Glacier-Glacial Lake Interactions and Glacial Lake Development in the Central Himalaya, India (1994–2017)

Abstract

Despite several regional glacier and glacier lake inventories, the relationship between receding glacier, glacial lake evolution (glacial-lake interactions) and their sensitivity to different forcing factors have not been properly understood yet. To better understand these processes, we used satellite images collected in 1994, 2015 and 2017 to monitor the spatially-explicit evolution of glacial lakes and glacier changes. The results show a total of 1 353 glacial lakes covering an area of 7.96 km² in the year 2015. Out of these, a total of 137 glacial lakes having an area of >0.01 km² and located within 2 km periphery of mother glacier have been selected for the monitoring of spatial development between 1994 and 2017. We found an increase in the total lake area from ∼4.9 to ∼7.73 km² between 1994 and 2017, corresponding to an overall expansion of ∼57%. The total area covered by the glaciers associated with these lakes reduced from ∼365 km² in 1994 to ∼358 km² in 2017, accounting for a glacier loss of ∼7 km² and corresponding to ∼1.92% reduction. Our study results are in agreement with global glacier behavior, revealing a rapid glacier recession and accelerated glacial lake expansion under an unprecedented climate change scenario. In addition, the results suggest a significant reduction in the glacier area and a close relationship between the glacier melting and lake changes.

Keywords

glacial lake expansion / glacier change / glacier-lake interaction / Central Himalaya / climate

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