Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017
Glacier surges occur regularly in the Karakoram, but the driving mechanisms, their frequency and its relation to a changing climate remain unclear. In this study, we use digital elevation models and Landsat imagery in combination with high-resolution imagery from the Planet satellite constellation t...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:209907f9f17a498598f6daeb0830548e 2023-05-15T18:32:25+02:00 Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 J. F. Steiner P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink S. G. Jiduc W. W. Immerzeel 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-95-2018 https://doaj.org/article/209907f9f17a498598f6daeb0830548e EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/95/2018/tc-12-95-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-95-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/209907f9f17a498598f6daeb0830548e The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 95-101 (2018) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-95-2018 2022-12-31T01:32:57Z Glacier surges occur regularly in the Karakoram, but the driving mechanisms, their frequency and its relation to a changing climate remain unclear. In this study, we use digital elevation models and Landsat imagery in combination with high-resolution imagery from the Planet satellite constellation to quantify surface elevation changes and flow velocities during a glacier surge of the Khurdopin Glacier in 2017. Results reveal that an accumulation of ice volume above a clearly defined steep section of the glacier tongue since the last surge in 1999 eventually led to a rapid surge in May 2017 peaking with velocities above 5000 m a −1 , which were among the fastest rates globally for a mountain glacier. Our data reveal that velocities on the lower tongue increase steadily during a 4-year build-up phase prior to the actual surge only to then rapidly peak and decrease again within a few months, which confirms earlier observations with a higher frequency of available velocity data. The surge return period between the reported surges remains relatively constant at ca. 20 years. We show the potential of a combination of repeat Planet and ASTER imagery to (a) capture peak surge velocities that are easily missed by less frequent Landsat imagery, (b) observe surface changes that indicate potential drivers of a surge and (c) monitor hazards associated with a surge. At Khurdopin specifically, we observe that the surging glacier blocks the river in the valley and causes a lake to form, which may grow in subsequent years and could pose threats to downstream settlements and infrastructure in the case of a sudden breach. Article in Journal/Newspaper The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Dammed Lake ENVELOPE(-68.258,-68.258,68.496,68.496) The Cryosphere 12 1 95 101 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 J. F. Steiner P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink S. G. Jiduc W. W. Immerzeel Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Glacier surges occur regularly in the Karakoram, but the driving mechanisms, their frequency and its relation to a changing climate remain unclear. In this study, we use digital elevation models and Landsat imagery in combination with high-resolution imagery from the Planet satellite constellation to quantify surface elevation changes and flow velocities during a glacier surge of the Khurdopin Glacier in 2017. Results reveal that an accumulation of ice volume above a clearly defined steep section of the glacier tongue since the last surge in 1999 eventually led to a rapid surge in May 2017 peaking with velocities above 5000 m a −1 , which were among the fastest rates globally for a mountain glacier. Our data reveal that velocities on the lower tongue increase steadily during a 4-year build-up phase prior to the actual surge only to then rapidly peak and decrease again within a few months, which confirms earlier observations with a higher frequency of available velocity data. The surge return period between the reported surges remains relatively constant at ca. 20 years. We show the potential of a combination of repeat Planet and ASTER imagery to (a) capture peak surge velocities that are easily missed by less frequent Landsat imagery, (b) observe surface changes that indicate potential drivers of a surge and (c) monitor hazards associated with a surge. At Khurdopin specifically, we observe that the surging glacier blocks the river in the valley and causes a lake to form, which may grow in subsequent years and could pose threats to downstream settlements and infrastructure in the case of a sudden breach. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
J. F. Steiner P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink S. G. Jiduc W. W. Immerzeel |
author_facet |
J. F. Steiner P. D. A. Kraaijenbrink S. G. Jiduc W. W. Immerzeel |
author_sort |
J. F. Steiner |
title |
Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
title_short |
Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
title_full |
Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
title_fullStr |
Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Brief communication: The Khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
title_sort |
brief communication: the khurdopin glacier surge revisited – extreme flow velocities and formation of a dammed lake in 2017 |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-95-2018 https://doaj.org/article/209907f9f17a498598f6daeb0830548e |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-68.258,-68.258,68.496,68.496) |
geographic |
Dammed Lake |
geographic_facet |
Dammed Lake |
genre |
The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 95-101 (2018) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/95/2018/tc-12-95-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-95-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/209907f9f17a498598f6daeb0830548e |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-95-2018 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
95 |
op_container_end_page |
101 |
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1766216528727900160 |