015, India

    A. K. Sharma, S. K. Singh &  Ajai

Authors
  1. A. K. Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. K. Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. V. Kulkarni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ajai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ajai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sharma, A.K., Singh, S.K., Kulkarni, A.V. et al. Glacier Inventory in Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra Basins of the Himalaya. Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett. 36, 497–505 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-013-0167-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-013-0167-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation