Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)—Mapping the Hazard of a Threat to High Asia and Beyond - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 332

of the adjacent glaciers, (d) impact on downstream areas. Each of those
groups consists of several variables. Table 14.2 gives an overview of these
variables and their applicability using remote sensing.

Table 14.2. Key factors contributing to the hazard risk of a glacial lake and its investigation
using remote sensing data (Bolch et al. 2011a).

Characteristics
group

Factor Remote sensing data source

and applicable techniques

Suitable for
automatization

Lake
characteristics

Lake area and volume Detection using multi-temporal

multi-spectral (MS) satellite
data

Ye s

Rate of lake formation
and growth

Change detection using multi-
temporal (MT) and MS satellite
data

Ye s

Glacier
characteristics

Fluctuations of the
glacier

Investigation of area and
volume change of the glacier
based on MS and MT satellite
data, MT digital terrain models
(DTMs)

Ye s

Activity of the glacier Derive glacier velocity using

feature tracking or DInSAR
based on MT optical or radar
data

Ye s

Geomorphometric
characteristics of the
glacier

Geomorphometric DTM
analysis, slope classifi cation

Ye s

Characteristics
of the lake
surrounding

Freeboard between lake
and crest of moraine
ridge

Geomorphometric DTM
analysis

Partly

Width and height of the
moraine dam

Geomorphometric DTM
analysis

Partly

Stability of the moraine
dam/presence of dead
ice in the moraine dam

Investigation of surface
deformation based on MT DTM
analysis, permafrost modeling

Partly

Possibility of mass
movements into the
lakes

Mapping of ice cover and
geology using MS data,
Geomorphometric DTM
analysis of the surrounding
catchment areas

Ye s

Impact of
an GLOF
todownstream
areas

Affected Area Flow modeling Yes

Infrastucture down-
valley

Detection of human
infrastructure based on MS
satellite data analysis

Partly