InSAR-based Glacier Velocity Mapping in the Parlung Zangbo River Basin, Tibetan Plateau, China

By applying the method of SAR interferometry to X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image of COSMO-SkyMed, detailed motion patterns of five glaciers in the Parlung Zangbo River basin, Tibetan Plateau, in January 2010 have been derived. The results indicate that flow patterns are generally constrained by the valley geometry and terrain complexity. The maximum of $123.9ma^{-1}$ is observed on glacier No.1 and the minimum of $39.4ma^{-1}$ is found on glacier No.3. The mean values of five glaciers are between 22.9 and $98.2ma^{-1}$. Glaciers No.1, No.2, No.4 and No.5 exhibit high velocities in their upper sections with big slope and low velocities in the lower sections. A moraine lake accelerates the speed of mass exchange leading to a fast flow at the terminal of glacier No.3. These glaciers generally move along the direction of decreased elevation and present a macroscopic illustration of the motion from the northwest to the southeast. The accuracy of DEM and registration conditions of DEM-simulated terrain phases has certain effects on calculations of glacier flow direction and velocity. The error field is relatively fragmented in areas inconsistent with the main flow line of the glaciers, and the shape and uniformity of glacier are directly related to the continuous distribution of flow velocity errors.