Research

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Title :

Geospatial data assimilation for monitoring glacier heterogeneity and GLOF hazard risk in Rongdo catchment, shyok-Nubra valley, Ladakh

Area of research :

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Focus area :

Geospatial Technology

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Ashwani Raju, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh

Timeline Start Year :

2024

Timeline End Year :

2027

Contact info :

Details

Executive Summary :

The Himalayas store fresh water in snowfields and glaciers, which contribute to drinking water, agriculture, and hydropower supply. However, glaciers are sensitive to small-scale climatic fluctuations, leading to heterogeneous behavior. This proposal explores glaci dynamics in the Rongdo catchment area of shyok-Nubra Valley in Ladakh, which hosts 88 glaciers. The study will use satellite data and advanced techniques to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of glaciers and expansion patterns of potentially dangerous lakes. The research will also examine geo-environmental factors and climatic parameters controlling glacier heterogeneity using machine learning-based ensemble learning methods. More work is needed to create a detailed inventory of glacial lakes and evaluate the risk of critical lakes in the region. Mitigation strategies and control measures will be recommended to help policymakers develop plans for GLOF hazard management and risk reduction.

Total Budget (INR):

30,08,192

Organizations involved