https://pure.aber.ac.uk/portal/files/4916016/Westoby_et_al._GEOMORPH_2012_Accepted.pdf

‘Structure-from-Motion’ photogrammetry: A low-cost, effective tool for geoscience applications

Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.

/pdf/different-glacier-status-with-atmospheric-circulations-in-9xtro65rsi.pdf

Different glacier status with atmospheric circulations in Tibetan Plateau and surroundings

Changes in climate extremes and their impacts on the natural physical environment: An overview of the IPCC SREX report

Himalayan glaciers are a focus of public and scientific debate. Prevailing uncertainties are of major concern because some projections of their future have serious implications for water resources. Most Himalayan glaciers are losing mass at rates similar to glaciers elsewhere, except for emerging indications of stability or mass gain in the Karakoram. A poor understanding of the processes affecting them, combined with the diversity of climatic conditions and the extremes of topographical relief within the region, makes projections speculative. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that dramatic changes in total runoff will occur soon, although continuing shrinkage outside the Karakoram will increase the seasonality of runoff, affect irrigation and hydropower, and alter hazards.

https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/72075/1/2012_BolchT_BolchAl12_science_GlacHimal_supplm_subm_Kopie_.pdf

The state and fate of Himalayan glaciers

The book covers a range of applications including mineral, hydrocarbon and groundwater exploration, and emphasises the use of geophysics in civil engineering and in environmental investigations. Following on from the international popularity of the first edition, this new, revised, and much expanded edition contains additional case histories, and descriptions of geophysical techniques not previously included in such textbooks. The level of mathematics and physics is deliberately kept to a minimum but is described qualitatively within the text. Relevant mathematical expressions are separated into boxes to supplement the text. The book is profusely illustrated with many figures, photographs and line drawings, many never previously published. Key source literature is provided in an extensive reference section; a list of web addresses for key organisations is also given in an appendix as a valuable additional resource. Covers new techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Sounding, Controlled- Source EM, shear-wave seismic refraction, and airborne gravity and EM techniques -- Now includes radioactivity surveying and more discussions of down-hole geophysical methods; hydrographic and Sub-Bottom Profiling surveying; and Unexploded Ordnance detection -- Expanded to include more forensic, archaeological, glaciological, agricultural and bio-geophysical applications -- Includes more information on physio-chemical properties of geological, engineering and environmental materials.

An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics

An overview of glacial hazards in the Himalayas

Glacier recession in high-Himalayan catchments leads to the formation of moraine-dammed lakes on many debris-covered glacier tongues.Suchlakesarehazardoustocommunitiesandinfrastructuredownstreambecauseoftheirpotentialtobreachcatastrophically, and their early recognition is required if remedial efforts are to be timely and cost-effective. Whilst the development of supraglacial lakes is known to begin as a series of ponds that subsequently coalesce into a larger lake, the relationship between glacier dynamics and lake formation is not well understood. Using ERS-1 and ERS-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, SPOT-5 optical imagery and historical aerial photography, information is presented on the dynamics and structure of glaciers in Tibet (China) and Nepal that drain the southern side of the Himalaya. Glacier velocity data derived from interferometry show that where lakes are developing on debris-covered tongues the ice is virtually stagnant (displacements b 5ma −1 ). Furthermore, elevation data from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from aerial photography and SPOT-5 HRS data reveal that supraglacial lake formation is prevalent where glacier surface gradients are less than 2° from the glacier terminus, supporting empirical observations from previous work. The resolutionofferedbytheDEMsandSARdataallowsvariationsintransverse glacierelevations andvelocitiestobedetected,suchthat the pattern of lake development on an individual glacier can be identified. Whilst the glacier surface gradient provides the boundary conditions favourable for lake formation, local variations in glacier velocity and surface morphology between flow units control the precise location of lake growth. Integrating the surface gradient and velocity information into a single analysis highlights those glaciers that are particularly vulnerable to lake development over an expected decadal timescale. The wider application of these techniques,basedonremote sensing data,isparticularly suitablefor ‘first-pass’hazardassessments andfor regionswhere field access is difficult due to severe terrain, political sensitivity or financial constraints.

Early recognition of glacial lake hazards in the Himalaya using remote sensing datasets

/pdf/modelling-outburst-floods-from-moraine-dammed-glacial-lakes-1c5qr1h3yb.pdf

John M. Reynolds

Papers

‘Structure-from-Motion’ photogrammetry: A low-cost, effective tool for geoscience applications

An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics

An overview of glacial hazards in the Himalayas

Early recognition of glacial lake hazards in the Himalaya using remote sensing datasets

Modelling outburst floods from moraine-dammed glacial lakes