Hindu Kush Himalayas Glacier Melt Phenology from Sentinel-1 SAR

32,741 Sentinel-1 A/B SAR images were analyzed to determine annual melt and freeze onset dates for 105,432 glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. This dataset provides a detailed, region-wide record of glacier surface melt duration for the calendar years 2017-2020. The analysis covers a total glacierized area of 83,102 square kilometers.

Use Cases

• [Modeling glacier mass balance] based on [annual melt onset and freeze onset dates]
• [Assessing regional climate change impacts] based on [temporal melt patterns across 105,432 glaciers]
• [Validating hydrological models] based on [spatially distributed melt duration data]
• [Studying cryosphere-atmosphere interactions] based on [time-series synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery]

Strengths

• Comprehensive spatial coverage of 105,432 mapped glaciers across the entire Hindu Kush Himalayas region
• Derived from a large, consistent source of 32,741 C-band Sentinel-1 SAR images
• Provides a multi-year temporal record for the period 2017-2020

Limitations

• Column names and specific data structure are not described in the provided metadata
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2026 vs. 2020)
• Documentation is limited to a PDF format, with no detailed schema or variable definitions provided

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Analysis of C-band Sentinel-1 A/B synthetic aperture radar (SAR) time series imagery

Time Range

2017-2020

Freshness

2026-04-10 19:38:03.231909

Geography

Hindu Kush Himalayas