Multi-criteria assessment of PDGLs for GLOFs hazards in the Bhut and Warwan sub-basins of the Chenab basin, Northwestern Himalaya

Abstract

The current investigation has been carried out to determine the potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGLs) and glacier recession and in the Bhut and Warwen sub-basins of Chenab basin using the Landsat series of data. In order to assess the glacier dynamics from 2000 to 2020 the consecutive set of 5-year intervals data were used and it is found that, glaciers are shrinked in area as 1049.94 km2 in 2000, to 988.07 km2 in 2020, indicating a notable decrease in glacier extent over the twenty-year period. Further, an empirical approach was used to identify the PDGLs in the study area. The results of PDGLs shows that there are a total of 55 glacial lakes have the potential to be hazardous. Out of them, 11 are classified as high hazard, 18 as moderate hazard; and the remaining 26 are designated as low hazard. The PDGLs in the region have seen a surge in their numbers in the last few decades due to topographical as well as climate variables. The receding of glaciers and the risk of landslides in the region greatly influences PDGLs. The dangers among these lakes in the region have accumulated so much sediments and the glacial melt and their bearing capacity has come up to certain threshold causing the GLOFs and landslide lake outburst floods (LLOFs) in the region.

Keywords

• Glacier dynamics
• Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes
• Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
• Geospatial Mapping