Mapping Glacial Lakes in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Data
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Glacial lakes in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) are rapidly evolving due to accelerated glacier retreat driven by climate change. Here we present a comprehensive inventory of glacial lakes using Sentinel-1 SAR data with adaptive backscatter thresholding, enabling consistent detection under challenging conditions and improving delineation accuracy. In August 2023, we identified 6,019 glacial lakes at scales from 0.001 to 5.80 km2, covering a cumulative area of 266 km2 (~0.06% of the basin). Although more than 90% of the lakes are smaller than 0.1 km2, large lakes (>0.1 km2) account for over 57% of the total lake area. Most lakes are concentrated between 4,000 and 4,600 m, coinciding with the main glacierized zone. Regional patterns reveal that the Hindu Kush and Himalayas are dominated by glacier erosion lakes (GELs) and moraine-dammed lakes (MDLs), reflecting widespread glacier retreat, whereas the Karakoram is characterized by numerous supraglacial lakes (SGLs) associated with extensive debris-covered glaciers. Compared to previous optical-based inventories, our SAR-based approach captures more lakes and better represents small and transient features such as SGLs. These findings provide a more accurate baseline for assessing cryospheric change and glacial lake hazards in one of the world’s most heavily glacierized basins.
Source: Glacies
Institution: University of New Hampshire
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,207
OpenAlex ID: W4416068332