Multi-temporal photographic dataset of glacier changes in the Rupal Valley, Nanga Parbat, north-western Himalaya
Description
This dataset presents multi-temporal glacier photography from the Rupal Valley, south of Nanga Parbat in the north-western Himalaya. The elevation of viewpoints of re-photographic surveys ranges between 2940 and 5370 m a.s.l. The research is based on the hypothesis that repeat photography of these mountain glaciers allows for a longer monitoring period than remote sensing data as historical metric photographs from the years 1934, 1958, and 1987 are available. All relevant historical photographs showing glacier aspects taken during scientific expeditions have been collected from archives and repeated from the same viewpoints during several surveys between 1992 and 2010. Prints of the selected photographs were taken to the field in order to identify the exact viewpoints. The camera was always mounted on a tripod for careful selection of the view angle and frame. This multi-temporal dataset allows for a detailed visual assessment of glacier fluctuations, changes in glacier snout positions, ice volumes, and debris cover over a period of seven to eight decades. It offers insights for a better understanding of glacier changes in this prominent Himalayan mountain region and can serve as a baseline for further studies. The dataset provides baseline data for a recently published article (Nüsser and Schmidt, 2021) with original archival material and replicated glacier photography. Publication: Nüsser, M., Schmidt, S. 2021. Glacier changes on the Nanga Parbat 1856-2020: A multi-source retrospective analysis. Science of the Total Environment 785, 147321. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147321