Rathong glacier’s Line-Of-Sight (LOS) Velocity Measured Using the Modified Four-Pass DInSAR Technique

The advent of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry technique has provided us with a vast opportunity to monitor different features on the Earth’s surface, including remote and difficult-to-access terrain. Out of the various cryospheric components, glaciers store a large reserve of the world’s fresh water and constitute a valuable resource for sustaining various lifeforms. Using the modified four-pass differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) technique, the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of the Rathong glacier in the Indian state of Sikkim was obtained. Data obtained from the Sentinel-1 satellite is used in the study. From the study, Rathong is found to be a slow-moving glacier. The method applied here is capable of measuring glacier velocity. Regular monitoring of glacial systems is very much needed, given the fast-changing global climatic conditions.