Elevation change of Fedchenko Glacier, Pamir Mountains, from GNSS field measurements and TanDEM-X elevation models, with a focus on the upper glacier

Significant acceleration in glacier thinning on Fedchenko Glacier, the largest in the Pamir Mountains, has been observed between 2009 and 2016. The study reveals that thinning rates increased by a factor of 1.8 compared to the period from 1928–2000, reaching peak values of 1.5 meters per year. Even high-altitude accumulation basins above 5000 meters have experienced thinning at rates between -0.2 and -0.4 meters annually. The research utilized GNSS field measurements and TanDEM-X elevation models, with adjustments for radar wave penetration to minimize biases. This approach estimated glacier-wide mass-balance rates of -0.27 ± 0.05 meters water equivalent per year from 2000 to 2011, and -0.51 ± 0.04 meters water equivalent per year between 2011 and 2016.

LAMBRECHT, A., MAYER, C., WENDT, A., FLORICIOIU, D., & VÖLKSEN, C. (2018). Elevation change of Fedchenko Glacier, Pamir Mountains, from GNSS field measurements and TanDEM-X elevation models, with a focus on the upper glacier. Journal of Glaciology, 64(246), 637–648. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2018.52