ELA and AAR Dynamics of Glaciers in Chandra Basin, Western Himalayas

The ELA (Equilibrium Line Altitude) and AAR (Accumulation Area Ratio) are two important parameters used to study glaciers and their response to climate change. Our study focuses on the estimation of ELA and AAR for selected glaciers in Chandra basin, for two hydrological years (HY), 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 using high-resolution multispectral datasets from Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-6) and Landsat-8. ELA has been derived considering the highest averaged satellite-derived Transient Snow Line (TSL) altitude from ablation months (June–September). The glacier equilibrium line is the boundary on a glacier where the accumulation of snow and ice equals the amount of melting and runoff. The estimated ELA has been used to calculate AAR for the selected glaciers of Chandra basin. The ratio of a glacier’s accumulation area to its overall area is the Accumulation Area Ratio. Findings reveal that during HY 2019–2020, the ELA and AAR are in the range of 4590 m–5344 m and 0.16–0.59, respectively. Similarly, ELA and AAR are estimated to be in the range of 4419 m–5298 m and 0.23–0.93, respectively, during HY 2020–2021. The higher ELA and smaller AAR values observed during HY 2019–2020 indicate that the glaciers have experienced more melting in comparison to ELA and AAR estimated during HY 2020–2021. Himalayan glaciers are an important part of the water cycle, and changes in their size and movement can impact water availability for communities’ downstream. Monitoring glaciers can help us better understand and manage our water resources.