Inventory and GLOF hazard assessment of glacial lakes in the Sikkim Himalayas, India
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_FCBC8C724961
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Inventory and GLOF hazard assessment of glacial lakes in the Sikkim Himalayas, India
Journal
Geocarto International
ISSN
1010-6049
1752-0762
1752-0762
Publication state
Published
Issued date
03/07/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
37
Number
13
Pages
3840-3876
Language
english
Abstract
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are a recurring hazard in the Himalayas, posing significant threat to downstream communities. The North Sikkim district of India, comprising the upper reaches of the Teesta River in the Eastern Himalayas, has experienced past GLOF events. The identification of lakes susceptible to this phenomenon is therefore paramount. Using multi-temporal satellite images, this study tracks lake growth in the region, revealing that 203 new lakes had developed herein during the observation period (2000–2018). Of these, 82 lakes had formed during 2011–2018 alone; indicating marked glacial retreat and consequent lake area growth, alongside a rising temperature trend. Using various weighted geometric and geomorphic parameters, the 36 most hazardous lakes were identified, from which the 10 lakes posing the greatest GLOF threat were discerned. These lakes are mostly situated along the main snowline and Great Himalayan water-divide in the north-eastern part of Sikkim and should be monitored continuously.
Keywords
Eastern Himalayas, GLOF, glacier, glacial lake, lake mapping
Web of science
Create date
17/02/2021 18:07
Last modification date
18/05/2024 5:59