Delineation of debris-covered glacier boundaries using optical and thermal remote sensing data.

The varying extent of debris cover on a glacier's boundary may seriously hinder automated mapping and inventorying of glaciers in various parts of the world. The problem arises because supraglacial debris (i.e. debris on the glacier) and the adjacent periglacial debris (occurring outside the glacier boundary) have a similar spectral response in the solar reflection region, as both are derived from the same source (i.e. the valley rock). This study based on remote sensing data in a test area in the Chenab basin, Himalayas, shows that the thermal infrared bands have potential in resolving such ambiguity, as considerable temperature differences are found to exist between supraglacial debris and periglacial debris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]