Seasonal And Inter-Annual Variability Of C- And L-Band Radar Backscatters Over Drang-Drung Glacier

The present work highlights the potential of SAR data in observing the dynamics of snow/ice facies over Himalayan glacier. Radar backscatters from C-band (Sentinel-1) and Lband (ALOS-2) SAR satellites have been analyzed in response to seasonal changes in snow/ice facies over Drangdrung glacier in Zanksar Himalaya. Observations show that the C-band backscatters exhibit a slightly stronger elevation dependent variability compared to the L-band backscatters, highlighting a better response to different snow/ice facies over the glacier surface. Seasonal variability and onset of melt over glacier surface have been prominently picked up by Sentinel-1 backscatters, for both ablation and accumulation region of the glacier, when analyzed using time-series of SAR data between Sep-2016 and Jan-2024. The intense melt conditions during ablation season of year 2019 have also been prominently picked-up from the variability of C-band backscatters from Sentinel-1.