MODIS-Observed Spatiotemporal Changes in Surface Albedo of Karakoram Glaciers During 2000-2018

Zaeem Hassan Akhter, Chang-Qing Ke1, Irfan Ahmed Soomro, Asma Amir ()
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Zaeem Hassan Akhter, Chang-Qing Ke1, Irfan Ahmed Soomro, Asma Amir: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. Key Laboratory for Satellite Mapping Technology and Applications of State Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. Collaborative Innovation Center of Novel Software Technology and Industrialization, Nanjing, China. Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing, China. School of Geographical Science,Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China

International Journal of Innovations in Science & Technology, 2022, vol. 4, issue 1, 246-265

Abstract: The role of albedo is very important in modulating the surface energy balance of glaciers. The main objective of this study is to assess the spatiotemporal variability in surface albedo of the Karakoram glaciers in Pakistan during the summer seasons (June, July and August) for the period from 2000-2018. We used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data to estimate the amount of glacier surface albedo. We combined the MODIS Terra- and Aqua-derived albedo products to reduce the amount of cloud influence and to improve the estimation of glacier surface albedo. Our results indicate that the average annual decrease in albedo is ~0.041% during the summer. The decrease in albedo was relatively high during recent years, with an annual rate of decrease of ~0.45%. The decreasing trend in albedo is towards the north-western part of the Karakoram mountain range. Climate change is the potential cause of albedo variations in the study area. Albedo has a strong negative correlation with temperature (r = -0.811) and a strong positive correlation with precipitation (r = 0.809). The present study concludes that trend in decreasing albedo is higher during the recent years than the last decade and climate change is playing a vital role in it.

Keywords: MODIS; surface albedo; glacier; climate factors; Karakoram (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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