Mass balance reconstruction since 1963 and mass balance model for east rathong glacier, eastern himalaya, using remote sensing methods

• Published in: Geografiska annaler. Series A, Physical geography Physical geography, 2015-12, Vol.97 (4), p.695-707
• Main Authors: Agrawal, Anubha, Tayal, Shresth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Eastern Himalaya; mass balance reconstruction; time series analysis
• ISSN: 0435-3676; 1468-0459
• DOI: 10.1111/geoa.12109

In this study mass balance, accumulation, ablation, runoff and temperature lapse rate for the East Rathong glacier are estimated for the time period 1963-2011 using remote sensing methods and climate data. A mass balance model is proposed for the glacier that computes mass balance as difference of volumes of consecutive years. Volume estimates of glacier are based on application of volume-area scaling law to glacier area computed from satellite images. It is observed that the glacier is summer-accumulation type. Time series analysis is applied to the annual mass balance series. The annual mass balance of the glacier is showing a statistically significant negative trend. It is also showing a statistically significant shift in the year 1985. Change in the mean of mass balance before and after the shift year is 0.19 m w.e. Cumulative mass balance suggests that the glacier has lost ∼11 m w.e. or 0.047 km 3 during the last 48 years.