Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics
Although rock glaciers (RGs) are prevalent in the southwestern Pamirs, systematic studies on them are scarce. This article introduces the first inventory of RGs in the southwestern Pamirs, situated at the western edge of the High Mountain Asia region. The inventory, established through a combination...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/7/1185 |
| _version_ | 1797212017435607040 |
|---|---|
| author | Qiqi Ma Takashi Oguchi |
| author_facet | Qiqi Ma Takashi Oguchi |
| author_sort | Qiqi Ma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although rock glaciers (RGs) are prevalent in the southwestern Pamirs, systematic studies on them are scarce. This article introduces the first inventory of RGs in the southwestern Pamirs, situated at the western edge of the High Mountain Asia region. The inventory, established through a combination of Google Earth optical imagery and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) techniques, encompasses details on the locations, geomorphological parameters, and kinematic attributes of RGs. A total of 275 RGs were cataloged in an area of 55.52 km<sup>2</sup> from 3620 to 5210 m in altitude. Our inventory shows that most RGs in this region are talus-connected (213 landforms), with the highest frequency facing northeast (23%). The distribution of RGs thins from west to east and is more abundant in higher altitudes. The Shakhdara range to the south hosts a denser and more active population of RGs than the Shughnon range to the north, highlighting the influence of topography and precipitation. Overall, RGs in the southwestern Pamirs exhibit high activity levels, with active RGs predominating (58%). A comparison between active and transitional RGs showed no significant differences in elevation, temperature, and slope. Glacier-connected and glacier forefield-connected RGs demonstrated higher line-of-sight (LOS) velocities than talus-connected and debris-mantled slope-connected RGs, underscoring the significant impact of precipitation and meltwater on their activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:35:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81c159eeda944fd9bb511cf37d98c269 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:35:42Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-81c159eeda944fd9bb511cf37d98c2692024-04-12T13:25:33ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-03-01167118510.3390/rs16071185Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR KinematicsQiqi Ma0Takashi Oguchi1Department of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa 277-8563, Chiba, JapanDepartment of Natural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa 277-8563, Chiba, JapanAlthough rock glaciers (RGs) are prevalent in the southwestern Pamirs, systematic studies on them are scarce. This article introduces the first inventory of RGs in the southwestern Pamirs, situated at the western edge of the High Mountain Asia region. The inventory, established through a combination of Google Earth optical imagery and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) techniques, encompasses details on the locations, geomorphological parameters, and kinematic attributes of RGs. A total of 275 RGs were cataloged in an area of 55.52 km<sup>2</sup> from 3620 to 5210 m in altitude. Our inventory shows that most RGs in this region are talus-connected (213 landforms), with the highest frequency facing northeast (23%). The distribution of RGs thins from west to east and is more abundant in higher altitudes. The Shakhdara range to the south hosts a denser and more active population of RGs than the Shughnon range to the north, highlighting the influence of topography and precipitation. Overall, RGs in the southwestern Pamirs exhibit high activity levels, with active RGs predominating (58%). A comparison between active and transitional RGs showed no significant differences in elevation, temperature, and slope. Glacier-connected and glacier forefield-connected RGs demonstrated higher line-of-sight (LOS) velocities than talus-connected and debris-mantled slope-connected RGs, underscoring the significant impact of precipitation and meltwater on their activity.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/7/1185rock glaciersinventorythe PamirsInSAR |
| spellingShingle | Qiqi Ma Takashi Oguchi Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics Remote Sensing rock glaciers inventory the Pamirs InSAR |
| title | Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics |
| title_full | Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics |
| title_fullStr | Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics |
| title_short | Rock Glacier Inventory of the Southwestern Pamirs Supported by InSAR Kinematics |
| title_sort | rock glacier inventory of the southwestern pamirs supported by insar kinematics |
| topic | rock glaciers inventory the Pamirs InSAR |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/7/1185 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qiqima rockglacierinventoryofthesouthwesternpamirssupportedbyinsarkinematics AT takashioguchi rockglacierinventoryofthesouthwesternpamirssupportedbyinsarkinematics |