This site uses cookies, as explained in our terms of use. If you consent, please close this message and continue to use this site.
To stimulate cryosphere research and knowledge sharing on the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Cryosphere Initiative regularly organizes CryoBrain sessions, which allow members of the international science community to share their research findings with ICIMOD’s cryosphere team. The CryoBrain session held in November 2018 at the ICIMOD headquarters hosted lecturer Jia Li from Central South University, Changsha City, China, who presented his work on the 3D motion of glaciers (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.02.067).
1 min Read
Li’s work focused on the derivation of high-resolution 3D glacier motion to understand the interaction between a glacial lake and glacier velocities in China’s Central Tien Shan region. This research is particularly important for the existing knowledge on the topic because the 3D motion of glaciers (with both horizontal and vertical components) has not been extensively researched. Observations of these 3D ice velocity fields are crucial for understanding glacier hydraulics and interactions of glaciers with their adjoining lakes. In case of surge-type glaciers, understanding 3D motion is even more essential in establishing the dynamics of the abrupt movement.
To derive 3D glacier motion, Li and his team used multiple image pairs from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in the spatial and temporal dimensions. In his presentation, he highlighted how correlating the velocity data with the outburst event of the glacial lake showed the considerable sensitivity of the glacier to changes in the lake. He concluded that the technique is effective for assessing the dynamics of a mountain glacial system and interactions with the glacial lake in the vicinity.
Li was also visiting ICIMOD as a representative of Central South University to explore collaboration between the two institutes. Discussions were held on conducting collaborative research work on glacial lakes to assess their impacts on livelihoods and infrastructure and on surge-type glacier dynamics and their downstream impacts.
Understanding how a glacier is moving is key to understanding what a glacier is – it is the motion of a glacier that determines its flow of mass from accumulation to the ablation zone of the glacier. This determines glacier geometry and extent, which allows better insight into the dynamics of a glacier’s mass distribution and its interactions with the changing climate.
Share
Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.
RELATED CONTENTS
Langtang Valley has been the focus of intense glaciological, meteorological, and hydrological fieldwork over the past four years as part ...
Haa Valley is a pilot site of the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) of the International Centre for ...
Amina Maharjan, agricultural economist, and migration specialist with HI-AWARE, participated in the 33rd , held in Beijing between 21-25th August ...
A team from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) visited community based flood early warning system (CBFEWS) sites ...
The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) programme highlighted the importance of biological diversity in sustainable development and enhancement in local livelihoods ...
A team of yak value chain actors from Pakistan travelled to Lanzhou is Gansu province, China, in April 2017 to ...
Two gender and social inclusion experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) participated in a value chain ...
This historic agreement lays the foundation for long-term collaboration and exchange to conserve fragile ecosystems and help mountain communities adapt ...