Application of SAR Interferometry for Himalayan Glaciers

Abstract: With the help of ERS 1 and 2 tandem data, we have produced DEM and glacier movement of two major Himalayan glaciers in India. The glaciers showed good correlation but the surrounding areas had more decorrelation. Contours generated with ERS 1 and 2 SAR tandem data are comparable with topographic maps. We have used SRTM DEM to study the glacier movement involving two-pass differential method. Through the differential interferogram over Gangotri 8.4 cm displacement in the radar look direction represented by 3 fringes has been observed. Siachen glacier exhibits a displacement of 22 cm represented by 8 fringes. However the results obtained with limited data sets of Envisat ASAR data are not highly encouraging. This is mainly due to the longer time interval between data sets and also unfavorable baseline conditions. But the glacier terminus of Gangotri glacier is clearly visible in the coherence image and thus it may help to monitor the retreat of this glacier. Further the generation of color composite with the registration of multitemporal SAR images could help in mapping different zones and facies of the glacier