Change in Glacier Area and Velocity in the Upper Zanskar Basin, Western Himalaya, India

This study investigates glacier retreat and velocity changes in three major glaciers (Glacier 1, Glacier 2, and Glacier 3) within the Upper Zanskar Basin, using Landsat 7 and Landsat 9 data from 1999-2000 and 2023-24. Glacier retreats were found to be 830.42 m for Glacier 1, 109.43 m for Glacier 2, and 306.66 m for Glacier 3. The glaciers show a retreat rate of $34.6 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{y}, 4.5 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{y}$, and $12.7 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{y}$ for Glacier 1, Glacier 2, and Glacier 3, respectively. Velocity changes from Glacier 1 were the highest with a $44.23 \%$ increase, followed by $40.62 \%$ for Glacier 2 and $29.51 \%$ for Glacier 3. With a high albedo and increased exposure to solar radiation, clean glaciers showed stronger velocity changes than debris-covered glaciers. The retreat of the glaciers follows a similar trend. Overall, this study highlights the critical importance of understanding glacier dynamics in the Zanskar Basin, as these changes could significantly impact water availability and management in downstream regions.