Rajak et al. (2026) Glacier lake changes in Indian Central Himalaya from 1992-2023

Identification

• Journal: Mendeley Data
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-08
• Authors: Mitra Rajak, Sheikh Nawaz Ali, Pratima Pandey
• DOI: 10.17632/28m5bbysd4

Research Groups

• Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

Short Summary

This study created a multi-temporal inventory of glacial lakes in the Indian Central Himalaya from 1992-2023, revealing a significant increase in both the number (74%) and total area (85%) of lakes, indicating accelerated glacier retreat and increased glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk.

Objective

• To develop a multi-temporal glacial lake inventory for the Indian Central Himalaya (ICH) from 1992 to 2023 using satellite imagery.
• To analyze the temporal evolution and trends in glacial lake number and total area over this period.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Indian Central Himalaya (ICH)
• Temporal Scale: 1992–2023 (32 years)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: GIS platform (for processing satellite images and assessing changes).
• Data sources: Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-7 ETM+, and Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS satellite imagery (30 m and 15 m spatial resolution), acquired from USGS Earth Explorer during post-monsoon and pre-winter months (September–November).

Main Results

• The number of glacial lakes in the Indian Central Himalaya increased from 187 in 1992–1994 to 325 in 2023, representing a 74% increase.
• The total area of glacial lakes expanded from approximately 4.05 km² in 1992–1994 to 7.48 km² in 2023, an 85% increase.
• The rate of increase in both lake number and area was more pronounced after 2001, coinciding with periods of enhanced regional warming and accelerated glacier retreat.
• This progressive intensification of glacial lake development reflects climate-driven glacier retreat and implies a rising potential for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive, multi-decadal (32-year) glacial lake inventory for the Indian Central Himalaya using consistent satellite data.
• Quantifies the significant and accelerating increase in both glacial lake number and area, linking these trends to climate-driven glacier retreat.
• Highlights the growing importance of continuous monitoring and hazard assessment of glacial lakes in the region due to increased GLOF potential.

Funding

• Not explicitly mentioned in the paper.

Citation

@article{Rajak2026Glacier,
  author = {Rajak, Mitra and Ali, Sheikh Nawaz and Pandey, Pratima},
  title = {Glacier lake changes in Indian Central Himalaya from 1992-2023},
  journal = {Mendeley Data},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.17632/28m5bbysd4},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17632/28m5bbysd4}
}