Monitoring glacier characteristics and their mass balance using a multidimensional approach over the glaciers of the Chandra basin, western Himalaya

Glacier change monitoring provides a significant understanding of glacier health and its influence on freshwater availability. Therefore, we have utilized remotely sensed data to estimate the glacier characteristics, mass balance, and volume change during 2013-2019 over the Sutri Dhaka and Batal glaciers, Chandra basin, western Himalayas. The glacier feature classification and shifting in isoline were mapped on a spatio-temporal scale. Furthermore, the surface velocity was measured using Coregistration of Optically Sensed Images and Correlation (COSI-Corr) and then used for estimating the ice thickness. The estimated velocity was compared with the stake observations and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)- Inter-Mission Time Series of Land Ice Velocity and Elevation (ITS_LIVE) data. Further, the glaciers' geodetic mass balance and volume change were calculated, indicating an average value of -0.03 +/- 0.5, -0.34 +/- 0.40 and -0.13 +/- 0.14 m water equivalent (w.e.) year(-1) during 2000-2009, 2009-2020, and 2000-2020, respectively. This multidimensional analysis of the glaciers is critical, as the meltwater from both glaciers contributes to the Chandra basin and also influences the local ecosystem.