May 1, 2024

Exploring Earth From Space: Batura Glacier and the “Karakoram Anomaly”

Batura Glacier is situated just north of the Batura Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram range of mountains, which consists of the massifs of the Batura Sar, the 25th highest mountain on Earth standing at 7795 m, and Passu Sar at 7478 m.
Glacier shrinkage is a popular indication of ongoing environment modification. Nevertheless, unlike many glaciers around the world, the glaciers living in the range of mountains in Karakoram are not reacting to international warming. Their retreating is less than the global average, and in some cases, are either stable or growing. This anomalous behavior of the areas glaciers has actually been created the Karakoram Anomaly.
Researchers generally measure the motions of glaciers with ground-based measurements. Long-term ground observational data on Karakoram is sparse since of the rugged terrain and challenges involved in field research studies. Satellites can help keep an eye on changes in glacier mass, extents, trace location, and length of glacier modifications through time and derive surface area speed. Watch this video to read more about how Copernicus Sentinel-2 can assist enhance glacier monitoring.

This false-color composite image uses the near-infrared channel of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission to highlight plant life, which appears in red. Batura is bordered by a number of towns and pastures with herds of sheep, goats and cows where roses and juniper trees are rather typical. In the upper-right of the image, pockets of cultivated vegetation together with the Gilgit and Hunza rivers can be spotted.

This image of Batura Glacier, in the upper Hunza Valley, in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan, was caught on August 13, 2021, by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Credit: Contains customized Copernicus Sentinel information (2021 ), processed by ESA, among the biggest and longest glaciers worldwide, outside of the polar regions
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Batura Glacier– one of the biggest and longest glaciers in the world, outside of the polar regions.
Located in the upper Hunza Valley, in the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan, the Batura Glacier shows up in the centre of the image and is approximately 57 km long. It streams from west to east and feeds the Hunza River in north Pakistan, then joins the Gilgit and Naltar Rivers before it flows into the Indus River.
The lower portions of the Batura Glacier include a grey sea of rocks and gravelly moraine (a build-up of rocks and sediment carried down by the glacier frequently caused by avalanches). The glacier has a mean ice density of around 150 m, with the lower parts of the glacier holding the majority of its mass.

Batura Glacier is located just north of the Batura Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range, which includes the massifs of the Batura Sar, the 25th highest mountain on Earth standing at 7795 m, and Passu Sar at 7478 m.
Glacier shrinkage shrinking a prominent popular indication ongoing climate changeModification Unlike lots of glaciers around the world, the glaciers living in the mountain varies in Karakoram are not reacting to international warming. Satellites can assist keep track of modifications in glacier mass, extents, trace area, and length of glacier modifications through time and obtain surface area speed.