A geo-intelligence based approach to investigate temporal changes in the length, surface area and ice velocity of Sakchum Glacier

The Himalayan-Karakoram (HK) region is often referred as the ‘Water Tower of Asia’, as the melt water from the glaciers and snow cover of this mountainous region provide a continuous supply of water to the major rivers of South Asia, notably the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra. Recent studies reveal that climate change has altered the accumulation of snow and the snowmelt processes of the region, leading to changes in the size and mass of glaciers, with potential impacts on the river flow downstream and the ecosystems and livelihoods depending on it. Consequently, mapping and monitoring glaciers, mainly through estimates of their spatial extent, recession rate, debris cover extent and surface velocity, are integral parts of water resource management. Because of the rugged topography and harsh climatic conditions of the HK region, estimating these parameters based on traditional techniques is tedious and challenging. The exploitation of geospatial data and information through Geo-intelligence (GI) has thus emerged as a data collection and processing method in the study of glaciers. It processes images from satellites and airborne vehicles with high-end mathematical and statistical algorithms. This chapter demonstrates the effectiveness of GI techniques to map and monitor the Sakchum Glacier of the HK region with the results suggesting that these techniques could potentially contribute to long-term planning and management of water resources in regions whose water supply depends on the melt water of glaciers