The Inylchek Glacier in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia: Insight on Surface Kinematics from Optical Remote Sensing Imagery

Remote Sensing

Mohamad Nobakht²  Mahdi Motagh³  Hans-Ulrich Wetzel¹  Sigrid Roessner¹ 

[1] Helmholtz Center Potsdam, GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Potsdam 14473, Germany; E-Mails:;Department of Geography and Environmental Science, School of Archaeology Geography and Environmental Science, The University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AB, UK;Department of Surveying and Geomatics Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 14395-515, Iran

关键词: Inylchek glacier;    Landsat;    ASTER;    image cross-correlation;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs6010841

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Mountain chains of Central Asia host a large number of glaciated areas that provide critical water supplies to the semi-arid populated foothills and lowlands of this region. Spatio-temporal variations of glacier flows are a key indicator of the impact of climate change on water resources as the glaciers react sensitively to climate. Satellite remote sensing using optical imagery is an efficient method for studying ice-velocity fields on mountain glaciers. In this study, temporal and spatial changes in surface velocity associated with the Inylchek glacier in Kyrgyzstan are investigated. We present a detailed map for the kinematics of the Inylchek glacier obtained by cross-correlation analysis of Landsat images, acquired between 2000 and 2011, and a set of ASTER images covering the time period between 2001 and 2007. Our results indicate a high-velocity region in the elevated part of the glacier, moving up to a rate of about 0.5 m/day. Time series analysis of optical data reveals some annual variations in the mean surface velocity of the Inylchek during 2000–2011. In particular, our findings suggest an opposite trend between periods of the northward glacial flow in Proletarskyi and Zvezdochka glacier, and the rate of westward motion observed for the main stream of the Inylchek.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland