Glacier retreat and morphological changes in the Suru Sub Basin of Ladakh region from 1992 to 2023

Purpose The present study aims to develop glacier inventories for year 1992 and 2023 in Suru Sub Basin and classify them based on Global Land Ice Measurement from Space (GLIMS). The retreat analysis is carried out for 29 glaciers based on their snout positions. Design/methodology/approach Landsat TM/OLI sensors data were used along with ASTER DEM to identify and map glacier boundary which was further validated by Google Earth imagery. The retreat was calculated using centreline method for demarcating retreating snout based on elevation change. The field measurement was further used to validate the snout change in Parkachik Glacier. Findings In total, 214 glacier were identified in 2023 with 52.8% north facing glaciers. There is a significant decline of 24.9% area in 31 years. The average glaciers retreat is recorded to be 23.6% in all the glaciers between 1992 and 2023. Snout retreat of Glacier-18 shows highest retreat of 45.8 m/yr. Originality/value The study used a long-term data to calculate glacier retreat pattern with combination of satellite data and field measurement which adds ground truth and validate the study. Findings may help policymakers and stakeholders to understand climate adaptation strategies in the region.