Glacier velocity of the Central Karakoram (Version 1.0) (1999-2003)

Under the background of global warming, mountain glaciers worldwide are facing strong ablation and retreat, but from existing field observations, it is found that most of the glaciers in the Karakorum region remain stable or are advancing, which is called the ＂Karakorum anomaly＂. Glacier surface velocity is an important parameter for studying glacier dynamics and mass balance. Studying the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of glacier velocity in central Karakorum is significant for understanding the dynamic characteristics of the glacier in this region and its response to climate change. Four pairs of Landsat 7 ETM+ images acquired in 1999 to 2003 (images acquired on 1999.7.16, 2000.6.16, 2001.7.21, 2002.8.9, 2002.4.19, 2003.3.21) were selected; using the panchromatic band with a resolution of 15 m, each pair of images was accurately registered, and then cross-correlation calculations were then performed on each image pair after registration to obtain the surface velocity of the glacier in the central Karakorum region from 1999 to 2003. Due to the lack of velocity observation data in the study area, the accuracy of the ice flow results is estimated using the offset value of the stable region, and the surface velocity error of the glacier is approximately ±7 m/year. The glacier velocity data dates are from 1999 to 2003, with a temporal resolution of one year. They cover the central Karakorum region, with a spatial resolution of 30 m. The data are stored as a GeoTIFF file every year. For details regarding the data, please refer to the data description.

2020-04-29