Glacier mass variations in the China-Pakistan highway regions from multi-source altimetric remote sensing data

The increasing frequency of extreme climatic events has significantly impacted glacier dynamics across diverse regions. This study utilizes ICESat-2 data and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to analyze glacier elevation trends along the China-Pakistan Highway (CPH). Systematic DEM evaluations identif...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yanchao Zheng, Weibing Du, Yangyang Li, Huabin Chai, Abhishek Banerjee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Geocarto International
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10106049.2025.2491649
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Summary:The increasing frequency of extreme climatic events has significantly impacted glacier dynamics across diverse regions. This study utilizes ICESat-2 data and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to analyze glacier elevation trends along the China-Pakistan Highway (CPH). Systematic DEM evaluations identified NASA DEM as the optimal dataset (30 m resolution), showing minimal deviation and strong alignment with ICESat-2. Glaciers in the CPH exhibited a weakly positive mass balance (+0.28 ± 0.05 m w.e. yr−1), most pronounced in Karakorum, reaffirming the Pamir-Karakorum anomaly. Regional climate trends revealed temperature (+0.04 ± 0.03 °C yr−1) and precipitation (+0.08 ± 0.03 mm yr−1) increases, with distinct north-south temperature gradients and monsoonal-driven precipitation in East Pamir and West Karakorum. Combined climatic variability and glacier surges heightened glacier-related hazards, driven by complex topography and atmospheric interactions..
ISSN:1010-6049
1752-0762