Journals Information
Environment and Ecology Research Vol. 11(4), pp. 554 - 563
DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110404
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Thickness and Mass of East Rathong Glacier (ERG), West Sikkim, India, Estimated Using GIS
Arpan Sharma 1,*, Mousumi Gupta 1, Narpati Sharma 2, Santanu Gupta 1
1 Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim Manipal University, India
2 Sikkim State Council of Science and Technology, India
ABSTRACT
The estimation of ice thickness or glacial mass in Sikkim Himalaya has been limited due to challenges posed by inaccessibility and harsh weather conditions during the accumulation season. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing the equation of laminar ice flow law (LIFL) and slope information to estimate ice thickness from surface velocity data derived using Offset Tracking (OT) at ERG, West Sikkim. Additionally, the delimitation of Radar Glacier Zones is performed through the application of Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix and K-Means clustering to separate debris from the glacier area. The estimation of total glacial mass is achieved by considering ice thickness, clean glacial area, and an ice density of 0.85 Gt km-3. The results indicate an estimated ice thickness of 76.47m at ERG with a standard error of 0.81 and a corresponding glacial mass of 0.19 Gt. The accuracy of the OT results is validated by comparing them with field-based velocity data from 2018, resulting in an r2 value of 0.83 and an RMSE of 3.12ma-1. Importantly, this ice thickness approximation method demonstrates improvement compared to previously tested models. The contributions of this study lie in the successful application of the LIFL equation and slope information with SAR data to estimate ice thickness in the challenging terrain of Sikkim Himalaya. The utilization of advanced techniques, including OT, Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix, and K-Means clustering, allows for precise delimitation of glacier zones and separation of debris, leading to more accurate estimations. These findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of glacial mass in the region, aiding in the understanding of climate change impacts.
KEYWORDS
Glacier Velocity, Ice Thickness, Offset Tracking, Glacier Mass, Remote Sensing, GIS
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Arpan Sharma , Mousumi Gupta , Narpati Sharma , Santanu Gupta , "Thickness and Mass of East Rathong Glacier (ERG), West Sikkim, India, Estimated Using GIS," Environment and Ecology Research, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 554 - 563, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110404.
(b). APA Format:
Arpan Sharma , Mousumi Gupta , Narpati Sharma , Santanu Gupta (2023). Thickness and Mass of East Rathong Glacier (ERG), West Sikkim, India, Estimated Using GIS. Environment and Ecology Research, 11(4), 554 - 563. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110404.