1. IN-Delegation Visit at UZH, 7 May 2012
Internationally coordinated glacier monitoring and the data situation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region Michael Zemp World Glacier Monitoring Service, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland

2. monitoring versus science
“Free and unrestricted international share of high-quality, long-term and standardized data and information products is one of the basic requirements for advances in research.”
Data from: WGMS

3. Glacier monitoring: internationally coordinated since 1894
internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
Glacier monitoring: internationally coordinated since 1894
1894: International Glacier Commission
“variations périodiques”
global vs. regional development
terrestrial vs. extraterrestrial forcing
Ice Age origin
observations for the generations to come
Today: Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G)
climate change
sea level rise
runoff
hazards
François-Alphonse Forel, 1841–1912

4. internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G)
Steering Committee
Advisory Board
Executive Board
World Glacier Monitoring Service
US National Snow and Ice Data Center
Global Land Ice Measurements from Space
Dr. H. Frey
K. Naegeli
available funding for operational work

5. internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
=> GTN-G Steering Committee with clearly-defined generic structure and terms of reference.

6. WGMS General Assembly of National Correspondents 2010
internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
WGMS General Assembly of National Correspondents 2010
Find our summary report, as published in the NASA Earth Observer, Vol. 23,4: 28-31, on our website:

7. A worldwide scientific collaboration network
internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
A worldwide scientific collaboration network
WGMS (2008)
WGMS National Correspondents for:
Antarctica, Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Tanzania, Uganda, U.S.A., and Uzbekistan

8. Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers: strategy
internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers: strategy
main goals of long-term
observations:
process understanding
model validation
change detection
impact assessments
Haeberli et al. (2000)
change detection:
rate of change
acceleration trends
pre-industrial variability
change patterns
A multi-level, integrative strategy combining: local process understanding with global coverage,
in-situ measurements with remote sensing, and traditional observations with new technologies
integrated / tiered observing strategy
Tier 1: multi-component obs. system across environmental gradients
Tier 2: process understanding and model calibration
=> extensive energy/mass balance, flow
Tier 3: regional indicators
=> mass change (index stakes, photogrammetry, LIDAR)
Tier 4: regional representativeness
=> cumulative length change; DEM differencing
Tier 5: global coverage
=> inventories (remote sensing/geoinformatics)

9. internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
Time and space
time
repeat inventory
mass balance
length change
area/volume/thickness change
repeat inventory
fluctuations of glaciers
mass balance
length change
area/volume/thickness change
base inventory
glacier inventories
space

10. Global glacier distribution
internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
Global glacier distribution
100,000 glaciers
Basierend auf Luftbildern
Basierend auf Satellitenbildern
Estimated total (D&M 2005)
160’000 glaciers
680,000 sqkm
WGI
100,000 glaciers
240,000 sqkm
GLIMS
82,000 glaciers
263,000 sqkm
130,000 glaciers
UNEP (2007)
WGMS (2008)

11. Glacier fluctuation series
internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
Glacier fluctuation series
1,000 glaciers
photo by S. Kappeler
100 glaciers
Front variation
37,000 observations
1,850 glaciers
Mass balance
3,700 observations
240 glaciers
Volume change
177 observations
80 glaciers
photos by M. Zemp and H. Machguth
WGMS (2008)

12. www.wgms.ch ¦ www.nsidc.org ¦ www.glims.org ¦ www.gtn-g.org
One-stop data-portal on
FoG
WGMS
WGI
WGMS / NSIDC
GLIMS
NSIDC
Glacier photos
NSIDC

13. Terminology, guidelines and standards, assessment reports
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Terminology, guidelines and standards, assessment reports
Kaser et al. (2003)
WGMS (2008)
Cogley et al. (2011)
Zemp, M. (2011): Glacier monitoring at local, mountain, and global scale. Habilitation Thesis, Faculty of Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

14. available glacier data for hkh region
Motivation I
climate change
glacier change
run-off change
water availability
hazard situation
Ok, but...
- instrument data series? - glacier coverage? - glacier fluctuation series? - other run-off components? - monsoon influence? - ...
ASTER

15. HKH mass balance observations
available glacier data for hkh region
HKH mass balance observations
recent series, > 31 obs
recent series, < 32 obs
X discontinued series
Maliy Aktru, SU: 1962–2009, 48
Leviy Aktur, SU: 1977–2009, 33
No. 125, SU: 1977–2009, 33
Urumqihe, CN: 1959–2010, 52
Ts. Tuyuksuy, SU: 1957–2010, 54
Chhota Shigri, IN: 2003–2010, 8
Hamtah, IN: 2001–2006, 6
30 ceased series, avg of 11 obs.
IRD works on Mera Glacier, NP

16. HKH front variation observations
available glacier data for hkh region
HKH front variation observations
recent series, > 29 obs
recent series, < 30 obs
X discontinued series
Maliy Aktru, SU: 1936–2005, 51
Leviy Aktur, SU: 1975–2005, 30
Korumdu, SU: 1936–2005, 38
4 others (avg of 22 obs)
Lapate No. 51, CN: 1964–2005, 7
Urumqihe, CN: 1995–2010, 15
Ts. Tuyuksuy, SU: 1902–2010, 49
Hamtah, IN: 2000–2005, 5
11 others (avg of 1 obs)
299 ceased series, avg of 4.4obs

17. available glacier data for hkh region
Recent review paper in Science by Bolch et al. (2012)

18. HKH glacier inventories
available glacier data for hkh region
HKH glacier inventories
ESRI‘s DCW
World Glacier Inventory
WGI Update 2012
WGI until 2011
WGI, former SU,
WGI, Buthan, 1978/82
WGI, China, 9999
WGI, Nepal, 1977/80
WGI, India, 1966/68
WGI, Pakistan, 1934/77
WGI, Afghanistan, 1959/60

19. HKH glacier inventories
available glacier data for hkh region
HKH glacier inventories
ESRI‘s DCW
World Glacier Inventory
GLIMS
WGI, former SU,
WGI, Buthan, 1978/82
WGI, China, 9999
WGI, Nepal, 1977/80
WGI, India, 1966/68
WGI, Pakistan, 1934/77
WGI, Afghanistan, 1959/60
GLIMS, China, mid 20th century
GLIMS, Nepal,

20. Available data of Central Asia in worldwide context
available glacier data for hkh region
Available data of Central Asia in worldwide context
WGMS (2008)
Note: in this table, Central Asia does not include the Altay (=> Northern Asia)

21. Glacier monitoring in the HKH region: present state
available glacier data for hkh region
Glacier monitoring in the HKH region: present state
Tier 1: mainly regional or national scientific studies
Tier 2: lack of detailed long-term observations for process understanding and model validation; only potential site are
Ts. Tuyuksu (KZ Tien Shan)
Urumqihe South No.1 (CN Tien Shan)
Tier 3: lack of ongoing mass balance studies
Tier 4: many discontinued front variation series, lack of ongoing observations, few recent programmes in India
Tier 5: national glacier inventories available from former SU (WGI) as well as form China and Nepal (GLIMS)

22. Glacier monitoring in the HKH region: future needs
available glacier data for hkh region
Glacier monitoring in the HKH region: future needs
Tier 1: Cover spatial diversity and elevation belts, include available (disc.) measurements, overcome national boundaries, planning of monitoring network must be based on feasibility and relevance; remote sensing & in-situ
Tier 2: establish at least one detailed process-oriented observation programme for long-term studies in each country of HKH
Tier 3: establish additional 3-10 mass balance programmes with reduced stake networks in each country of HKH to cover glacier change variations of different regions
Tier 4: reconstruct and continue front variation series; use global and national digital elevation models (e.g. SRTM3) for large scale volume change studies
Tier 5: complete national inventories, plan repeat inventories for changes assessments (LIA, 1970s, 2000, 2020)
Special issues to be addressed: monsoon, debris cover, surges, hazards, ...
Make all data and related meta-information freely available through GTN-G

23. www.wgms.ch ¦ www.nsidc.org ¦ www.glims.org ¦ www.gtn-g.org
take home message
Free and unrestricted international share of glacier data is one of the basic requirements for advances in climate change related research.
The HKH region still lacks both in a complete glacier inventory and in long-term fluctuation series.
India has a great potential for improving the glacier monitoring situation in the HKH region.
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