Evaluating the Glacier Change Dynamics Using GI Science

Abstract

Mt. Kangchenjunga is the world’s third highest peak and India’s highest mountain. Perennial snow and ice melt from Kangchenjunga is used for irrigation, hydropower generation, bioresource production, and domestic water demand in the Brahmaputra’s catchments and alluvial plains. The melting of glaciers around the world becomes one of the most common signs of global climate change. As a result, changes in the size of these glaciers are thought to be a sensitive indicator of climatic changes in the earth system. To put it another way, collecting spatial data on fresh water resources is critical for understanding the impact of climatic variations. Using remote sensing datasets, the current study was carried out to determine the temporal change and deglaciation rate in and around the Kangchenjunga region (Khangchendzonga National Park of Sikkim, India, and Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal) over a 30-year period. Accumulation areas, ice-exposed ablation areas, debris-covered ablation areas, deglaciated valleys, glacial lakes, and scarp faces were all mapped on the glacier. Over the course of 30 years, the glacial area shrank by 43.5 km2 (at a rate of 1.50 km2 per year, 292or 3.45% per year). The gradual impact of climate change and its impact on global warming are thus reported in the current study.