HR: 17:00h
AN: G54A-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Feasibility study on the use of ICESat laser altimetry data for the study of Himalyan mountain glacier mass balance.
AU: * Anandakrishnan, S
EM: sak@essc.psu.edu
AF: Dept of Geosciences and EESI, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802,
AU: Luthra, T
EM: travisluthra@hotmail.com
AF: Department of Geology, Delhi University, New Delhi, 110007, India
AB: We report on a feasibility study on using satellite-based laser altimetry products for profiling selected Himalayan mountain glaciers. ICESat (Ice Clouds and Elevation satellite) is a NASA satellite capable of providing cm-scale elevation measurements. These data have been successfully used for profiling the polar ice sheets (Antarctica and Greenland). Here we report on the feasibility of using this instrument on Himalayan glaciers. There are significant limitations on using ICESat in steep mountain terrain at low latitudes. The laser reflection has poorer accuracy over sloping terrain than over the relatively flat ice sheets. The laser footprint of 70m is large compared to some mountains glaciers, but small for most ice-sheet features. The repeat interval and the pass spacings are large at low latitudes, compared to high latitudes. Finally, ICESat mission length has been compromised by laser failures, reducing the number of passes over the study area. Nevertheless, we identified eight of the largest Himalayan glaciers and extracted the available data. We also extracted data on a number of unnamed glaciers which had good ICESat coverage. These data cover a time range of four years allowing us to assess the stability and repeatability of the data as well as providing some information on mass change of these targets. We conclude that this technique has potential if ICESat were healthy and could be aimed more precisely for mountain glacier work. In addition, considerable ground-truthing by glaciological and geological parties needs to be conducted.
DE: 0720 Glaciers
DE: 0758 Remote sensing
SC: Geodesy [G]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting