Articles | Volume 10, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2203-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2203-2016
Research article
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23 Sep 2016
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 23 Sep 2016

Quantifying ice loss in the eastern Himalayas since 1974 using declassified spy satellite imagery

Joshua M. Maurer, Summer B. Rupper, and Joerg M. Schaefer

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AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
AR by Joshua Maurer on behalf of the Authors (29 Jul 2016)  Author's response    Manuscript
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (01 Aug 2016) by Etienne Berthier
AR by Joshua Maurer on behalf of the Authors (09 Aug 2016)  Author's response    Manuscript
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Short summary
Here we utilize declassified spy satellite imagery to quantify ice volume loss of glaciers in the eastern Himalayas over approximately the last three decades. Clean-ice and debris-covered glaciers show similar magnitudes of ice loss, while calving glaciers are contributing a disproportionately large amount to total ice loss. Results highlight important physical processes affecting the ice mass budget and associated water resources in the Himalayas.