J. Glaciol. Farinotti, D. et al. Nat. Gardelle J, Berthier E, Arnaud Y. Lin, H., Li, G., Cuo, L., Hooper, A. Kb, A., Treichler, D., Nuth, C. & Berthier, E. Brief Communication: Contending Estimates of 2003-2008 Glacier Mass Balance Over the PamirKarakoramHimalaya. The calculated surface mass balance (i.e., ablation) decreased over time in the entire observed sections of the lower part of Batura. The transmitter and receiver, at a fixed distance of 5m from each other, were carried on the glacier surface to measure the ice thickness at intervals of 50200m intervals along certain profiles. 2) to cross area calculation. on "Exploring Earth From Space: Batura Glacier and the Karakoram Anomaly", Delivering Incredible Data First Results From Copernicus Sentinel-6 Satellite Surpass Expectations, Glacier Avalanches With Potential Dire Consequences More Common Than Thought, Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Poised for Liftoff, Ice in Motion: Incredible Time-Lapse Satellite Footage Captures Decades of Change. By tracking profiles from the first survey by ChinaPakistan Batura Glacier Investigation Group in 19741975, we revisited Batura Glacier and conducted an updated comparable measurement of the glacier surface elevation and ice thickness of this large valley glacier of Karakoram, in August 2017. This is significantly less than that reported previously in the Himalayan region10. The uncertainty in the modeled ice thickness because of a variation in f from 0.7 to 0.9 attains 12.5%43. The optimal parameterization of minimum variance was selected to obtain the final ice thickness distribution. However, an increase in mass balance post 2000 indicates that the glacier ice volume has been increasingly positive. Int J. How Accurate are Estimates of Glacier Ice Thickness? Day 3 : Yashpirt to Shireen Maidan. Review of the Status and Mass Changes of Himalayan-Karakoram Glaciers. Glaciers are a large perennial accumulation of water in the form of snow that originates on land and moves down under the influence of gravity. In addition, the heavy debris-covered glacier section has higher hydrostatic pressure at the glacier bottom because of the large difference in density between ice and debris. The optimal parameterization of minimum variance was selected to obtain the final ice thickness distribution. Rankl M, Kienholz C, Braun M. Glacier Changes in the Karakoram Region Mapped by Multimission Satellite Imagery. The profiles of both measured and modeled results are plotted in Fig. 2) to cross area calculation. 16, 1617 (2008). Earth Syst. This study was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. Glaciers are large bodies of ice that move over Earth's surface. The datasets and process flow of this study are presented in Fig. the sections B1 at 3200m a.s.l., B2 at 3650m a.s.l., and B3 at 4000m a.s.l. Contrasting Patterns of Early Twenty-First-Century Glacier Mass Change in the Himalayas. Werthum Pass - Trekking in Pakistan In addition, it is compared with the boundaries from Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) 6.0 (https://www.glims.org/RGI/rgi60_dl.html) and a new glacier inventory for Karakoram and Pamir region (https://www.earth-syst-sci-data-discuss.net/essd-2018-35/). 5), respectively. ESA - European Space Agency X. Zou, J. Wu, S. Hussain, and M.A. (a) Shows the ice thickness distribution of the whole glacier at 50m intervals. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted Their retreating is less than the global average, and in some cases, are either stable or growing. Woodward J, Murray T, Clark RA, Stuart GW. However, the surface velocity of Batura Glacier did not slowdown concomitant with the thinning of the ice26,52. H. Gao designed the study and drafted the manuscript. S1 (1996). Debris impact cannot be omitted in ice thickness calculation. Table 11.3 in The Physics of Glaciers45). Measured ice thickness data can be applied to validate and increase the accuracy of volume estimation at the regional scale5,6. 6, 1251 (2012). Thereafter, we revisited historical records and satellite data and investigated glacier changes in surface elevation during the past 40 years. 5). The values during 19741975 behaved similarly, increasing only in speed along the terminus of 1980s. The glacier area has reduced from ~285 km2 in 197427 to ~243.5 km2 at present28. This indicates that the surface mass balance should be positive at these altitudes according to the mass conservation equation (i.e., the equilibrium line is lower than these altitudes). Sci. Measuring the thickness of selected glaciers for mapping subglacial topography, calculating ice volumes and ice flux are therefore required more from recent developed various calibrating methods. J. Glaciol. Google Scholar. Batura has a significant role among the glaciers found in Karakoram region of Pakistan. ICESat satellite altimetry data for 20032008 were obtained from Kb et al.33. Nat. It is just north of the massifs of Batura, at 7,795 metres (25,574ft), and Passu, at 7,500 metres (24,600ft). Received 2019 Apr 16; Accepted 2020 Jan 3. The standard deviations of area-average surface velocities are 8.41, 4.14, and 3.05m a1 for the portions of P11-08, P08-06, and P06-terminal, respectively. X. Deng partially performed the data processing and improved the manuscript draft. Hasson S, Bohner J, Lucarini V. Prevailing Climatic Trends and Runoff Response From HindukushKarakoramHimalaya, Upper Indus Basin. The selected 20 glaciers extend from the latitude of 35 33-3654 N and longitude of 73 48-75 49 E inside the Hunza basin (Sivaranjani et al. The Famous Glaciers in Pakistan - Karakorum Expeditions Research on mountain glaciers focuses mostly on medium-sized and large valley glaciers. PubMed It is strongly related to climate change. 63, 331342 (2017). Scientific Reports (Sci Rep) Accessibility Glacier shrinkage is a prominent sign of ongoing climate change. & Huang, M. Development of the Hot Water Jet of Model Glacier-2 and its Application On the Hailuogou Glacier. Burgess EW, Forster RR, Larsen CF, Braun M. Surge Dynamics On Bering Glacier, Alaska, in 2008-2011. Woodward, J., Murray, T., Clark, R. A. If material is not included in the articles Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. It reflects that the equilibrium line has moved downward post 2000. Chemical denudation and silicate weathering in Himalayan glacier basins Because of its important geographical position and valuable historical records, Batura Glacier would be a more appropriate representative for studying glacier changes in the Karakoram region. A relative uncertainty of 25.4%, i.e., 37.9m to the average measured thickness of 149.4m, is considered for the ice thickness calculation. J. Glaciol. The thickness values were calculated from gravity observations with topographic, bouguer, and latitudinal correction (BGIG, 1976). J. Qureshi, M. A., Yi, C., Xu, X. (1). Overview Batura I is the highest mountain in the Batura Muztagh, the westernmost sub-range of the Karakoram. 62 glaciers have formed partial or complete cross-valley barriers on Karakoram rivers. ADS Review of the Status and Mass Changes of Himalayan-Karakoram Glaciers. Introduction Glaciers are important water resources and exceptionally sensitive indicators of climate change. A time lag generally occurs between a change in climatic conditions and the resulting glacier change19. Post-20th century near-steady state of Batura Glacier: observational Compared to small glaciers, large glaciers respond more gradually and are steadier to perturbations in climate20,21. Immerzeel WW, Van Beek LP, Bierkens MF. Cryosphere. Ann Glaciol. Batura Lake - Hunza Valley.jpg. Ice thickness of Batura Glacier. Before The parameterization of the model is from this study (a) and Frey et al. We extracted Batura Glacier and modified it visually along the margin of the glaciers tongue with Landsat and Google Earth images, as well as data from a field investigation in August 2017. Their retreating is less than the global average, and in some cases, are either stable or growing. Their retreating is less than the global average, and in some cases, are either stable or growing. PDF Community Analysis and Characterization of Fungi From Batura Glacier Batura Glacier ( Urdu: ), 57 km (35 mi) long, is one of the largest and longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. The mean velocities were measured in the field with a precision of 0.4m a1. Because of the rugged terrain and the challenges involved in field surveys, long-term observation data on HKH is sparse. (1). The Karakoram boundary is based on the work by Rankl et al.8. The rate of glacier thinning decreased non-significantly over time. After standard propagation of these errors in the ice flux equation62, the uncertainties vary between 0.04 to 0.09m a1 of ice. Batura is bordered by several villages and pastures with herds of sheep, goats and cows where roses and juniper trees are quite common. Category:Batura glacier - Wikimedia Commons Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. The mean cross-sectional velocities and cross-sectional areas are multiplied to compute the annual ice fluxes. Major Ocean-Observing Satellite Copernicus Sentinel-6 Goes Live! Explore and enjoy the real scenic beauty of nature at Batura Valley. The tongue-averaged mass balance diminished by more than half from the 1970s to the 2010s. Driedger CL, Kennard PM. However, the most significant thinning occurred at the glacier snout. A time lag generally occurs between a change in climatic conditions and the resulting glacier change19. Geol. . From Shilmin, the trail up the Werthum Valley leaves the Batura Glacier's . Earth from Space: Batura Glacier, Pakistan - YouTube The GlabTop2 approach is designed based on a fundamental consideration of glacier flow dynamics. The results of this study highlight the potential for more accurate estimation of fresh water reserves stored in the UIB glaciers and their potential contribution to sea-level rise. Because of the rugged terrain and challenges involved in field studies, long-term ground observational data on Karakoram is sparse. 206212 (1995). 8, 23132333 (2014). The points of footprints within the main glacier part (cf. Therefore, the glacier bed position was used indirectly for model validation, rather than ice thickness. The geodetic survey was conducted along the stakes. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 22, 441448 (2011). ESA - Batura Glacier, Pakistan - European Space Agency Marshall SJ, et al. The colors correspond to surface velocity values from different data sources: the blue line corresponds to values from SAR satellite imagery8 and the red spots to those from field observation27. The values during 19741975 behaved similarly, increasing only in speed along the terminus of 1980s. In general, 150 kPa was used empirically as the maximum basal shear stress in estimating slope-dependent thickness over glaciers of the Karakoram region4,42,43. The long-term equilibrium state indicates that Batura is now in a period of relative stagnation. The time interval between the arrival of a wave directly through the air and that of its reflections from the glacier bed were used to calculate the ice thickness at the center point between the transmitter and receiver. Geocry. 57, 119130 (2016). Shroder, J. F. & Bishop, M. P. Glaciers of Pakistan. The mean ice thickness is over 150m. This is observed below 4000m a.s.l of the trunk part. Remote Sens. 12, 168 (2019). \({\langle \frac{{\varphi }_{FGb}-{\varphi }_{FGf}}{A}\rangle }_{yr1-yr2}\) is the average emergence velocity (ve) of the flux portion between year 1 and year 2. Results of ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurement were used to improve the accuracy of an ice thickness distribution model (GlabTop2). Ann Glaciol. The decreasing ablation coincides well with the significant cooling in the glacier melt season54. The road journey can be done from Islamabad to Pasu by public transport bus/wagon . All the data are in m a1 of ice. The equipment displayed good performance with high accuracy, which was verified through ice core drilling on the Hailuogou glacier of Gongga Mountain in Tibetan Plateau55. Located in the upper Hunza Valley, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, the Batura Glacier is visible in the centre of the image and is approximately 57 km long. Results From ITMIX, the Ice Thickness Models Intercomparison eXperiment. The major conclusion had originated from remotely sensed glacier surface elevation variation of either points (satellite laser altimetry) or surfaces (digital elevation models)1216. This image, captured on 13 August 2021, is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme. In summary, we inferred a near-steady state of Batura Glacier post 2000 based on the above-mentioned evidence of Karakoram Anomaly. The ice surface elevation change and emergence velocity of 2010s are computed using the velocity values derived by Rankl et al.8 and topography by Brun et al.32, respectively. Prog Phys Geog. Martin-Espanol, A., Lapazaran, J. J., Otero, J. Sampling was done in Batura Glacier located in the Passu village of the upper Hunza valley in the northern Pakistan (Fig. The velocity values are available from two data sources. The same was used by Frey et al. The colors correspond to surface velocity values from different data sources: the blue line corresponds to values from SAR satellite imagery8 and the red spots to those from field observation27. 43, 246255 (2011). Estimating the Volume of Glaciers in the Himalayan-Karakoram Region Using Different Methods. Whereas the use of remote sensing data yields relatively larger errors for glaciers of small size23, fewer problems are encountered for larger glaciers, wherein larger changes occur24. The result reveals that our boundary performed better at higher elevations and covered 22% less area. Figure3 shows the distribution of the simulated ice thickness in Batura Glacier. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Batura Glacier one of the largest and longest glaciers in the world, outside of the polar regions. Kb, A., Berthier, E., Nuth, C., Gardelle, J. the contents by NLM or the National Institutes of Health. 7, 114 (2017). The first goal of the present study was to improve the accuracy of calculation of ice thickness by the model and thereby, precisely estimate the ice volume of Batura Glacier. SUPARCO & ITPCAS. Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world: Asia, USGS Professional Paper (2010). The thinning of the ice decreased progressively with increasing altitude. Risks of Glaciers Lakes Outburst Flood along China - IntechOpen The thickness values were calculated from gravity observations with topographic, bouguer, and latitudinal correction (BGIG, 1976). Surface digital elevation models (DEMs) of the glacier under study were computed from freely available ASTER optical satellite stereo pairs for 20002016 by Brun et al.32. Modelling Glacier-Bed Overdeepenings and Possible Future Lakes for the Glaciers in the HimalayaKarakoram Region. The glacier runs through the Karakoram . Batura Glacier | Karakorum Range, Pakistan, 2008 | The Hiking Life By European Space Agency (ESA) Batura Glacier is located just north of the Batura Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range, which includes the massifs of the Batura Sar, the 25th highest mountain on Earth standing at 7795 m, and Passu Sar at 7478 m. Glacier shrinkage is a prominent sign of ongoing climate change. Community Analysis and Characterization of Fungi from Batura Glacier Ann Glaciol. Glacier melt water plays an important role in the Indus basin1 owing to its extensive upstream and glaciated area. Satellites can help monitor changes in glacier mass, extents, trace area, and length of glacier changes through time and derive surface velocity. Average surface elevation change (h), emergence velocity (ve), and surface mass balance (B) below each profile at the lower part of the glacier during 19741975 and 20072011.