Articles | Volume 20, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3415-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3415-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 16 Jun 2026
| 16 Jun 2026
Thinning-induced glacier deceleration in the Zanskar Himalayas
Tirthankar Ghosh
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
IITB-Monash Research Academy, Mumbai, India
Hydro-Remote Sensing Applications (H-RSA) Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
RAAJ Ramsankaran
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Hydro-Remote Sensing Applications (H-RSA) Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
Felicity S. McCormack
School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
Andrew N. Mackintosh
School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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R. Chandra Prabha and RAAJ Ramsankaran
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1207, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1207, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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This study demonstrates a simple, practical, and scalable method for measuring the depth of snow from satellite radar imagery that is not only easy to implement across large regions but also provides improved quantification compared to existing studies. In addition, AI techniques are applied to better understand the characteristics of radar signals associated with different snow types across diverse mountainous regions, highlighting variability in the underlying physical mechanisms.
Ajay Godara, P. Jayaraman Navinkumar, Tirthankar Ghosh, and RAAJ Ramsankaran
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5601, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5601, 2026
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Using drone we created ultra high resolution maps, allowing us to track where ice and snow increased or melted on the ice sheet near India’s Maitri Station in Antarctica over days, weeks, and a full year. This approach shows how drone based monitoring can improve our understanding of ice changes in remote polar regions and support climate monitoring. We also documented some challenges faced in drone surveying and provided few practical recommendations for future studies.
Johanna Beckmann, Ronja Reese, Felicity S. McCormack, Sue Cook, Lawrence Bird, Dawid Gwyther, Daniel Richards, Matthias Scheiter, Yu Wang, Hélène Seroussi, Ayako Abe‐Ouchi, Torsten Albrecht, Jorge Alvarez‐Solas, Xylar S. Asay‐Davis, Jean‐Baptiste Barre, Constantijn J. Berends, Jorge Bernales, Javier Blasco, Justine Caillet, David M. Chandler, Violaine Coulon, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Benjamin K. Galton‐Fenzi, Julius Garbe, Fabien Gillet‐Chaulet, Rupert Gladstone, Heiko Goelzer, Nicholas R. Golledge, Ralf Greve, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Holly Kyeore Han, Trevor R. Hillebrand, Matthew J. Hoffman, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Ann Kristin Klose, Petra M. Langebroek, Gunter R. Leguy, William H. Lipscomb, Daniel P. Lowry, Pierre Mathiot, Marisa Montoya, Mathieu Morlighem, Sophie Nowicki, Frank Pattyn, Antony J. Payne, Tyler Pelle, Aurélien Quiquet, Alexander Robinson, Leopekka Saraste, Erika G. Simon, Sainan Sun, Jake P. Twarog, Luke D. Trusel, Benoit Urruty, Jonas Van Breedam, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Chen Zhao, and Thomas Zwinger
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4069, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4069, 2025
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Antarctica holds enough ice to raise sea levels by many meters, but its future is uncertain. Warm ocean water melts ice shelves from below, letting inland ice flow faster into the sea. By 2300, Antarctica could add 0.6–4.4 m to sea levels. Our study identifies two key factors—how strongly shelves melt and how the ice responds. These explain much of the range, and refining them in models may improve future predictions.
Cari Rand, Richard S. Jones, Andrew N. Mackintosh, Brent Goehring, and Kat Lilly
The Cryosphere, 19, 3681–3691, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3681-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3681-2025, 2025
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In this study, we determine how recently samples from a mountain in East Antarctica were last covered by the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. By examining concentrations of 14C in rock samples, we determined that all but the summit of the mountain was buried under glacial ice within the last 15 kyr. Other methods of estimating past ice thicknesses are not sensitive enough to capture ice cover this recent, so we were previously unaware that ice at this site was thicker at this time.
Lawrence A. Bird, Vitaliy Ogarko, Laurent Ailleres, Lachlan Grose, Jérémie Giraud, Felicity S. McCormack, David E. Gwyther, Jason L. Roberts, Richard S. Jones, and Andrew N. Mackintosh
The Cryosphere, 19, 3355–3380, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3355-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3355-2025, 2025
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The terrain of the seafloor has important controls on the access of warm water below floating ice shelves around Antarctica. Here, we present an open-source method to infer what the seafloor looks like around the Antarctic continent and within these ice shelf cavities, using measurements of the Earth's gravitational field. We present an improved seafloor map for the Vincennes Bay region in East Antarctica and assess its impact on ice melt rates.
Levan G. Tielidze, Andrew N. Mackintosh, and Weilin Yang
The Cryosphere, 19, 2677–2694, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2677-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2677-2025, 2025
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Heard Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its outstanding physical and biological features which are being affected by significant ongoing climatic changes. As one of the only sub-Antarctic islands mostly free of introduced species, its largely undisturbed ecosystems are at risk from the impact of glacier retreat. This glacier inventory will help in designing effective conservation strategies and managing protected areas to ensure the preservation of the biodiversity they support.
Janina Güntzel, Juliane Müller, Ralf Tiedemann, Gesine Mollenhauer, Lester Lembke-Jene, Estella Weigelt, Lasse Schopen, Niklas Wesch, Laura Kattein, Andrew N. Mackintosh, and Johann P. Klages
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2515, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2515, 2025
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Combined multi-proxy sediment core analyses reveal the deglaciation along the Mac. Robertson Shelf, a yet insufficiently studied sector of the East Antarctic margin. Grounding line extent towards the continental shelf break prior to ~12.5 cal. ka BP and subsequent episodic mid-shelf retreat towards the early Holocene prevented Antarctic Bottom Water formation in its current form, hence suggesting either its absence or an alternative pre-Holocene formation mechanism.
Jessica M. A. Macha, Andrew N. Mackintosh, Felicity S. McCormack, Benjamin J. Henley, Helen V. McGregor, Christiaan T. van Dalum, and Ariaan Purich
The Cryosphere, 19, 1915–1935, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1915-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1915-2025, 2025
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Extreme El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have global impacts, but their Antarctic impacts are poorly understood. Examining Antarctic snow accumulation anomalies of past observed extreme ENSO events, we show that accumulation changes differ between events and are insignificant during most events. Significant changes occur during 2015/16 and in Enderby Land during all extreme El Niños. Historical data limit conclusions, but future greater extremes could cause Antarctic accumulation changes.
Lawrence A. Bird, Felicity S. McCormack, Johanna Beckmann, Richard S. Jones, and Andrew N. Mackintosh
The Cryosphere, 19, 955–973, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-955-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-955-2025, 2025
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Vanderford Glacier is the fastest-retreating glacier in East Antarctica and may have important implications for future ice loss from the Aurora Subglacial Basin. Our ice sheet model simulations suggest that grounding line retreat is driven by sub-ice-shelf basal melting, in which warm ocean waters melt ice close to the grounding line. We show that current estimates of basal melt are likely too low, highlighting the need for improved estimates and direct measurements of basal melt in the region.
Sanjay Saifi and RAAJ Ramsankaran
Proc. IAHS, 387, 73–77, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-387-73-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-387-73-2024, 2024
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Visibility assessment is crucial for informed decision-making and disaster preparedness in mountainous regions due to snow-induced disasters. This paper presents an innovative approach using augmented reality (AR) to address this challenge. The Him-Drishti application harnesses the established correlation between snowfall intensity and visibility to create a predictive visibility simulation model. This study demonstrates the capacity of AR in disaster management and risk reduction.
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Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-522, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-522, 2024
Preprint withdrawn
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A comprehensive rock glacier inventory (n = 5492) has been generated through manual delineation in a GIS environment for the western Himalayan region. The inventory has characterized each rock glacier with 22 attributes following the standard protocols. This inventory shall serve as a baseline for the future research related to rock glacier dynamics, their hydrological contribution and response to climate change.
Dhiraj Kumar Singh, Srinivasarao Tanniru, Kamal Kant Singh, Harendra Singh Negi, and RAAJ Ramsankaran
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Koi McArthur, Felicity S. McCormack, and Christine F. Dow
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Felicity S. McCormack, Jason L. Roberts, Bernd Kulessa, Alan Aitken, Christine F. Dow, Lawrence Bird, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Katharina Hochmuth, Richard S. Jones, Andrew N. Mackintosh, and Koi McArthur
The Cryosphere, 17, 4549–4569, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4549-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4549-2023, 2023
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Changes in Antarctic surface elevation can cause changes in ice and basal water flow, impacting how much ice enters the ocean. We find that ice and basal water flow could divert from the Totten to the Vanderford Glacier, East Antarctica, under only small changes in the surface elevation, with implications for estimates of ice loss from this region. Further studies are needed to determine when this could occur and if similar diversions could occur elsewhere in Antarctica due to climate change.
Dominic Saunderson, Andrew Mackintosh, Felicity McCormack, Richard Selwyn Jones, and Ghislain Picard
The Cryosphere, 16, 4553–4569, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4553-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4553-2022, 2022
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We investigate the variability in surface melt on the Shackleton Ice Shelf in East Antarctica over the last 2 decades (2003–2021). Using daily satellite observations and the machine learning approach of a self-organising map, we identify nine distinct spatial patterns of melt. These patterns allow comparisons of melt within and across melt seasons and highlight the importance of both air temperatures and local controls such as topography, katabatic winds, and albedo in driving surface melt.
Vasaw Tripathi, Andreas Groh, Martin Horwath, and Raaj Ramsankaran
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4515–4535, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4515-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4515-2022, 2022
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GRACE/GRACE-FO provided global observations of water storage change since 2002. Scaling is a common approach to compensate for the spatial filtering inherent to the results. However, for complex hydrological basins, the compatibility of scaling with the characteristics of regional hydrology has been rarely assessed. We assess traditional scaling approaches and a new scaling approach for the Indus Basin. Our results will help users with regional focus understand implications of scaling choices.
Zhiang Xie, Dietmar Dommenget, Felicity S. McCormack, and Andrew N. Mackintosh
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 3691–3719, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-3691-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-3691-2022, 2022
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Paleoclimate research requires better numerical model tools to explore interactions among the cryosphere, atmosphere, ocean and land surface. To explore those interactions, this study offers a tool, the GREB-ISM, which can be run for 2 million model years within 1 month on a personal computer. A series of experiments show that the GREB-ISM is able to reproduce the modern ice sheet distribution as well as classic climate oscillation features under paleoclimate conditions.
Jamey Stutz, Andrew Mackintosh, Kevin Norton, Ross Whitmore, Carlo Baroni, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, Richard S. Jones, Greg Balco, Maria Cristina Salvatore, Stefano Casale, Jae Il Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, Robert McKay, Lauren J. Vargo, Daniel Lowry, Perry Spector, Marcus Christl, Susan Ivy Ochs, Luigia Di Nicola, Maria Iarossi, Finlay Stuart, and Tom Woodruff
The Cryosphere, 15, 5447–5471, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021, 2021
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Understanding the long-term behaviour of ice sheets is essential to projecting future changes due to climate change. In this study, we use rocks deposited along the margin of the David Glacier, one of the largest glacier systems in the world, to reveal a rapid thinning event initiated over 7000 years ago and endured for ~ 2000 years. Using physical models, we show that subglacial topography and ocean heat are important drivers for change along this sector of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
P. Verma, S. K. Ghosh, and R. Ramsankaran
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., V-3-2021, 197–202, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2021-197-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2021-197-2021, 2021
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Short summary
Our long-term analysis (1992–2023) shows that glaciers in the Zanskar Himalayas are undergoing sustained flow deceleration, closely associated with progressive thinning and the resulting reduction in driving stress. Glacier-specific factors, including geometry, topography, debris cover, and terminus type, further modulate individual glacier response. Overall, these results provide new insight into the long-term dynamic response of glaciers in the region to ongoing mass loss.
Our long-term analysis (1992–2023) shows that glaciers in the Zanskar Himalayas are undergoing...
